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Letters to the Editor

Letter: Finish revision of zoning started by county in 2017

Maui County’s obsolete zoning code is making life difficult for our community. Known also as Title 19, it was first enacted in 1960. Maui Planning Department has adapted in response to setbacks in its Title 19 rewrite, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 wildfires, and understaffing issues. Instead of completely overhauling the code, the goal is to create a revised version of Title 19. The crux of the rewrite project is to modernize the code and eliminate redundancies. Simplifying Title 19 will expedite the building permit application process. Building an affordable ...

Letter: County bill on ag water rate to include conservation

I am writing to express strong support for Bill 56, which would extend agricultural water rate eligibility to include conservation uses, such as the planting of native trees and habitat restoration. This bill reflects a much-needed recognition that environmental stewardship is as vital to our island’s future as food production — and in some cases, more viable. While Maui County’s current property tax incentives for agriculture are intended to encourage land productivity, the reality is that many of the agriculture plans submitted to qualify for these tax breaks never ...

Letter: Molokai Little League needs new leadership?

I am frustrated with the disconcerting state of the Molokai Little League, particularly concerning the safety and wellbeing of our children. In May, our community was witness to a disgraceful spectacle — violence unfolded not once, but twice at the Jr/Sr Division Little League events. The first incident occurred during a ballgame, with children trapped in the epicenter of an escalating conflict involving parents, coaches, spectators and even the league’s division representative. A meeting to discuss this chaotic incident, held four days later, also devolved into a similar ...

Letter: Urgent support needed to save vital Job Corps

Job Corps is currently facing unprecedented challenges. Recent mandates from the Department of Labor are signaling the potential closure of this vital program nationwide, and we need your support now more than ever. Job Corps is confronting serious threats. In March, the DOL terminated the contract with the company responsible for conducting background checks for new enrollees, causing a halt in the enrollment process. Consequently, approximately 12,000 prospective students are awaiting acceptance into the program. Additionally, during a recent budget hearing, Labor Secretary ...

Letter: Street eyesores persist via lack of enforcement

It seems that on almost any street here, there is always a junk vehicle, vehicles with expired registration, vehicles with no license plates at all and vehicles that are being lived in. Where is the enforcement of vehicle registration, illegal dumping of vehicles, living in vehicles and just driving around ignoring the laws regarding vehicle insurance and registration? This problem is growing. Each day, I see more such eyesores stored on our streets. Is this what we want to be known for? Is MPD not concerned about this? What do law-abiding folks need to do to wake up our ...

Letter: Hawaii’s lodging tax unfair burden on tourists

Recently, the Hawaii Government passed a bill that will increase the state’s lodging tax, among the highest in the nation, by 0.75 percent. The justification for this is that the $100 million raised annually will go exclusively toward mitigating climate change. Does anyone believe that? This money will go into the general fund to support a bloated, unresponsive, inefficient and incompetent government. The same government that can’t provide affordable housing for its citizens, a highway infrastructure that can carry the traffic and who brought us the Lahaina fire through ...