Why Pick Me?

As you know, I have high regard and enduring respect for what my opponent was able to accomplish with the establishment and growth of MEO, and its importance to our community.

Indeed, I supported her candidacy when she first ran in 2006. As someone who walked the Coachella Valley with Dolores Huerta in the farmworkers' strike, I was impressed that she had been awarded recognition that was named for Cesar Chavez.

Whatever her abilities--and they are legion--she has taken a decidedly conservative approach toward moving into a green and sustainable community.

Her reluctance to advocate for the return of ALL public trust waters to the County of Maui(with oversight by the State) and her embrace of continuous development(e.g., Wailea 670) have been deeply disappointing to me.

Her decision not to pursue a course of eminent domain against the corporate entities presently controlling our access to Maui's public trust waters is not in the public interest, and shows an imbalance in favor of these corporations.

The defeat of the Water Conservation Measure only confirms this continued and persistent deference to same forces.

I am concerned with helping build a future for all our communities, one based on self-reliance and shared values, an economy that builds community.

How would I help return public trust waters? By eminent domain, as these ARE public trust waters and their disposition is of vital interest to our County.

Should there be a moratorium on meters?  According to Ellen Kraftow of Water Resources and Planning(DWS), we are basically "out of water" both for Central and South Maui, and for West Maui as well, that there is no redundancy in the Public Systems. We cannot, according to Director Ing, run public (or private)systems reliably without adequate redundancy in them.

What we will actually do with the 40,000 to 50,000 further units already "green lighted" by the Planning(?) Department, is anyone's "guess." Even Director Ing has conceded that the Department (with Administration approval)may have to issue a "findings of shortage," which will have the effect of halting all but exempted and otherwise priority uses, such as DHHL homes and affordable housing which is strongly in the public interest.

A findings of shortage would be a de facto moratorium, and probably lead to actual water conservation measures.

I don't feel most candidates are being candid about what our situation relative to water (and its attendant issues) is. Maybe they simply don't understand what our challenges are, or prefer to remain non-committal in maintaining a more conventional course of action.