LETTERS for the week of Sept. 3-9
Lawmakers face economic challenges
A lot of ideas are floating around right now concerning the future of Lahaina, but few of them consider the enormity of the economic challenge ahead of us.
More problematic, most of the suggestions involve a bit too much “top-down” direction and not enough listening to the people most affected by the fires.
With that said, I do have one suggestion for policymakers:
After looking at the costs that Hawaii taxpayers will likely bear as a result of lawsuits, budgetary stress and the financial impact of the disaster, it should be obvious that we cannot afford to further burden our economy with our usual high-tax and high-spending habits.
Now more than ever is the time to embrace policies that can lower our cost of living, increase opportunities and boost our economy.
Growing Hawaii’s economy would not only help replenish state coffers, but also help Maui residents and businesses recover more quickly — especially in Lahaina.
The best way to help Lahaina is not through schemes, plans and new government agencies, but through policies that will let the people of West Maui choose their own future, such as lower taxes, fewer regulations and a greater respect for private property.
Meanwhile, a legal and financial reckoning is coming that is going to end up costing us all.
Hawaiian Electric Co. is already facing multiple lawsuits because of the Maui wildfires, and the state and Maui County might be facing legal troubles as well. There is a real possibility that all three will have to pay out millions of dollars in judgments.
I hope justice prevails, and that any judgments will help those who are seeking restitution for their losses due to the fires.
However, the most likely result of these lawsuits is that Hawaii taxpayers ultimately will be the ones to pay. HECO, the state and Maui County will all inevitably pass the cost of any judgments onto the public, whether through higher rates or higher taxes.
Additionally, Hawaii’s economy in general is going to take a big hit because of the tragedy, since “businesses in Lahaina generated more than $70 million per month in revenue in accommodation, food services, retail sales and other categories, and they employed about 8,500 individuals,” according to a new report from the University of Hawai’i Economic Research Organization.
UHERO estimated that Maui businesses are losing about $13 million a day because of the sharp drop in tourism to the island. It said that for the state, that means a loss in August of about $30 million in transient accommodations and general excise tax revenues — “and these revenue losses will continue each month that visitors are missing.”
UHERO said that “for the County, we estimate TAT revenues [will go] down by about $5 million per month and property tax revenue… by at least $10.5 million” for fiscal 2024.
Obviously, this is all having a ripple effect on businesses and individuals throughout the state — and bodes poorly as well for the state’s unemployment insurance fund, since unemployment on Maui is expected to jump to 10 percent in the coming months.
Because the UI fund is financed by taxes on employers, this could be another factor that will make it more difficult in the coming years for Hawaii businesses to cope — or even survive.
These difficult economic realities drive home my original point: We need to grow our economy to make it easier for Lahaina residents and businesses to recover — and ease the broader economic difficulties that appear to be coming our way.
E hana kākou! (Let’s work together!)
KELI’I AKINA, Ph.D.
President & CEO,
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Biden is more concerned about votes
It took almost two-plus weeks for Biden and FEMA to show up in Lahaina for one of the worst human catastrophes in centuries. When he does show, his presence is insincere and lacking.
Fast forward to Florida. Not even a day later, Biden is flying in to access the damage from Hurricane Idalia. President Biden has FEMA making press hearings saying they are ready to deploy thousands of rescuers and crews, even though Governor De Santis stated his state has got it and thank you for being on the ready.
DeSantis implied that “we’ll call if we need your excess resources.”
Biden is obviously wanting to, in his view, upstage Governor DeSantis for Florida votes. Sickening.
ERIC MARTIN PARTIKA
Build an effective firefighting system for Lahaina
San Francisco, in 1906, suffered a massive earthquake. Because of a lack of water, the city burned to the ground. Their solution to prevent it from ever happening again was to install a separate water system to fight fires. The key part of the system is multiple, massive pumps that draw water from the bay to charge the pipes.
With the utter destruction of Lahaina and the real concerns about how water is allocated, now is the time to consider and implement this type of firefighting system that would draw water from the ocean. It will be expensive, but the price is cheap compared to the loss of lives and property.
MIKE SOWERS
West Maui
Take care of each other in Lahaina
I am just an old man that has lived his entire life on the Mainland in Oklahoma. Although I can only imagine what life on Maui was like before the fire, or afterwards for that matter, I can relate to community tragedy.
Oklahoma has had its share of calamity from the 1995 Murrah Building bombing to devastating wildfires and tornadoes. We, too, have had entire communities and lives erased from the face of the Earth. Our prayers are with you all in your hour of need.
It seems so easy for humans to place blame for their loss on the actions or inactions of others. Don’t let such things rob you of your ability to heal quickly. Although unwanted and undesirable, this time of healing and rebuilding is far greater than physical attributes like brick and mortar. This is the time to share the powerful, divine gift of loving and caring for each other. Once seen and experienced, its omnipotence is undeniable.
I pray all you in your community can join hands and hearts to overcome this great loss. Placing blame for the experiences endured in a natural tragedy is probably best done in retrospect. Take care of each other, as you may find your fellow humans are truly all you have.
And that is enough..
MICHAEL JOHNSON