Breaking News

Letters to the Editor

Letter: County aims at maximum property tax for fire loss?

In January 2025, I was sent a notice from Maui County Real Property Tax Division that my single-family home in an older Kihei subdivision was appraised at $1,350,000, an increase of $265,000 from the previous assessment. Their justification was two homes in the vicinity sold for higher. I filed an appeal in March, and despite four calls and an email, did I get some response as to the process of an appeal?   I finally got on the calendar for Dec. 17. Listening in on the others individuals contesting their tax assessments, it became apparent to me that this is a deliberate effort on ...

Letter: Navy hospital corpsman to return to Maui to serve

I left Maui to serve my country, but I never stopped belonging to it. After more than two decades as a U.S. Navy Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman, I am now retired from military service and living with the long-term physical and mental toll that accompanies a career spent caring for others under pressure. I am also a full-time doctoral nursing student at Seattle University, pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner, with an anticipated graduation date of June 2029. Like many veterans, I was trained to lead, to assess risk, and to make decisions where ...

Letter: Does government care about customer service?

Why is it so hard to talk to someone from the post office? The automated system asks you about ten but you cannot talk to a human. You are deterred from talking to customer service by the manipulation of the automated system. They want you to hang up or drive all the way to the post office to get simple information. They make it almost impossible for you to talk to a human being. Government bureaucracy, this is one reason there is so much distrust with government. My question is what are you going to do? The answer is nothing. Does the government really care? Terao NakasoneKihei

Letter: County reimbursing us for lost pick-ups?

Last week, the county solid waste department failed to pick up trash from thousands of homes. From Dec.12-15, there was no trash collection for many residents upcountry. For every that was not emptied, the county stole over $8, for not picking up the trash. So, for example, 1,000 cans means over $8,000. As you know, your solid waste bill is $436 annually. How does the county plan on reimbursing us for the lost pick-ups? Will they give us an extra pick-up? How will they even keep track of this theft? Most of their billing is out-sourced. Try being late on your bill and they will ...

Letter: Lahaina fire impacted all, not just local retail outlets

Lahaina town has been the draw card and assembly place for every visitor to Maui over past years. Visitors were intrigued by the former whaling town and served by shops filled with local crafts sold in fun, colorful stores, any of which were made on Maui by small biz and families, making Lahaina the main retail location to sell to 2.4 million visitors yearly. Most operated away from the high-rent district and scattered in more affordable homes or low-rent commercial space in old town Wailuku with Lahaina town sales their bread and butter. The Lahaina fire impacted all on Maui, not ...

Letter: Council STR vote just attempt to restrict tourism

The recent decision by Maui County Council to approve Bill 9 is, at best, a hollow victory for those who believe it will magically create affordable housing and a return to the old kupuna ways, and at worst, an attempt to restrict tourism, which I believe, is the core issue. Having dedicated numerous hours to listening to testimonies and contributing my own, it is clear that Maui has devolved from a magical place into an island increasingly divided by conflicting beliefs and opinions regarding its future. The spirit of Aloha has unfortunately left the building. Ultimately, this ...