Remove the Sugar Cane Train’s traffic signs

Fortunately, the Sugar Cane Train seems to be out for good, despite the efforts of our esteemed Mr. Angus McKelvey.

However, the tracks are still there: an eyesore. The traffic signs are still there, causing confusion among local drivers and visitors. And the intersection at Highway 30/Kapunakea has holes in there, where any day somebody might trip and break a leg, not to mention that shocks and axles of cars are damaged.

So, county or state? FIX the darn intersection at least and take off the signs. The tracks will probably outlive all of us.

So, Mayor Arakawa, Rep. McKelvey, who is going to do something to at least remove the hazard? If you think the Sugar Cane Train company will fix it, bless your ignorance.

And Mr. McKelvey really does not seem to care about West Maui – the area that he is SUPPOSED to represent at the state legislature.

I know for sure for whom I will NOT vote next time, and I plead with all West Maui voters to check Mr. McKelvey’s record, then make the right decision.

He has done nothing for us for too long already. The situation along the entire SCT line is a scandal, especially for a world-class tourist destination.

I hope the owner will think twice and not open the SCT again. Just as a reminder: THERE IS NO MORE SUGAR CANE IN WEST MAUI!!! Just build a museum to maintain the history of days long gone by, but don’t bother the residents again with air pollution (soot and noise)!

If the SCT is ever reopened, the EPA should intervene and enforce the environmental laws! NO EXEMPTIONS for a nuisance as the SCT!!

JOHN BLAHUTA, Lahaina

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Locals don’t want to pay for parking

I have a simple concern as a kama’aina living in Lahaina and visiting the Whalers Village Food Court; there is a mandatory average spending amount to receive a stamp/sticker for parking.

Currently in the food court, the eateries and their minimum charges are $10 to $15. I clearly understand that the businesses have to pay Whalers for parking so they can give their customers “stamps/stickers,” but perhaps that should be reflected in the prices and not in a minimum charge.

I believe this is being handled poorly, and many, including myself, are just walking away from lunch or dinner, because when the total comes up to $12.47 instead of $15, I do not receive my stamp – just a pain of frustration instead.

Many locals frequent the food court at Whalers, and many do not simply because they do not want to pay for parking. Parking in Lahaina is a huge issue for residents. We work very hard every day to live in Lahaina, and the last thing any kama’aina wants to do is pay for parking, especially after a meal.

So, my dear friends at Whalers Village Food Court, please stop charging a minimum for ordering to receive parking. Be blessed and grateful that you are receiving business. Add 50 cents into prices if you are worried about costs for parking and don’t lose future business. Mahalo.

JAHANNA NAGANUMA, Lahaina

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Letter writer doesn’t understand the Constitution

Peter J. Thomas (Letters, March 9) appears to be operating under a constitution other than the United States Constitution. If Mr. Thomas had even a basic understanding of the U.S. version, he would see that there is nothing in it that allows some outliers in Congress to delay a hearing and confirmation for U.S. Supreme Court justices.

Mr. Thomas should immediately download a copy of the U.S. Constitution and read it end to end. That way, he won’t embarrass himself in the future by making untrue statements.

PETE FANARKISS, Lahaina

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Lahaina Arts Association appreciates support

As president of the board of Lahaina Arts Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing Maui County youth access to the creative arts through art education and artistic opportunities, I’d like to extend mahalos to many galleries, businesses, artists and volunteers in Lahaina.

The community came together for a first of its kind fundraiser in the way of a pop-up gallery for our Maui Masters 2016 show. The Maui Masters Invitational Show 2016 is a community-wide fundraiser benefitting Lahaina Arts Association and children’s art education programs for Maui County youth.

For one month, Feb. 12 through March 12, artists donated a portion of the sale of a selected piece, which is on display at the Maui Masters Gallery or at a participating gallery on Front Street.

The Outlets of Maui donated space in the old Izod store for the run of the show, Feb. 12 through March 12, 2016. Our first mahalo goes out to them for their great contribution and support of art education for the keiki of Maui County.

Mahalo to Hard Rock Cafe and Fleetwood’s on Front Street for providing the yummy pupus and wine. You guys filled our tummies and glasses with great happiness throughout the evening of our opening reception.

I want to thank all the art galleries and artists that participated in our Art Walk and donated beautiful art for our show. Your support for the keiki of Maui County and art education is greatly appreciated.

Mahalo to Kush Fine Art and Vladimir Kush, Kingwell Island Art and Jim Kingwell, DeRubeis Fine Art and Oryan and Alan Hunt, Fleetwood’s General Store & Gallery and Mick Fleetwood, Diamond Head Gallery and Roy Tabora, Wyland Gallery and Wyland and Walfrido, Maui on Metal and Boogaloo and Patrick McFeely, and to all the talented artists who donated art to the Old Jail Gallery at Banyan Tree Park.

A great big mahalo goes out to all the Maui Masters artists who contributed amazing work for this year’s show: Fred Lorenzo, Dennis Mathewson, Jason Moore, Podge Elvenstar, Jim Kingwell, Mick Fleetwood, Mary Ann Leigh, Jack Hamilton, Michael Sweet, Rich Kenny, Cynthia Chaffee-Willis and Boogaloo.

And lastly, I want to thank all our volunteers and board members for the hard work in planning, preparing, setting up and staffing our month-long show. Your hard work and dedication to the children of Maui County is so valuable and greatly appreciated. Mahalo to Al Harty, Rob Decamp, Shawn Boen, Koana Smith, Ario Pardee, Nisla Hickman, Erin Brothers, Jon Brothers, Amber Hickman and Lana Cherry.

DARICE MACHEL McGUIRE, Lahaina Arts Association Board President

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Trump is not a politician

We the people are fed up with the lies and deceit of the greedy politicians who think more of themselves than the people they represent. They are a group of self-righteous individuals who capitalize on every opportunity to benefit themselves. Our voice is being heard loud and clear. Politicians, you will mistreat us no more. We will elect a person who is not a politician and cannot be bought. One who is on a mission to take this country back and restore the greatness that it once had. We will elect one Donald J. Trump. And so it shall be…

GEORGE DEVINE, Kokomo, Indiana

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Donald Trump: From one tyrant to another

One thing I discovered long ago about tyrants: they love other tyrants. They’re a mutual admiration/suffering society. When one succeeds by extinguishing dissent, the others applaud; and when one falls, the others cringe.

Donald Trump is a tyrant in thin disguise. He’s always talking about the people who have the least interest in supporting him as though they really love him. Mexicans “love me,” he says; so do Indians, Jews, non-terrorist Muslims, Chinese, Russians, Japanese, Germans. In fact, Trump will unify them all, he promises.

Of course, they mostly loathe him, just as Trump loathes all of them, as well as many other non-white groups. What is most revealing, however, are the people Trump admires, such as Vladimir Putin, Saddam Hussein, and Moammar Qaddafi – dictators who, Trump has said, know how to eliminate troublemakers and terrorists. Sure, they kill lots of innocent people, but you have to admire their grit.

What Trump specifically admires about tyrants is their willingness to use their power to stay in power. Putin, for instance, wins Trump’s applause for dealing decisively with ethnic dissenters, critical journalists and uncooperative businesspeople – and he evidently sees in Trump his mirror image. Thus, as president, Trump thinks he would be able to strike a deal with Putin, since tough guys speak the same language. Trump must surely have laughed at George W. Bush for believing that he had looked into Putin’s “soul” and found something likeable and trustworthy.

The same goes for China’s leaders, whom Trump otherwise detests and is sure he can outsmart. They have his admiration for cracking down on protesters at Tiananmen in 1989. He once told an interviewer: “… the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength.”

Looking into Trump’s soul, we see a truly authoritarian personality – someone who will bring the same no-nonsense skills he applies in the business world to the White House. As president, Trump can be expected to keep his own counsel, downgrade expertise, issue orders without consultation, ignore Congress and the law, recklessly conduct foreign affairs, and pay no heed to minorities, women, unions, the press, NGOs, Democrats, and (oh yes) most Republicans. He will insult people willy-nilly and humiliate anyone who gets in his way. He will attack every criticism as a lie but have no compunctions about lying to push across his ideas. His every audacious act will be carried out in the name of restoring American strength after decades of weakness.

The worst of it all is that for perhaps one-third of the American electorate, and perhaps more, this description of Donald Trump is very appealing. But I remain convinced that, like the tyrants he admires, Trump will fall.

MEL GURTOV, PeaceVoice

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What’s a scooter rider to do?

There are a lot of mopeds, scooters and motorcycles in West Maui. The owners have different goals in riding them: cheap transportation, wind in their hair, easy to find a parking place, etc. One thing we all have in common is the state-mandated safety check.

A few years ago, there were two locations in West Maui that would safety check two-wheelers: West Maui Safety and Aloha Motorsports. West Maui stopped doing them two years ago. As of today, March 8, Aloha has also stopped offering the service.

The DMV says to take them to Kihei. That’s okay for the big bikes. Taking a 49cc scooter south of Lahaina and over the Pali is a death wish.

If the state and county demand that two-wheelers have a safety check, then they should also make sure a place to check them is somewhat convenient.

MIKE SOWERS, Lahaina