No question about it, Maui is the most beautiful island in the world! Mother Nature was more than generous with the weather, the ocean views, the sunsets and the lush tropical foliage that abounds here! Then came man! If you listen to the song "Take Paradise And Put Up A Parking Lot", it really explains it all. It is a very true song and has happened in many parts of the world but none so dear to me and I am sure a few of you out there, as Maui! I know that most people who live here love this island as much as I do. I talk to people everyday and they all share the same concerns that I do. So why is Maui being over developed and under planned? If most people feel the way I do they would get angry and do something about it! As individuals we can not accomplish very much. But if we unite and take a stand we can make a difference and we should make a difference. That has been proved many times if you look at History.

However, the clock is ticking and the days and years are going by but I do not see anything changing. I see it getting worse every day! Every election the good citizens of Maui vote for the same people that are selling this paradise to the developers! If the votes are being legitimately counted then that means that either the voters do not want a change or the wrong people are voting. I suspect that a lot of people are not voting that need to as well. It is the responsibility of all of us that live here and soak up the beauty and the sunsets every night, to take care of this island. It is our responsibility to make sure that the county government is doing what is right for the people of Maui and I mean all of the people of Maui! If they are not doing what is right then we need to remove them from the power that they possess. That would be accomplished by voting for the right people. Sometimes we think we are voting for the right person and then that person gets into office and finds out the power they have and the corruption sets in! I am sure it is hard to resist bribes that are offered and threats that are made to them everyday but that is their responsibility when we elect them to represent us. When these elected officials misuse their power they should be held accountable. This also applies to our entire country!

You may ask how do we know when they are not representing us the proper way! It is pretty easy to tell when you go to a meeting or watch a meeting on Akaku and see that the people are screaming about what they do or do not want and the council is doing exactly the opposite. Sure, they listen to everyone, they have to. Then they form committees time after time to examine the concerns. The strange thing is that those concerns are never really satisfied. Then everyone goes home and forgets about it. They say to themselves, "what can I do about it, I am only one person?" Well that my friend is the main problem. You can and should get angry and take a stand. If you or we do not take a stand what will be left of our island paradise in a few years? I personally have children and grandchildren growing up here and I want them to stay and have a paradise to live and thrive in. That is what I came here for. I am sure that is what each and everyone of us feels. Yet everyday more and more of our children and families including Hawaiian families are moving to the other parts of the world! What will be left of Hawaii in a few years if all of the Hawaiians are gone! Where will the Aloha be? Why will visitors even want to come here when it is not what it is supposed to be? Does the government not care about the visitor industry? Is Maui to become an island only available to the rich and famous? If it does (and it is), who will work in the grocery stores, restaurant and all the other small income jobs and services that these rich people will want available to them? Anyone who stays will have no place they can afford to live that is worth living in. They will have to work three jobs to support their families (most are right now) and they will never be able to enjoy the island paradise they live here for as it will have million dollar homes all over it and most will be blocking the ocean and mountain views. Not to mention that they will have to sit in traffic all day trying to get to those three jobs and their children will be graduating from schools that are way below average! Does all this sound attractive to you. It is not a prediction it is a reality! This is what is happening now! Wake up people of Maui! Please wake up before it gets any worse!

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