Lahaina wildfire
Whenever there is an unexpected disaster, people want someone to blame.
Of course there was a lack of planning. Something like this had never happened before in Hawaii.
California had to learn the same lesson the hard way, as well. Not only are they doing extremely expensive upgrades to their system, they are doing blackouts during times of high winds and fire danger.
Hawaii already has some of the highest electricity prices in the country, and the needed system upgrades will be very expensive, resulting in significantly higher prices.
Because this had never before happened here, it must not have seemed important enough to jack electricity prices to pay for it.
This might be a good reason to invoke the suggested tourism tax as a way to fund this.
It’s almost impossible to get anything done in government, because there’s always someone telling you that you can’t do this or that. Nobody is really to blame, because nobody is really in charge.
If there is anyone to blame, it is those of us unwilling to pay out of pocket for the needed upgrades.
Russ Button
Pahoa
Suspend Jones Act
If ever there was a time for the Jones Act to be lifted or suspended, that time is now!
The cost of not only rebuilding homes and businesses and infrastructure, but also temporarily housing thousands of displaced and distraught survivors, is going to have a staggering financial and environmental impact. Not just for Maui but for the whole state of Hawaii, because the availability and cost of building materials is going to have far-reaching and devastating effects on our economy.
Our governor owes it to all of his constituents to at the very least make a plea to the federal government to, at least temporarily, suspend the Jones Act during this time of crisis in the nation’s already highest-cost-of-living state.
Petition the governor and all state representatives to make a plea for this for the sake of all of us, but particularly Native Hawaiian families.
David E. Snover
Pahoa
‘Pandering’
to writer
Doesn’t anyone review the letters you publish? Why would you publish a letter (regarding Maui’s wildfires) from someone in South Carolina who obviously doesn’t know anything about our island weather?
What would he have done? A rain dance? Water drops on the town before the fire?
Usually, we get copious amount of rain from past hurricanes. No amount of preparation for this tragedy could have prevented it.
Shame on the Tribune-Herald for pandering to some know-it-all.
George Moore
Hilo
