Maui County

... we cannot afford to further burden our economy with our usual high-tax and high-spending habits ....

... deploying with the Red Cross from Big Island to Maui to serve displaced residents ....

... On August 18, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service announced “expansive tax relief” for Hawaii wildfire victims ....

... licensure laws that constrain the supply of skilled trades workers, building codes that complicate and disincentivize adding accessory dwelling units, and laws prohibiting prefabricated homes ....

... “Nani ka noho mehameha ʻana o ke kūlanakauhale i piha i kanaka! Ua like hoʻi me ka wahine kāne make!” How lonely sits the city that was once full of people! (Lam. 1:1) ....

... "It's clear we need answers into how this tragic fire occurred and what could have been done to prevent it from happening." ....

... displaced families are now searching for housing in one of the nation’s most expensive markets ....

... "to assess the policies and performance of state and county agencies" -- not MECO ....

" I had been present in our Emergency Operating Center since Aug. 7 "

... The West Maui Land Company accused M. Kaleo Manuel, an official with the Hawaii DLNR, of delaying a response to a request to use water to refill reservoirs used by the Maui Fire Department to fight the wildfire ....

" ... A lot of new roots shooting off .... "

"... Has the Hawai’i State Energy Office been involved? ...."

“... I was appointed to this position, I didn’t run for it initially so I’m not wedded to staying in the Legislature ....”

... Bissen has said that after the EPA removes hazardous materials, he will allow residents to go back to their properties to collect personal items ....

... The proclamation gave developers ways around regulations ....

... waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars ....

... shock and denial ....

... Anger lasts the longest ....

... a selection committee comprised of the Maui PD Chief Faaumu, Maui FD Chief Murray, Elton Ushio, Admin of the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency and Vern Miyagi, Admin of the Hawaiʻi State Emergency Management Agency ....

... The fire was insignificant, contained to the kitchen and under control within 20 minutes, according to the local fire department ....

... FEMA's "resilience" division was advised of a requirement to complete one of three three-hour diversity training modules between Aug. 1 and Sept. 28 ....

"At about 3 p.m., a time when all of Hawaiian Electric's power lines in West Maui had been de-energized for more than six hours, a second fire (the "Afternoon Fire") began in the same area."

... there is a darker side ....

... among the heartbreaking losses earlier this month in fire-ravaged Lahaina were three healthcare clinics that served approximately 30,000 patients ....

... Oliveira directly oversaw Hawaii County’s mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts for diverse emergency and disaster events, including tropical storms and the 2014 Pahoa lava flow ....

... more than a dozen hotels and timeshare properties are currently housing more than 4,400 shelter survivors and hotel employee survivors, while some 900 people are booked in Airbnb units ....

... “Genuine sympathy is better than contrived empathy,” the business wrote in the post of the photo of the sign. “It’s not always about you Mr. President.” ....

... there are National Guard, Reserve and active duty personnel who make up the task force. Also included in the task force are Army civilian personnel from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency ....

... HEI suspending dividends, drawing down $370M credit line and further separating HEI and ASB boards  ....

... UPDATE Aug 25, 2023: "About 100 names tentatively removed from missing list" ....

... An emergency proclamation by Gov. Josh Green offers developers the opportunity to route around almost all regulations on building homes ....

... We asked the Maui Mayor’s office and the Maui County Building Permits Division.  Here is their response ....

... oral arguments concerning how much water was permitted to battle the Maui wildfires took place in supreme court Wednesday August 23, 2023 ....

... Maui County and other state officials and entities have also faced their own share of criticism for the response during and after the fires ....

...The House Small Business Committee sent a letter to the Small Business Administration seeking information and a staff-level briefing on how the agency is assisting victims of the Hawaii wildfire....

... HHFDC housing referral program ends first week with 900-plus dwelling options for displaced Maui residents; Governor Green urges more property owners to participate ....

... The ‘reassignment’ of Manuel was purposefully defective in order to allow for it to be reversed by litigation such as this ....

... Biden address 'community engagement event' on Maui, Aug 21, 2023 ....

... "supporters" gathered around him, showering him with about 15 leis, which went up to his chin as he grinned happily ....

... Green attributed some blame for the catastrophic Maui fires to climate change when he appeared on CBS’ Face The Nation on Sunday ....

... a blatant “land grab” by the State, leaving the landowner with little to no choice other than to accept “just compensation” for the property, be pau and move on ....

... protectionist U.S. policies will inflate the cost of the island’s rebuilding effort ....

• waiving property taxes for the affected property owners
• clearing the way for out-of-state medical professionals to attend to the needs of those affected by the tragedy

... DOD has 691 personnel in Maui who are engaged in planning, synchronizing and coordinating support to FEMA and the state of Hawaii. ...

"...The land in Lāhainā is reserved for its people as they return and rebuild...."

... it wasn't climate change--it was anti-climate change policies ....

... asking all immediate family members—parents, siblings, and children—of those who are still missing to provide DNA samples ....

... Biden Has Voiced Support for Similar 'Sue Big Oil' Cases ....

... A Hawaiian Studies major, Kaleo prefers a traditional, holistic "One Water" approach where water is revered, not used.  Water requires "true conversations about equity" ....

... Almost 700 DOD personnel and 140 Coast Guardsmen are part of the coordinated response to the Maui wildfires ....