‘Get out of the way’
This is in response to the Sept 1 article, “Hawaii investigates unsolicited land offers.”
Why is Gov. Josh Green, other politicians and bureaucrats preventing the victims of Lahaina’s wildfire from making decisions that would help them move on and possibly rebuild or move to other parts of Maui or Hawaii?
These are the same bureaucrats and politicians that screwed up the emergency response on multiple levels that led to the deaths and displacement of the residents of Maui.
In nature, vultures and fungi serve an ugly necessary purpose in our ecosystem, just as the ugly real estate speculators do in situations such as this. Between the cleanup, planning department, permitting department, politicians and other bureaucrats, it is going to take a decade to rebuild Lahaina. Why is the governor impeding the victim’s opportunity to move on and rebuild?
Of course, there will be some who choose to move to Las Vegas, but what he is doing will only encourage more to do that. Why stick around to rebuild if the government puts obstacles in place that delay people from getting back to their lives?
If the governor wants to do something: Expedite the permitting process, expedite the cleanup, and offer aid to those who are displaced and grieving.
If people are receiving offers to sell their property, that is there right to sell, if they decide that that is what is best for their family. If locals are made an offer, they can reject it or simply ignore it. The local people of Lahaina don’t need a white savior right now. They need their insurance payment, government aid, and charities to deal with this devastating tragedy.
Gov. Green stated that he is in favor of a moratorium on land sales in Lahaina to prevent people from being displaced. They are displaced and will be for a long time if the bureaucrats stand in the way. They are displaced because of the government’s botched emergency response.
Governor, get out of the way and let the people of Maui make the best decisions for their families.
J.C. Kocher
Keaau
‘Impeccable’ police response
I was recently involved in a situation involving large, dangerous feral animals, guns and the police.
The Puna police were impeccable in their professionalism and aloha, and went over and beyond expectations.
The situation was resolved amicably to all parties, and local resources were enlisted to make productive use of what would have quickly become a public health nuisance.
Mahalo nui loa, Puna police.
John Powers
Pahoa