GREAT-10(2) COUNCIL-INITIATED CHARTER AMENDMENTS (RESOLUTION 22-119, CHARTER PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH THE EAST MAUI COMMUNITY WATER AUTHORITY) (GREAT-10(2))
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. I am a 2O year resident of Maui and a member of the HFUU. I not only vote, I campaign and fundraise. It is long past time to stop capitalizing natural resources. Water should not be privately held to benefit local or off shore corporations! Do the right thing now, ho'o pono pono. Cambria Moss, HFUU member & small business owner, MauiSunsetMusic.com. I hope to play fine dining music for your campaign fundraiser, give me a reason to do so.
I support and deeply care about our water resources! We need fair representation of who gets our waters. Corporations have been hoarding our waters for decades. It’s time to support our farmers and the Hawaiian people!
Aloha, my name is Camry Gach, and I am part of this year’s Seabury Hall graduating senior class. Although I am a resident of Kihei, I do have a connection to East Maui and their water supplies through the AP Research project that I conducted, examining perceptions on Maui’s water resources spanning from ancient times to the early plantation era to the present. Although I am still working on publishing my paper, I would like to emphasize a key finding of my research; After the Great Mahele that privatized Hawaiian lands and subsequent court cases (i.e. Peck vs Bailey) that enabled interbasin water diversions (allowing water transport to cross Ahupua’a land division lines), Maui’s perception began to shift towards treating water as a commodity, which was led by plantation enterprises seeking more substantial water diversions for their crops.
This perception led to wasteful management practices that continue into the present-day, including inefficient transportation and unfair price advantages over water that encouraged unsustainable volumes of diversions. A loss of water in its instream state has environmental consequences including erosion, invasive species competition, salt water intrusion into aquifers, and loss of valuable wetlands that play a major role in filtering pollutants and providing habitats to native species of birds. This historical occurrence teaches us the potential consequences of allowing for commercial command over our water resources, a history that we can begin to end on Maui by putting water back in the hands of Maui’s people, not just the powerful few.
One of my research interviewees, who lives in Huelo on the East side and who is a major researcher and advocate for implementing recent improvements to our in-stream flow standards, told me that she began her entire career in this field through wanting to end the struggles that she and her neighbors faced, and still face today, to access water on a daily basis. Knowing this interviewee and learning about her story has demonstrated to me the need for East Maui residents to have direct control over their access to water so that they will not go thirsty in the future. I believe that the establishment of a public water authority would be the best way to address the residents’ needs while still allowing private water entities like East Maui Water Irrigation and Alexander & Baldwin, now co-owned by Mahi Pono, to still have a stake in their share of water and stay profitable.
Lastly, our colonial history begs that we make reparations and give native Hawaiians their chance to have access to water for traditional customary uses such as kalo farming and other sustainable ways that they have developed to nurture themselves and live respectfully on Maui’s ‘aina. This opportunity for native Hawaiians to have adequate water rights has been neglected for about 150 years due to the demands of resort and plantation industries. It is now time to restore these rights back to the water’s original stewards by taking this first step in expanding East Maui’s water appropriation to the public’s discretion.
Me ka ha’aha’a,
Camry Gach
18 years Kihei, Maui resident
I stand in strong support of the establishment of a community-based entity to assist with managing the important and valuable water resources of east Maui.
U support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority – Maui County’s people deserve a chance to learn more about the proposal and then VOTE!
Our communities deserve to have more say and control over our resources. Please help us protect this most precious resource, it's a community resource not a corporate asset
Mahalo,
Blair Goldberg
Hana resident since 2001
I live on Hanehoi stream (since 1978) and use this area on a daily basis. I vote in every election and I will support every council member who votes to support!
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority.
It is essential to have this stewardship over any foreign and for-profit corporation. We must protect and safeguard this island’s sustainability and way of life.
This Resolution 22-119 is critical for the betterment of our natural resources which impacts everyone in the region and on island.
I firmly believe the County of Maui must take this vital step to secure its / our own long-term water management and be liberated from the dependency on private, commercial and/or third-party operators who aren’t committed to integrity and resource conservation.
An East Maui County Authority would uphold the primary intention of Aloha ‘Āina with ethical water management and conservation.
Mahalo!
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. This is much needed, especially with increasing drought conditions. It is long overdue that water rights be put back in the community’s hand as a public trust resource. Mahalo for creating this resolution and doing the right thing for our community.”
I strongly support Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. I've become more and more concerned over the years with the shifting weather patterns and the effect it has on our water supply. It doesn't make sense that a foreign corporation (PSP/Mahi Pono) would have over our island's greatest public water resource – the East Maui Streams. Thank you in advance.
I strongly support the proposal to establish the East Maui Community water authority.
We need to be able to control our own water - a public resource as per the Hawaiian Constitution. No more giving our water to entities which have different priorities - the Well being of our island and our people is what matters, not profits for entities elsewhere.
I strongly support the efforts to give Maui residents more control over water issues—by far the most critical factor in their living standards.
Community control over vital resources is a key concept. This would be accomplished when, as expected, voters approve this charter amendment. Indeed, this issue goes back decades and involves local residents who have called for more control over the waters they need and use.
Please pass the resolution.
Malama aina.
I strongly support a Charter Amendment to create East Maui Community Water Authority.
Water is Life. Access to water is a right in the State Constitution. Maui is dependent on a Water Delivery System, EMI, to satisfy that right..
EMI has ignored stream rights until Courts said they must return water to the streams. Now we have a foreign Pension Company owning 50% of Maui’s Water Delivery System. No one thinks that is a good idea except people who benefit from this contractual agreement…certainly the citizens have been fighting against poor management of our water delivery system because we don’t own it.
I applaud the Council for taking this step and am hopeful that this vote will be unanimously in favor of a Charter Amendment on this year’s ballot. Thank you.
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. I have grown increasingly concerned over the years with our changing weather and thus changing water supply. It makes no sense for a foreign corporation (PSP/Mahi Pono) to control the keys to our island's greatest public water resource – our East Maui Streams. Thank you for creating this resolution and doing the right thing for our community.
Strongly support this!
The time has come to do this and secure the water as a public utility.
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. I am a 2O year resident of Maui and a member of the HFUU. I not only vote, I campaign and fundraise. It is long past time to stop capitalizing natural resources. Water should not be privately held to benefit local or off shore corporations! Do the right thing now, ho'o pono pono. Cambria Moss, HFUU member & small business owner, MauiSunsetMusic.com. I hope to play fine dining music for your campaign fundraiser, give me a reason to do so.
I support and deeply care about our water resources! We need fair representation of who gets our waters. Corporations have been hoarding our waters for decades. It’s time to support our farmers and the Hawaiian people!
I support this proposal to create the East Maui Water Authority. Mahalo!
I support this proposal to establish the East Maui Community Water Authority. Mahalo
I strongly support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority – mahalo!
I strongly support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority – mahalo!
Aloha, my name is Camry Gach, and I am part of this year’s Seabury Hall graduating senior class. Although I am a resident of Kihei, I do have a connection to East Maui and their water supplies through the AP Research project that I conducted, examining perceptions on Maui’s water resources spanning from ancient times to the early plantation era to the present. Although I am still working on publishing my paper, I would like to emphasize a key finding of my research; After the Great Mahele that privatized Hawaiian lands and subsequent court cases (i.e. Peck vs Bailey) that enabled interbasin water diversions (allowing water transport to cross Ahupua’a land division lines), Maui’s perception began to shift towards treating water as a commodity, which was led by plantation enterprises seeking more substantial water diversions for their crops.
This perception led to wasteful management practices that continue into the present-day, including inefficient transportation and unfair price advantages over water that encouraged unsustainable volumes of diversions. A loss of water in its instream state has environmental consequences including erosion, invasive species competition, salt water intrusion into aquifers, and loss of valuable wetlands that play a major role in filtering pollutants and providing habitats to native species of birds. This historical occurrence teaches us the potential consequences of allowing for commercial command over our water resources, a history that we can begin to end on Maui by putting water back in the hands of Maui’s people, not just the powerful few.
One of my research interviewees, who lives in Huelo on the East side and who is a major researcher and advocate for implementing recent improvements to our in-stream flow standards, told me that she began her entire career in this field through wanting to end the struggles that she and her neighbors faced, and still face today, to access water on a daily basis. Knowing this interviewee and learning about her story has demonstrated to me the need for East Maui residents to have direct control over their access to water so that they will not go thirsty in the future. I believe that the establishment of a public water authority would be the best way to address the residents’ needs while still allowing private water entities like East Maui Water Irrigation and Alexander & Baldwin, now co-owned by Mahi Pono, to still have a stake in their share of water and stay profitable.
Lastly, our colonial history begs that we make reparations and give native Hawaiians their chance to have access to water for traditional customary uses such as kalo farming and other sustainable ways that they have developed to nurture themselves and live respectfully on Maui’s ‘aina. This opportunity for native Hawaiians to have adequate water rights has been neglected for about 150 years due to the demands of resort and plantation industries. It is now time to restore these rights back to the water’s original stewards by taking this first step in expanding East Maui’s water appropriation to the public’s discretion.
Me ka ha’aha’a,
Camry Gach
18 years Kihei, Maui resident
I stand in strong support of the establishment of a community-based entity to assist with managing the important and valuable water resources of east Maui.
U support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority – Maui County’s people deserve a chance to learn more about the proposal and then VOTE!
Our communities deserve to have more say and control over our resources. Please help us protect this most precious resource, it's a community resource not a corporate asset
Mahalo,
Blair Goldberg
Hana resident since 2001
I live on Hanehoi stream (since 1978) and use this area on a daily basis. I vote in every election and I will support every council member who votes to support!
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority.
It is essential to have this stewardship over any foreign and for-profit corporation. We must protect and safeguard this island’s sustainability and way of life.
This Resolution 22-119 is critical for the betterment of our natural resources which impacts everyone in the region and on island.
I firmly believe the County of Maui must take this vital step to secure its / our own long-term water management and be liberated from the dependency on private, commercial and/or third-party operators who aren’t committed to integrity and resource conservation.
An East Maui County Authority would uphold the primary intention of Aloha ‘Āina with ethical water management and conservation.
Mahalo!
Shems Heartwell
Makawao resistant
Yes! Absolutely necessary!
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. This is much needed, especially with increasing drought conditions. It is long overdue that water rights be put back in the community’s hand as a public trust resource. Mahalo for creating this resolution and doing the right thing for our community.”
I strongly support Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. I've become more and more concerned over the years with the shifting weather patterns and the effect it has on our water supply. It doesn't make sense that a foreign corporation (PSP/Mahi Pono) would have over our island's greatest public water resource – the East Maui Streams. Thank you in advance.
I strongly support the proposal to establish the East Maui Community water authority.
We need to be able to control our own water - a public resource as per the Hawaiian Constitution. No more giving our water to entities which have different priorities - the Well being of our island and our people is what matters, not profits for entities elsewhere.
I strongly support the efforts to give Maui residents more control over water issues—by far the most critical factor in their living standards.
Community control over vital resources is a key concept. This would be accomplished when, as expected, voters approve this charter amendment. Indeed, this issue goes back decades and involves local residents who have called for more control over the waters they need and use.
Please pass the resolution.
Malama aina.
Aloha GREAT Committee:
I strongly support a Charter Amendment to create East Maui Community Water Authority.
Water is Life. Access to water is a right in the State Constitution. Maui is dependent on a Water Delivery System, EMI, to satisfy that right..
EMI has ignored stream rights until Courts said they must return water to the streams. Now we have a foreign Pension Company owning 50% of Maui’s Water Delivery System. No one thinks that is a good idea except people who benefit from this contractual agreement…certainly the citizens have been fighting against poor management of our water delivery system because we don’t own it.
I applaud the Council for taking this step and am hopeful that this vote will be unanimously in favor of a Charter Amendment on this year’s ballot. Thank you.
I am writing in strong support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority. I have grown increasingly concerned over the years with our changing weather and thus changing water supply. It makes no sense for a foreign corporation (PSP/Mahi Pono) to control the keys to our island's greatest public water resource – our East Maui Streams. Thank you for creating this resolution and doing the right thing for our community.