By Daniel Grantham
What a remarkable campaign these last 2 weeks, to blacken the name of newly elected Wayne Nishiki- even before he is sworn in.
Those who followed the council over the last 14 years knew Nishiki as the often lone voice of conscience in the face of poorly planned developments, promoted mainly because they would make someone a lot of money.
The Maui Almanac has asked Maui County candidates running for office to complete a questionnaire of issues pertinent to voters. See a complete listing of Election Offices & Candiates – Click here.
Age: 25
Occupation: Non-profit
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Sun Sign: Gemini
Website: www.electsummer.org
What is your position on TVRs? We must assure that they are not disturbing the peace, or disrupting the neighbors. But if legalized, the County is able to regulate and enforce those regulations. I think that this could provide income for many of our islands’ local families, who are in great need right now.
What is your plan to improve Maui’s water supply? We must repair our intake systems, build more storage facilities, and encourage the use of grey water, and water catchment.
Do you think development should be linked to infrastructure? I think that one of the first steps in creating any sort of development is to take into account the existing infrastructure, or that which will be created in lieu of existing facilities.
This is the first in a series of interviews with Maui County candidates running for office in this Fall’s elections. See a complete listing of Election Offices & Candiates – Click here.
Age: 37
Occupation: Small business owner
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Website: www.kainishiki.org
What is your position on TVRs? I support home-based businesses as long as they are quiet, do not produce unpleasant odors and do not have significant retail traffic or impact on parking. By operating a business from our homes, Maui residents save money on fuel and congestion on our roads is reduced. In order to support farmers and encourage local agriculture TVRS should be part of a working farm in agriculturally zoned areas.
I would include vacation rentals in the category of home-based businesses provided the owner is a Maui resident who pays the resident income tax. I do not support absentee TVRS owned by offshore speculators who drive our home prices up. To facilitate communication between the existing community and the TVR owner there should be an onsite manager -a person whom the neighborhood could contact. We might require approval by the communities that the TVRS are located in and create a mechanism for community input.
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HAWAIIAN WORD OF THE DAY — ‘Koho: Election PIDGIN WORD OF THE DAY — Plantesen: Plantation HAWAIIAN PROVERB OF THE DAY — “A goose mate returns to pollute the house.” HAOLE SAYING OF THE DAY — “No man should be in politics unless he would honestly rather not be there.” (Samuel Adams) WEB SURF SPOT OF THE WEEK — Graphjam WEB VIDEO OF THE WEEK — JibJab – Election 2008 NETCAST OF THE WEEK — Tekzilla GOOD DEED SITE OF THE WEEK — Give Rice to the Hungry
BORN ON THIS DAY — July 23rd
1892: Haile Selassie, emperor of Ethiopia
1936: Anthony M Kennedy, supreme court justice
1936: Don Drysdale, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
1938: Ronny Cox, actor
1961: Woody Harrelson, actor
1965: Slash, rock musician
1967: Philip Seymour Hoffman, actor
1973: Omar Epps, actor
1980: Michelle Williams, singer
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