NO LOVE FOR KYLE YAMASHITA
Kyle Yamashita wins elections because he stands at the side of Haleakala Hwy smiling and pointing at commuters (Candidate! Sept. 6, 2012). He is very charismatic in that regard, however if you have ever met him in person you may notice that he seems unable or unwilling to converse. Have you ever tried talking to him? I am gratified to learn that he is opposed to raising property taxes. Does he realize that it is the Maui County Council that controls our property taxes, not the State Legislature? Nice smile anyway. That’s all it takes to get elected.

-“Kahului gal,” via MauiTime.com

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YNEZ TONGSON GETS SOME LOVE
Just wanted to tell you I really loved your article on Speed-Dating in MauiTime (“Speed Dating With The Beautiful People At Moana Cafe,” Aug. 30, 2012). Great writing and it made me laugh. If you ever wrote a book, I’d definitely read it. And I also still hate dating even though I’m almost 39… ugh! It probably didn’t help I got stood up on my last date and worse, I was the one who bought the tickets to the event. Felt like a total loser… but at least it gave me a newfound appreciation for being single. Here’s to picking the peas out! Thanks for the great article!

-Tamara Davidson, via email

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MVB LETTER
Here’s a copy of a letter I just sent to the Maui [Visitors Bureau] (“Here’s why the Maui County Council should refuse Terryl Vencl’s request for $3.5 million for the Maui Visitors Bureau,” May 16, 2012):

Dear Sir/Madam,

My wife and I recently visited Maui after a 24 year absence. Back then, there were Mom & Pop grocery stores and no Walmarts. There were views unobstructed by massive condo complexes. [Makena] Beach had a small church nearby with chickens running around. I could run from Lahaina to Kaanapali along a two-lane highway with very little traffic present. There was a smell of freshness in the air that gave one the impression of actually being in a relatively unspoiled place.

Fast forward to November of last year. A tangled mess of malls, Safeways, Radio Shacks, fast food joints, traffic of unimaginable proportions, obese tourists from the Mainland getting in each other’s way as they ruck through the t-shirt shops in Lahaina, humorless and in a hurry to go nowhere.

I never thought back in 1988 that your beautiful island would become, in essence, Los Angeles with trade winds. Everyone on the island who let this happen ought to be, at least, ashamed; at most praying to the God, Akua for forgiveness. The all-mighty dollar has turned paradise into a freak show of human and environmental degradation. Progress is not the name of this massive transformation over 24 years.

When we got home, my younger brother expressed interest in moving to Maui after his retirement. I showed him some of the pictures we had taken in November. He’s now thinking of moving to Death Valley to be in a more hospitable environment.

-Jan Sershen, via MauiTime.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE
We forgot to mention in our Sept. 6, 2012 Taste of Maui Guide to Kamaaina Specials that it’s very important to call establishments before visits to make sure they still offer the deals mentioned in our story, which are subject to change without notification.