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This Weeks Letters
WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A GOLF COURSE?
September 13, 2007
All this fuss about Wailea 670, or now referred to as Honua'ula, can be "canned" in just a few words ("Ho'ala," Aug. 23, 2007). First, there isn't enough water for a project that size (or any size?). "Private well" be damned. Even that is especially suspect. What happens if that source fails in just a few years? Call the County to come to the rescue? Not enough evidence to convince me has been provided by Mr. Jencks.
Secondly, another golf course? Nothing is being played up by the media about this but that's just what we don't need anywhere on this island anymore. Not in Wailea, Kahului, Pukalani, Waiehu or Kapalua!
Thirdly, I just don't like the idea that the affordable housing is at another site, far from the rich and famous. Is our working class too far down the scale of the "appropriate" elites?
Why are we spending so much time on this? Turn it down already, Council members!!!!!!
-Sherman Kusunoki, Wailuku
COME ON, ILENE!
In regards to Taste of Maui (Aug. 30, 2007), I was just wondering who cares where Paige Deponte likes to eat?
-Ilene Dover, via email
The Editor responds: Anyone who likes the croissants at La Provence is okay in my book.
TRYING TO BE PONO
[Editor's note: the following letter references way too many issues we've covered over the last few weeks to note]
In my limited time on Maui I have tried to listen and learn about issues confronting the island. I've learned about the Superferry not doing an EIS early on, the huge new developments planned for South Maui with no sure source of water (and on top of a 10 percent voluntary cutback) among myriad other problems, other issues with water such as stream flow being diverted upcountry and elsewhere on the island, and I've learned about affordable housing that was promised by developers and never delivered on. I've learned about a lot of decisions made in the past that weren't always the best decisions and left people scratching their heads about the process and what motivated such decisions.
BUT I've become aware that with this County Council there's a lot of new energy to make decisions that are more well thought out and in the best interests of the broadest number of people and the county, not just for right now, but for the future as well. I hope that Maui is serious about working on issues of sustainability as we are in the middle of the ocean. But, this should include sustainability for the rest of the earth in decisions we make. We can't be good stewards if we're harming the earth while trying to do the right thing with biofeedstock.
So now, once again, there is a big issue of long term consequences in front of the Council and there is a very large outcry from "them darned environmentalists" that the Blue Earth proposal isn't going to be a good thing and hasn't been very well thought out. There is some evidence of late that the environmental groups can make a good, well-reasoned case and that they are really trying to be pono. I am hopeful that the council will go down a thoughtful and well-reasoned path to come to the best conclusion about this issue. Ask hard questions and demand satisfactory answers. Your decisions will have long lasting effects.
I am paying as much attention as possible to the Wailea 670 process and appreciate how much work and thought is being paid to such a huge issue. I am hopeful for positive change for Maui.
-Maury King, Kihei
CORRECTION
In our Sept. 6, 2007 story "Don of Pizza," we forgot to credit Megan Baker for taking all those great shots of pizza and such.