“The [Hawai‘i state] legislature pronounced that the problem of the critical shortage [of housing for low- and middle-income earners] was the high cost of housing. The causes of this high cost were said to be the ‘cost and availability of land, the cost of development, the cost and availability of financing, the cost added by […]
Dick Mayer
‘This DEIS Is Deficient’: Sierra Club, Maui Tomorrow, and others weigh in on A&B/Mahi Pono’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a 30-year water lease
The public comment period for Mahi Pono/Alexander & Baldwin’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) closed last week, and judging from the dozens of pages of responses I’ve read, this DEIS has more holes in it than bleached coral. Those stalwart folks who actually pored through the 2,700-page tome seemed to find scant substance and lots […]
‘An Overworked Brothel’ – Maui County Council discusses visitor impacts to our environment and infrastructure
It’s easy to make fun of tourists, but it’s a lot harder to criticize the tourism industry. Tourists drive at a crawl over the Pali, rubbernecking at whales, while 10 cars tail them. Tourists crowd beaches and trails, then tell you to get out of “their” sunset. Tourists poke you with their selfie sticks as […]
Councilmembers’ Day Off: Majority of voting members absent for Infrastructure and Environmental Management Committee meeting
The Infrastructure and Environmental Management Committee meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, began with a lecture. “I’ve had numerous meetings that we could not deliberate and do the work of this community due to lack of quorum,” Committee Chair Elle Cochran announced after taking roll and marking Councilmembers Don Guzman, Riki Hokama, and Mike White with […]
Maui community groups say they succeeded in reducing environmental, cultural impacts of Makena Resort development
For too long, the future of Mākena has been a giant unknown for Maui. The threat of development has loomed large, and the Maui Planning Commission’s vote in March to accept a “No Significant Impact” finding on ATC Makena Holdings’ plans for the South Maui region scared a lot of people. So much so that […]
Quizunderstood: Which county in Hawaii was the least supportive of Donald Trump?
1. On Nov. 18, MauiTime posted a table online, compiled by Maui political analyst Dick Mayer using data from Politico, showing how each county in Hawaii voted in the 2016 Presidential Election. According to the table, which county was least supportive of Presidential-elect Donald Trump? A. Honolulu City & County B. Maui County C. Kauai […]
This is how Maui County voters compared to rest of Hawaii in 2016 presidential election
Yeah, yeah, I know the election’s over and Donald Trump won and we should all just stop crying into our kombucha and get over it so our new overlord and his white nationalist minions can have their safe space free of non-whites, women, Muslims, immigrants, journalists and anyone who ever saw Raiders of the Lost […]
Using newly declassified documents, we examine the legacy of Elmer Cravalho, Maui County’s most important political leader.
Elmer Cravalho was a rare individual who made a mark on both Maui and Hawaii history. A man of considerable intelligence and energy, he wielded tremendous power on state and county stages for 25 years. But in the days following his death on June 27 at the age of 90, the obituaries for Cravalho that appeared in […]
20 questions answered about the new Maui County Manager proposal
There’s been a lot of talk recently about making some radical changes to the County of Maui’s system of government. Specifically–reducing the elected mayor’s powers (or eliminating the position entirely) in favor of hiring a professional “County Manager.” Because much of the talk about such a change has been both arcane and emotional, and because […]
UPDATED: Federal Judge Strikes Down Maui County GMO Moratorium
Civil Beat in Honolulu is reporting that federal Judge Susan Mollway has struck down Maui County’s controversial anti-GMO ballot measure, saying simply that because state and federal law preempts it, the bill is “invalid and unenforceable.” “The court recognizes the importance of questions about whether GE activities and GMOs pose risks to human health, the environment, […]
UPDATED: Breaking Down The Maui County GMO Initiative Votes
[Ed. Note: After we published this post, Dick Mayer said he’d made an error by including blank votes in the Percent Yes calculations. We’ve updated the post to include his revised, and simplified, numbers.] Dick Mayer likes numbers. “They’re fun for me to look at,” he told me. Mayer’s a former UH Maui College economics professor […]
This Tuesday, July 15: Maui County Mayoral Race Candidates Forum
Thursday, July 10 was the deadline for Hawaii candidates running in the August Primary Election to get their first campaign finance disclosure forms over to the state Campaign Spending Commission. According to the filings, which cover Jan. 1 through June 30 of this year, there is a little more than $359,000 in the collective coffers of […]
Will The County of Maui Overreach As It Tries To Regulate Downhill Bike Tours?
West Maui Cycles in Lahaina is like a lot of bike shops. It’s relatively small, offers a nice selection of road and mountain bikes for sale and has a maintenance and repair shop. It also rents bikes–even offers maps so visitors can find a few local sites and, more importantly, not get lost. “I do […]
Hot Maui Primary Election Action!
Time to vote, folks! Hard to believe that Saturday–THIS SATURDAY–is the Hawaii state Primary Election. Finally, after months of political ads clogging our radio and television airwaves, we get to find out who wins the big popularity contest we call Democracy. Well, half-wins–this is just a Primary, so we’ll meet back here in November and […]
Kula Community Association to Host Election Forum
Election season is here, and that means information and misinformation are everywhere. Sorting the former from the latter is your job as a voter. Thankfully, you’ve got help. Like the Kula Community Association primary election forum, set for Tuesday, August 10, 6-10pm at the Kula Community Center. For more info call 283-4376, e-mail [email protected] or check out […]
Share Water, Wastewater
A potluck picnic lunch in Spreckelsville sure sounds nice, huh? More than the makings for a swell Saturday, it’s the starts of the Sierra Club’s annual meeting. Add to the fellowship a noontime panel discussion themed “Sharing the Water,” and a feel-good awards ceremony for three of Maui’s do-gooders, and you’re afternoon is set.