Lahaina, Maui has already priced local residents out of paradise.
Governor Green of Hawaii is now saying he’s exploring moratorium on property sales in historic Lahaina that has been devastated into a burnt war zone. He hopes to prevent the permanent displacement of Hawaiians and local residents.
Governor, that affordable ship has sailed.
Does the Governor not know that Lahaina has already been invaded by out of state and foreign owners? Properties in the area and elsewhere are already priced at $1M and beyond. There are occasional properties below the $1M price range and small condominiums.
By and large, Maui has become very gentrified. It has also become the retreat place of the rich and famous.
Fortunately, some of its City Council members have been trying to protect its local residents from being priced out due to rising costs, including escalating property taxes.
Bill 39, CD1 raises interesting questions. The City Councilmember representing the District where the landfill is situated also asked for more dialogue in the Nanakuli Neighborhood Board first.
However, it’s important to note that hardly any bill or resolution is discussed or explained to residents as far as I’m aware of.
The impetus for this tax exemption appears to come from the unions. It makes as they represent a segment of their blue collar workers in this area. Unions should rightly advocate for their members.
Environmental Justice and Social Justice considerations are paramount in our public policies. So is fairness and even application of the law.
At a quick glance, the rationale for this Bill raises many questions.
Is the city saying that those who live in this area are considered “expendables” and throwing an exemption is sufficient to make up for supposed “shortened life-span”, health hazards and other negative impacts from an active landfill?
There are arbitrary lines of demarcation that will benefit those within a designated boundary. Those outside the immediate designated boundary will be disenfranchised. Is it fair?
Is this a good policy to continue to pollute our island environment or should more emphasis be placed on recycling and limiting the amounts of landfill materials into our island. For example: Can there be an effort to initiate a recycling industry to say, repair appliances instead of simply throwing them away.
Is the city working on implementing cutting-edge technology on this issue?
The rationale provided by some supporters also raises questions.
The rationale above is Lualualei and Nanakuli have a lesser life-span of 10 years. What other contributing factors or data are there?
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Is this 10-year life span sentence primarily due to the active PVT Landfill? This question is not to discount that negative impacts of landfills but it is to question the rationale used for this Bill.
The above two spots are opposite end of Oahu and not near PVT.
The fundamental question to be asked is the other two color spots outside of West Oahu. Those two other colored spots are not next to the active PVT landfill area. What could be the reasons for putting these areas into the shortened 10 year lifespan. Are there other factors?
Should the other two color spots be accorded the same property tax exemption?
What about those in Kahuku who live next to the industrial wind turbines with various negative health impacts?
As if the 64% salary increase did not irritate the public enough. Here comes another bitter pill for the public.
Honolulu City Council District Val Okimoto introduced a new amendment to The Revised Honolulu City Charter on August 9, 2023
Okimoto’s new amendment gives absolute powers to the nominated Honolulu Salary Commission. It further disenfranchises the public’s opportunity for due process at the City Council and to hold their District Council Members accountable for their decisions.
Below is Resolution 23-193. Page 3 shows the amendment – – “and is not subject to rejection or alteration by the council or the mayor.”
In other words, the elected City Council will relinquish its responsibility to a nominated commission to decide the salary increases.
It was a “perfect storm” with gusty winds and dry weather and a historic town of wooden structures. It’s compelling to see how fast the fire spread.
“Fire is a good servant, but a bad master” hits home on August 9, 2023. A hot dry summer causing dry vegetation along with gusty winds turned Lahaina into a war zone. The wooden structures did not stand a chance. The fire even burnt the vessels on the water.
Here are some screenshots taken from social media:
Before and After.This is a photo of Pioneer Inn that was burnt down. We took this photo some time ago when our family was visiting Lahaina for leisure. I loved the history of the place. But I told myself that I would not be going back to Lahaina town. It had become over-commercialized. We walked from a hotel along a pathway next a private yard and home. I thought that it was too intrusive to the local residents and I did not want to be that part of that touristy crowd.Lahaina was a bustling tourist center. These wooden structures didn’t stand a chance.
The pink-hair girl and the green-hair guy murdered Telma Boinville at the Sunset Beachfront vacation rental unit where Telma was cleaning.
Stephen Brown was found guilty on January 20, 2023. His partner Haile Dandurand requested a separate trial arguing that she was a also victim of abuse by Stephen Brown herself.
On August 1, 2023, Oregonian Hailey Dandurand was found GUILTY on all counts relating to Telma Boinville’s murder at a north shore vacation rental. Telma worked as a translator at Sunset Beach Elementary School and also worked as a cleaner.
The murder was so gruesome and heinous that one juror could not even look at the photos and asked to be released.
Telma’s 8-year-old daughter was also tied up in an upstairs bedroom. She was lucky that the vacation renters arrived at the premises and caused these two murderers to flee.
