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Letters to the Editor

Conduct economic impact report on short-term rentals

Implementing Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed short-term rental legislation could quickly wreak havoc on the Maui economy for years. There will be unrecoverable economic loss for everyone. Families will lose their jobs and have no choice but to leave Maui for better and affordable opportunities. What workforce family can afford or want short-term rental home with one parking stall, huge mortgage payment for such a small home, and HOA fees of $600-$1,200? No one I know.  So what will you have accomplished?  You will have injected economic hardship into the government’s and ...

What about the sellers?

Thank you for your op-ed. Housing on Maui has no easy answers. What I don’t hear, however, is discussion about the other side of the equation: the sellers. There must be a way to incentivize sellers to sell their property at a lower price to first-time Hawaii residents; capital gains waivers? tax credits? Anonymous

Short term rentals on Minatoya list unsuitable

This is in response to your column in the June 20th Maui News. As was reported earlier in your publication, many of the apartment zoned units on the Minatoya list would be unsuitable for workforce housing. Many are small units with only one parking stall and limited storage. Eliminating those units as short term rentals would have dire financial consequences in terms of both lost tax revenue and lost jobs, without effectively solving the problem - a shortage of suitable workforce housing for our local population. Rather than eliminating these short term rentals, it would be a better ...

Gratitude to anonymous helpers

I don’t know who to thank specifically, but I was reminded recently that there are many caring and helpful people in our world, when I lost a library book by the “cottages” across from Pukalani Long’s Store, and whoever found it turned it into the library. I am very grateful. Prentise Wylie 
Makawao

Postal staff serves with unwavering commitment

Unwavering commitment of our postal staff in serving our wonderful community is to be commended As the Postmaster of Kahului, I am writing to express the unwavering commitment of our postal staff to serving our wonderful community. With the 4th of July approaching, a time when we celebrate our nation’s independence and the freedoms we cherish, it is also a fitting moment to reflect on the values that bind us together. The Postal Service has been an integral part of American life for centuries, connecting people across vast distances, facilitating communication and commerce. Here in ...

Shame on those who park in front of fire hydrants

Given the number of fires that are being set all over the island in this, the “Maui Summer of Arson,” I’m shocked at how many of my neighbors choose to park their cars so that their vehicles block or obstruct fire department access to many of the fire hydrants in the neighborhood. This has to be illegal, but we all know that laws that are not enforced from time to time are basically meaningless. Still, common sense would seem to tell people not to do this. May those who park their cars in front of fire hydrants receive some wisdom soon about why blocking fire hydrants is a ...