County should promote recycling

(The following letter was sent to County Councilwoman Tamara Paltin.)

The County Council is now going over the mayor’s budget for the next fiscal year. There seems to be some question on lowering the recycling money in the mayor’s budget.

This isn’t a good idea. Less recycling means more stuff goes to the landfill, which means it gets filled faster and then costs a lot more to be made bigger.

They are looking to close the Lahainaluna Road recycling. This makes it hard for people in Lahaina to recycle, as they have to go to Cut Mountain. This adds a ten-mile round- trip to recycle (1,000 trips in a year is 10,000 miles of gas emissions that aren’t needed).

Also, with all the people out of work in the hotels, they may be able to get to Cut Mountain before 2:30 p.m. – but not after they go back. Lahainaluna closes at 4:45 p.m.

We closed this once before, and it didn’t work out very well. We got it back, so don’t please do it again.

STEVEN B. ASHFIELD, Lahaina

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Mahalo for keeping cruise ships out

Na Kupuna would like to thank the mayor of Maui County and the harbor masters for Lahaina Harbor and Maalaea Harbor for keeping the cruise ships and their passengers at bay during these very turbulent times.

Na Kupuna O Maui and Kaanapali 2020 appreciate them.

PATTY NISHIYAMA, Lahaina

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Hawaii, forgetting history so fast

So, let’s review Hawaii’s response: 1) A surprise event occurs that causes the citizens and leaders to panic; 2) A rapid and firm response is required to keep everyone safe; 3) Dramatic steps are taken which include the “incarceration” of its citizens, of course, for everyone’s safety; 4) The result is the “elimination” of most civil rights, the Bill of Rights and violations of numerous constitutional protections – all under the flag of “we must protect everyone.”

Sounds great, right? Sounds required, you say? What have I just described? Hawaii’s response to the COVID-19 crisis? No – that was the response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, when we systematically began to imprison Japanese, German and Italian U.S. citizens. Can you tell any difference in the response then… and now? No, it’s the same.

So, here’s the plan: let’s meet tourists at the border (when they get off their plane), demand “their papers,” verify they really have reservations at their “prison,” demand their phone data for tracking them by GPS, demand they wear a tracking anklet, bar them from buying food, and arrest them with Special Investigators from the State Attorney General’s Office if they violate the rules.

That is the AG’s plan – she said so. Much of this is already in place and being initiated – with tourists recently being arrested by the “secret agents” of our Attorney General’s Office. Our newest “Gestapo” force, I guess? This mission should be called H-TIP, “Hawaiian Tourist Internment Program.”

These type of actions during WWII were already ruled illegal by the Supreme Court in 1944 in “Ex parte Mitsuye Endo,” which in short ruled that “The Government cannot detain a citizen without charge when the government itself concedes she is loyal to the United States.”

Leaders in Hawaii better wake up fast. There will be no business in Hawaii with these restrictions and no freedom for tourists — and the flood of justifiable lawsuits against the state will go on for years. Not to mention the suits from businesses against the state for violating the “Commerce Clause” by restricting the freedom of visitors to purchase at their will from local vendors as they desire. You cannot limit interstate commerce at our border. Only the Federal Government controls commerce – not Hawaii.

DAN BLESSING, Lahaina

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The real pandemic affect

Yes, staying home “might” help reduce the virus spread… says who? A doctor on TV being sponsored by Big Pharma? What is the real aftermath of being told to stay at home for months on end on our psychological health, financial stress, physical health, relationships, fear of the unknown and anger?

Our children are already lacking social skills due to technology; now they are missing out on crucial months of their lives in overall growth without mandatory education or social interactions.

Domestic violence calls are already skyrocketing, and we are at capacity for domestic abuse victims in our shelters.

Getting hooked on conspiracy theories and sucked into today’s “breaking news” is not a healthy choice. On top of the fear of getting the virus across the island, people are sitting in their homes praying every day that their unemployment on an outdated website will come to the rescue, so they can pay for rent, car payments, food, etc.

Fear and isolation will make your immune system more prone to all illnesses. It’s proven science that doses of Vitamin D (sunshine) is what will keep you healthy against any virus along with Vitamins A and C. Unfortunately, you will not find that basic health information on the nightly news.

We are lucky to be living on Maui. Turn off the news, call a friend and take a walk on the beach. I bet you will feel better.

NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST