GREAT-10(2) COUNCIL-INITIATED CHARTER AMENDMENTS (RESOLUTION 22-119, CHARTER PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH THE EAST MAUI COMMUNITY WATER AUTHORITY) (GREAT-10(2))
SUPPORT!!!
Private corporate entities should NOT control the water. They have proven over and over they are not doing what's best for anyone but their bottom line. And they aren't going to change.
Hawaiʻi and it's people deserve more oversight of the water and the proper allocation of it- to it's it's people and farmers. The history has shown the greed of the corporations to take without the thoughts of sharing (as with taro farmers) and sustainability. I believe this is a step in a direction of mālama ʻāina e kanaka.
I support the the East Maui Community Water Authority. Maui needs control over its resources, not a for profit entity that has no real connection to the island. Give people the power back! Democracy not corporate oligarchy.
I strongly support the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority. For far too long Maui’s water resources have been subject to known mismanagement under corporate water leases (A&B/EMI and Mahi Pono/PSP) which have caused great harm to the community (including local kalo farmers & the preservation of Indigenous ways), as well as ecological harm by altering the essential mauka to makai water flow.
Mahi Pono is owned and controlled by one of Canada’s largest investment firms, Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), which has already invested in the privatization of water rights in other drought prone areas of the world, and is under global scrutiny for its investment management practices.
Our public trust resources do not belong under the control of this foreign, for profit entity whose legal mandate is to maximize returns on investments. Maui needs another choice.
The Community Water Authority would support East Maui communities, upcountry farmers & ranchers who depend on East Maui waters to support food security for all of us on Maui.
Especially with everything that has happened over the last two years, this is an important opportunity for us to take responsibility for managing our own resources so we can be more self sufficient in these unprecedented times.
I strongly support the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority.
I support the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority. It’s the pono thing to do and I hope you will all support this too. Mahalo, Ashford DeLima
I support Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority.
Our natural resources are a public right, please let the people decide. All life in Hawai'i depends on the health of our fresh water ecosystems. The public's decisions for the allocation of this resource will be for the greater good of all.
Pleased support the proposed charge amendment for the establishment of an East Maui Community Water Authority and allow Maui traitor vote on it.
Mahalo!!
Colleen DeLima
GREAT-10(2) COUNCIL-INITIATED CHARTER AMENDMENTS (RESOLUTION 22-119, CHARTER PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH THE EAST MAUI COMMUNITY WATER AUTHORITY) (GREAT-10(2))
How is this even a question? Let the citizens of Maui County have authority over the water that flows over publicly held lands or a private for-profit corporation? Or a foreign corporation? Since you are our elected representatives I don’t see how you can vote any other way. Allow the voters to decide. And please publish an FAQ page explaining in clear language the facts, to the best of your ability, so no one has to guess what they’re voting for. Strongly support!
Aloha Committee Chair Molina and Maui County Council
Today, I am writing in support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority.
Wai – water - is the lifeblood of our society, and across my career in public service, I have always been a staunch believer that our freshwater resources belong in the hands of our people, not special interests, or for-profit entities. This amendment presents an opportunity for Maui County to ensure that its water resources are protected, not only for our local communities, but our future generations and the ʻāina on which they will depend.
The benefits of Maui County obtaining the long-term water lease are enumerable. These include: incorporation of community-based watershed management planning; the creation of a municipal agency that can use public and private grants and financing for long-term capital improvements to the system; secure water resources for all farms and agribusinesses; and formalized mechanisms to incorporate the interests of all stakeholders.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our local communities to have ownership over Maui’s water resources. This Resolution is a critical first step that the County Council can take, today, to stand up as servant leaders for the betterment of a vital resource that touches and impacts everyone. As I stated in a 2019 letter to Mayor Victorino, I believe the County of Maui must take steps to secure its own long-term water lease to free itself from its dependency on private, commercial, third-party operators who are not duty bound, as we are, to uphold the state’s public trust obligations to conserve and protect Hawaiʻi’s natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
As a resident of East Maui and an advocate for our local community's sustainability, I support the establishment of the East maui Community Water Authority
My name is Kamaui Aiona. I am a part-Hawaiian kane from the Big Island. I am married to a Hana-born part-Hawaiian wahine and we have three children and one grandchild. We have lived in Kawaipapa, Hana (near Hana Health aka the "medical center") for 20 short years.
I strongly support the resolution to create an East Maui Community Water Authority. I feel that the communities where the water is removed from must yield some/majority (?) authority over this resource. I also support giving them enough resources to supply themselves with accurate and non-biased technical, social, and other pertinent categories of information to make the best-informed decisions regarding the use of this most precious resource for their individual moku and the larger mokupuni of Maui.
Mahalo for your consideration of my opinion. Submitted with respect and humility, Kamaui.
Please support creating the East Maui Community Water Authority.
Water is a basic need of everyone, and everyone should share in its bounty. It should not be managed for profit, and should not be "owned" by anyone other than the people. For far too long, East Mauiʻs water has been taken to satisfy a lot of greed, rather than to provide a bountiful resource for all. Rather than manage the resource responsibly, its abundance has been wasted. Accountability for water consumption and waste has been almost non-existent.
The EMCWA will provide a foundation for putting water to its best use for Hawaiians.
Water is Life and the people have a right to know who and how it is being used, to be informed, to have a voice and VOTE. Climate change and drought on these small islands make water and even MORE important source of life and sustainability. We must support the vitality of the people of these islands first. Interest in these resources must be in the people’s hands, not corporations or foreign interests! Water is Life! I support this proposed charter amendment and I support the creation of an East Maui Water Authority.
I support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority. The advantage of a public water management entity would be that decisions would be made transparently and consistent with the public trust, rather than behind closed doors based on what’s best for the corporation. Water for large scale agricultural users can continue to be provided while prioritizing instream uses such as kalo growing.
I support the creation of an east maui water authority. For the people, natural habitat and ecosystem. It is critical to maintain our sustained life in our community!
It is about time East Maui holds authority over its own water. I support this resolution and commend the county for sending this to ballot for charter amendment.
I support the establishment of an East Maui Community Water Authority, and encourage the county to pass the resolution that will send this issue to the ballot for a charter amendment.
East Maui water is an issue that affects the island like few others, with impacts on the farmers and ecosystems of East Maui as well as the agriculture and residents in Central Maui. It makes sense to have an authority with community stakeholder representation to help guide the management of this precious resource.
SUPPORT!!!
Private corporate entities should NOT control the water. They have proven over and over they are not doing what's best for anyone but their bottom line. And they aren't going to change.
Hawaiʻi and it's people deserve more oversight of the water and the proper allocation of it- to it's it's people and farmers. The history has shown the greed of the corporations to take without the thoughts of sharing (as with taro farmers) and sustainability. I believe this is a step in a direction of mālama ʻāina e kanaka.
I support the the East Maui Community Water Authority. Maui needs control over its resources, not a for profit entity that has no real connection to the island. Give people the power back! Democracy not corporate oligarchy.
Critical that this charter proposal be on the ballot
I strongly support the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority. For far too long Maui’s water resources have been subject to known mismanagement under corporate water leases (A&B/EMI and Mahi Pono/PSP) which have caused great harm to the community (including local kalo farmers & the preservation of Indigenous ways), as well as ecological harm by altering the essential mauka to makai water flow.
Mahi Pono is owned and controlled by one of Canada’s largest investment firms, Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), which has already invested in the privatization of water rights in other drought prone areas of the world, and is under global scrutiny for its investment management practices.
Our public trust resources do not belong under the control of this foreign, for profit entity whose legal mandate is to maximize returns on investments. Maui needs another choice.
The Community Water Authority would support East Maui communities, upcountry farmers & ranchers who depend on East Maui waters to support food security for all of us on Maui.
Especially with everything that has happened over the last two years, this is an important opportunity for us to take responsibility for managing our own resources so we can be more self sufficient in these unprecedented times.
I strongly support the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority.
I support the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority. It’s the pono thing to do and I hope you will all support this too. Mahalo, Ashford DeLima
I support Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority.
Our natural resources are a public right, please let the people decide. All life in Hawai'i depends on the health of our fresh water ecosystems. The public's decisions for the allocation of this resource will be for the greater good of all.
Pleased support the proposed charge amendment for the establishment of an East Maui Community Water Authority and allow Maui traitor vote on it.
Mahalo!!
Colleen DeLima
GREAT-10(2) COUNCIL-INITIATED CHARTER AMENDMENTS (RESOLUTION 22-119, CHARTER PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH THE EAST MAUI COMMUNITY WATER AUTHORITY) (GREAT-10(2))
How is this even a question? Let the citizens of Maui County have authority over the water that flows over publicly held lands or a private for-profit corporation? Or a foreign corporation? Since you are our elected representatives I don’t see how you can vote any other way. Allow the voters to decide. And please publish an FAQ page explaining in clear language the facts, to the best of your ability, so no one has to guess what they’re voting for. Strongly support!
Sydney Smith
Maliko Estate Coffee
808-268-3646 (call or text)
808-572-0072 (farm)
Aloha Committee Chair Molina and Maui County Council
Today, I am writing in support of Resolution 22-119 and the creation of the East Maui Water Authority.
Wai – water - is the lifeblood of our society, and across my career in public service, I have always been a staunch believer that our freshwater resources belong in the hands of our people, not special interests, or for-profit entities. This amendment presents an opportunity for Maui County to ensure that its water resources are protected, not only for our local communities, but our future generations and the ʻāina on which they will depend.
The benefits of Maui County obtaining the long-term water lease are enumerable. These include: incorporation of community-based watershed management planning; the creation of a municipal agency that can use public and private grants and financing for long-term capital improvements to the system; secure water resources for all farms and agribusinesses; and formalized mechanisms to incorporate the interests of all stakeholders.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our local communities to have ownership over Maui’s water resources. This Resolution is a critical first step that the County Council can take, today, to stand up as servant leaders for the betterment of a vital resource that touches and impacts everyone. As I stated in a 2019 letter to Mayor Victorino, I believe the County of Maui must take steps to secure its own long-term water lease to free itself from its dependency on private, commercial, third-party operators who are not duty bound, as we are, to uphold the state’s public trust obligations to conserve and protect Hawaiʻi’s natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
The opportunity to accomplish this is now.
Me ka haʻahaʻa
Kaialiʻi Kahele
Member of Congress
I fully support the proposal to establish an East Maui Community Water Authority.
As a resident of East Maui and an advocate for our local community's sustainability, I support the establishment of the East maui Community Water Authority
My name is Kamaui Aiona. I am a part-Hawaiian kane from the Big Island. I am married to a Hana-born part-Hawaiian wahine and we have three children and one grandchild. We have lived in Kawaipapa, Hana (near Hana Health aka the "medical center") for 20 short years.
I strongly support the resolution to create an East Maui Community Water Authority. I feel that the communities where the water is removed from must yield some/majority (?) authority over this resource. I also support giving them enough resources to supply themselves with accurate and non-biased technical, social, and other pertinent categories of information to make the best-informed decisions regarding the use of this most precious resource for their individual moku and the larger mokupuni of Maui.
Mahalo for your consideration of my opinion. Submitted with respect and humility, Kamaui.
Please support creating the East Maui Community Water Authority.
Water is a basic need of everyone, and everyone should share in its bounty. It should not be managed for profit, and should not be "owned" by anyone other than the people. For far too long, East Mauiʻs water has been taken to satisfy a lot of greed, rather than to provide a bountiful resource for all. Rather than manage the resource responsibly, its abundance has been wasted. Accountability for water consumption and waste has been almost non-existent.
The EMCWA will provide a foundation for putting water to its best use for Hawaiians.
Water is Life and the people have a right to know who and how it is being used, to be informed, to have a voice and VOTE. Climate change and drought on these small islands make water and even MORE important source of life and sustainability. We must support the vitality of the people of these islands first. Interest in these resources must be in the people’s hands, not corporations or foreign interests! Water is Life! I support this proposed charter amendment and I support the creation of an East Maui Water Authority.
I support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority. The advantage of a public water management entity would be that decisions would be made transparently and consistent with the public trust, rather than behind closed doors based on what’s best for the corporation. Water for large scale agricultural users can continue to be provided while prioritizing instream uses such as kalo growing.
I support the proposed charter amendment for the establishment of the East Maui Community Water Authority –
I support the creation of an east maui water authority. For the people, natural habitat and ecosystem. It is critical to maintain our sustained life in our community!
It is about time East Maui holds authority over its own water. I support this resolution and commend the county for sending this to ballot for charter amendment.
I support the establishment of an East Maui Community Water Authority, and encourage the county to pass the resolution that will send this issue to the ballot for a charter amendment.
East Maui water is an issue that affects the island like few others, with impacts on the farmers and ecosystems of East Maui as well as the agriculture and residents in Central Maui. It makes sense to have an authority with community stakeholder representation to help guide the management of this precious resource.