The Native Hawaiian community has withstood invasion, had their land taken away and have lost access to their natural resources.
The Hawaiian people should not have to bear the cost and consequence of any further indignities visited upon their culture. If you respect the Hawaiian culture then give kalo the full protection it deserves.
I would like to say that I am very concerned about possible amendments to our County bill based on the proposed state bill. The State bill does not offer the complete protection we desire and this is why we ask the County Council to stand up for our kalo.
The genetic modification of kalo in a closed laboratory defeats the purpose of our bill to protect Hawaiian Kalo from modification. It is the intent of anyone doing genetic modification to eventually take that kalo out of the laboratory and put it into the public arena.
You represent Maui County and have the right to decide what happens in our county. Please stand up for what is pono and offer kalo full protection here. Let the State decide what they will, but here you have an opportunity to show that you truly stand behind your statements of supporting the desires of the Hawaiian community in Maui County.
The biotech industry has said it has no interest in producing or experimenting on gm taro. Their only concern is the precedent that it will set regarding genetic modification of other crops. So their objections are based on the motivation of corporate profit and control of our food supply. Monsanto doesn’t really care about the cultural significance of kalo to our people, they only care about what the world thinks about genetic modification. They are willing to sacrifice our culture so that no one thinks that genetic modification is questionable. This is unacceptable.
Monsanto representatives have said they respect the Hawaiian culture-prove it-support our right to naturally grown kalo.
During the discussion of shark tours all of you spoke of the cultural significance of the relationship between sharks and the Hawaiian culture. I have heard “commercialization of a religious symbol that is so important to the host culture is inappropriate," The relationship between kalo and the Hawaiian people is even more important. Kalo is considered a member of the family and therefore of even more significance. If you found shark tours culturally offensive, the idea of genetically modified kalo should appall you even more.
I believe we need to be consistent with our respect for Hawaiian culture. When the shark tour ban was proposed, there weren’t limitations put upon it, saying what kind of shark could or couldn’t be fed. No, there is a general ban on shark tours in Maui County. And like the sharks, limiting this bill to only Hawaiian Kalo doesn’t come close to addressing the danger of allowing GM Kalo in Maui County. As stated by Dr. Lorrin Pang, “contamination may occur through cross-pollination, wind, water, decomposition, insects etc.” Contamination of Hawaiian Kalo will occur if ANY GMO taro is brought into Maui County.
This is the same type of preemptive legislation and cannot be watered down in any way.
There is no win-win situation for kalo if the language of the bill is changed to accommodate the biotech industry. There is a win-win situation if Monsanto and the Farm Bureau show respect to our culture by supporting this bill as written. We maintain the right to grow taro that is not genetically modified and Monsanto and the Farm bureau get the satisfaction of showing through action that they respect the Hawaiian culture.
Imua!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Revitalizing Kahului
It is encouraging to see Kahului town being revitalized.
The Kulanaa'o campus apartments for Maui Community College students and the A&B Residences at Aina O Kane are great examples of the type of development Maui needs presently and in the future.
These projects are close to existing infrastructure, employment opportunities, educational and recreation facilities. This type of pedestrian-friendly environment will encourage walking, biking and the use of public transportation.
In fact, it has been estimated that the average working couple can save up to $1,000 per month when housing is in close proximity to employment and schools!
Our community will enjoy better health and more time with our families when these mixed-use projects are built within existing urban growth boundaries. Mahalo to all those involved.
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/522909.html
The Kulanaa'o campus apartments for Maui Community College students and the A&B Residences at Aina O Kane are great examples of the type of development Maui needs presently and in the future.
These projects are close to existing infrastructure, employment opportunities, educational and recreation facilities. This type of pedestrian-friendly environment will encourage walking, biking and the use of public transportation.
In fact, it has been estimated that the average working couple can save up to $1,000 per month when housing is in close proximity to employment and schools!
Our community will enjoy better health and more time with our families when these mixed-use projects are built within existing urban growth boundaries. Mahalo to all those involved.
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/522909.html
Saturday, December 13, 2008
ANTI-SUPERSTORE ORDINANCE KEPT ALIVE
I would like to thank the Planning Committee for deciding to continue the discussion of the effort to ban "Superstores" in Maui County.
At their final meeting, the Planning Committee decided to keep the issue of banning Superstores from our county alive by recommending that the new Planning Committee revisit the issue after the new council is sworn in.
The ordinance has been much discussed by residents and municipal officials alike, but feared dead until the PC's decision on Tuesday. The Maui Planning Commission has recommended that the ban's original language be simplified and based on a simple definition of 90,000 sq. ft. The Lanai and Molokai Planning Commissions, the Hana Advisory Committee, and the Cultural Resources Commission all recommended the approval of the ban based on the new changes. Hana and Lanai suggested that the "cap" be lowered to 75,000 sf. and 15,000 sf. respectively.
I applaud this measure to protect our local economy introduced by Riki Hokama, and hope that the new Planning Committee will move to make these changes and immediately put the new ordinance up for a vote as one of their first orders of business. It is clear that the community as a whole supports this type of ban, and it is needed to maintain our island culture, protect our local businesses in these tough economic times, and needs to happen before another big box store tries to move here.
Studies show that big box stores crush small businesses, increase congestion, create sprawl, and reduce net tax revenues by replacing good paying jobs with bad, and denying their employees medical insurance. In a time when we should be focusing on local and environmentally sustainable development solutions, big-box stores are the wrong way to go.
Again, thanks to the Planning Committee for their insight and forward thinking decision and we hope the new Council will follow suit and finish the job.
At their final meeting, the Planning Committee decided to keep the issue of banning Superstores from our county alive by recommending that the new Planning Committee revisit the issue after the new council is sworn in.
The ordinance has been much discussed by residents and municipal officials alike, but feared dead until the PC's decision on Tuesday. The Maui Planning Commission has recommended that the ban's original language be simplified and based on a simple definition of 90,000 sq. ft. The Lanai and Molokai Planning Commissions, the Hana Advisory Committee, and the Cultural Resources Commission all recommended the approval of the ban based on the new changes. Hana and Lanai suggested that the "cap" be lowered to 75,000 sf. and 15,000 sf. respectively.
I applaud this measure to protect our local economy introduced by Riki Hokama, and hope that the new Planning Committee will move to make these changes and immediately put the new ordinance up for a vote as one of their first orders of business. It is clear that the community as a whole supports this type of ban, and it is needed to maintain our island culture, protect our local businesses in these tough economic times, and needs to happen before another big box store tries to move here.
Studies show that big box stores crush small businesses, increase congestion, create sprawl, and reduce net tax revenues by replacing good paying jobs with bad, and denying their employees medical insurance. In a time when we should be focusing on local and environmentally sustainable development solutions, big-box stores are the wrong way to go.
Again, thanks to the Planning Committee for their insight and forward thinking decision and we hope the new Council will follow suit and finish the job.
Developer a thief in the night
While most of Maui County’s hardworking people were sleeping, Dowling produced a letter, purportedly by one of the investors in the project –stating that a requirement to build workforce housing would put the project’s financing in jeopardy. These investors stand to bring in over SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS and Mr. Dowling wants us to believe that the financing allotted for the project is threatened by building a few homes for our residents.
The condition proposed is one that would safeguard the building of at least 400 homes for our residents. It had already been discussed and approved the previous day. Five traitorous council members betrayed the very people they represent by not supporting Danny Mateo’s workforce housing ordinance!
Why would five council members allow some unknown, unverified, unsubstantiated claim made by an outside investor –whose only interest in this project is the 7 billion dollars in sales he stands to make, convince them to sell out their own people?
Your actions are traitorous to your people, the residents of Maui, and to your brethren.
The hardworking people of Maui came to council chambers and testified for Mr. Dowling. Then, in the middle of the night, he sneaks into the council chambers and with the help of our “representatives,” stabs these hardworking people in the back.
To these hardworking people who are concerned about the construction of workforce housing, ask Mr. Dowling –how many homes is he willing to build for us, the residents of this island, the people who will feel the real impact of this development when he and the investors have made their money and left. Where and when is the workforce housing going to be built?
Every other detail of the new Makena Resort has been looked at, such as demolishing the Maui Prince Hotel and all of its restaurants. The public access we now enjoy –taking our keiki for a weekend at the hotel, or getting together with family for a Sunday brunch will be gone forever.
Moreover, they still haven’t addressed adequate and appropriate beach access for us! In fact, all of this will be replaced with a members-only club and a gated high security development designed to lock us out!
Nothing about this development is acceptable to our residents. I challenge the Dowling Company and their investors to put in writing exactly how many, at what time and where the homes addressed in the Workforce Housing Initiative will be built for our residents. This is the least they could do.
Please come to the council meeting on Dec 19 and ask your council members to protect our rights!
The condition proposed is one that would safeguard the building of at least 400 homes for our residents. It had already been discussed and approved the previous day. Five traitorous council members betrayed the very people they represent by not supporting Danny Mateo’s workforce housing ordinance!
Why would five council members allow some unknown, unverified, unsubstantiated claim made by an outside investor –whose only interest in this project is the 7 billion dollars in sales he stands to make, convince them to sell out their own people?
Your actions are traitorous to your people, the residents of Maui, and to your brethren.
The hardworking people of Maui came to council chambers and testified for Mr. Dowling. Then, in the middle of the night, he sneaks into the council chambers and with the help of our “representatives,” stabs these hardworking people in the back.
To these hardworking people who are concerned about the construction of workforce housing, ask Mr. Dowling –how many homes is he willing to build for us, the residents of this island, the people who will feel the real impact of this development when he and the investors have made their money and left. Where and when is the workforce housing going to be built?
Every other detail of the new Makena Resort has been looked at, such as demolishing the Maui Prince Hotel and all of its restaurants. The public access we now enjoy –taking our keiki for a weekend at the hotel, or getting together with family for a Sunday brunch will be gone forever.
Moreover, they still haven’t addressed adequate and appropriate beach access for us! In fact, all of this will be replaced with a members-only club and a gated high security development designed to lock us out!
Nothing about this development is acceptable to our residents. I challenge the Dowling Company and their investors to put in writing exactly how many, at what time and where the homes addressed in the Workforce Housing Initiative will be built for our residents. This is the least they could do.
Please come to the council meeting on Dec 19 and ask your council members to protect our rights!
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