There is one thing we can all do to make a change during this pandemic, and that is vote. All it takes is the flick of a pen with this year's mail in ballot. Before you get out your primary ballot, be sure to get to know your candidates. MauiTime asked each candidate about their key platforms and posted their candid answers here. Maui County Council, … [Read more...] about MauiTime Primary Election Candidate Guide 2020
Shane Sinenci
On County Single-Use Plastic Ban, Differences Emerge Regarding Sense of Urgency
A bill to prohibit the use and sale of disposable plastic foodware in Maui County passed the Council’s Environmental, Agricultural, and Cultural Preservation Committee by a vote of 5-1 on Tuesday, Feb. 18, with Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura being the sole No vote (Councilmember Alice Lee was not present). The bill now heads to the full council for its first reading. While all … [Read more...] about On County Single-Use Plastic Ban, Differences Emerge Regarding Sense of Urgency
Honolulu Takes on the Plastic Problem: Will their leadership encourage Maui to do the same?
If there’s one thing I took away from PBS NewsHour’s special feature, “The Plastic Problem,” (other than, Here’s yet another way we humans have screwed ourselves and our planet) it’s that plastics are everywhere, from the tops of mountains to the depths of ocean trenches. One scene in particular sticks out in my mind: A plastic researcher is asked by a reporter if she still … [Read more...] about Honolulu Takes on the Plastic Problem: Will their leadership encourage Maui to do the same?
Speaking of a Tourism ‘Tipping Point,’ Community Members Urge Action
Sitting outside Council Chambers in the late afternoon, Councilmember Shane Sinenci expressed disappointment. It was a rare moment for the usually cheerful councilmember, who hours prior was hopeful of passing a resolution out of the Environmental, Agricultural, and Cultural Preservation Committee he chairs. The resolution, as currently written, would require Mayor Victorino’s … [Read more...] about Speaking of a Tourism ‘Tipping Point,’ Community Members Urge Action
‘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 they strike poses for Instagram while crusted in reef-toxic … [Read more...] about ‘An Overworked Brothel’ – Maui County Council discusses visitor impacts to our environment and infrastructure