Testimony received from BFED Committee

www.mauinow.com/2024/12/15/maui-ocean-center-touts-marine-conservation-but-nonprofit-says-it-repeatedly-violates-fish-taking-permits-with-high-mortality-rates

www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/18lxz6p3rilewinu80qzx/M.O.C.-SAP-2022-Permit-Violations_Mortalities.docx

The County Clerk threw out almost 1000 votes in the last election, declaring them fraudulent because the voters’ signatures did not match the signatures on their drivers licenses. Nowhere in the 2027 budget do we yet see a County effort to educate voters to match signatures between driver’s license and ballot. We are now vulnerable to Trump’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) plan to undermine our right to vote under his made up claim of massive voter fraud.

Anecdotally, we know the County Clerk tossed mostly young voters ballots. This analysis make sense as young voters’ signature and contact info change often so they face higher obstacles to cure or fix and defend their legitimate votes.

When our County Clerk throws out the votes of our young at more than double statewide and four-times nationwide rates and the County does nothing to correct this disgrace, Maui sticks out like a sore thumb. County government is inviting Trump to federalize our elections, something he has generally and recently threatened.

When our County declares our young voters’ ballot signatures fraudulent, it is calling attention to Trump’s HSI to open a case here and seize our ballots like it has recently in Georgia, Michigan and elsewhere.

When MPD Chief signs a contract with HSI a few weeks after the Trump election to give them a rent free office in our police station, the County is inviting this kind of trouble.

When Maui County lawyers declare this MPD-HSI contract void, but the MPD Chief testifies here last week that he intends to continue this HSI relationship and he publicly declares that he is negotiating a new HSI contract, the County is inviting this kind of trouble.

When the Council has yet to further investigate whether the 2016 and 2013 MPD-HSI contracts are still in effect since the 2024 one is void, the County is inviting this kind of trouble.

Last week, the MPD Chief called his HSI relationship “lies,” “fake news,” and “false narratives” and then blusters about narco-terrorism, corpses rotting in the sun, the need for armored military vehicles (BMRs) on Maui roads, and breaking away from democratically accountable oversight to make contracts. (See https://www.facebook.com/MauiCountyCouncil/videos/1963945584216691 starting at 27:35.) Sounds like somebody else we want to keep away from Maui and our voters’ ballots. Please act now to avoid Trumpian trouble and make sure the County does not discard another 1000 voter ballots when Maui voter participation is at an all time low. We need to especially support young people voting by educating to match signatures between driver’s license and ballot, not punish them.
On behalf of Maui Indivisible

Aloha,

My name is Erica-Paige Arcilla and I am writing to you in full support of the Tutu and Me Traveling Preschool program provided by the Partners in Development Foundation. My daughter has been enrolled in the program for the last three school years. We enrolled into the program because we believe that early childhood education is important; however, we failed to qualify for financial help in paying for traditional pre-schooling for our daughter. That’s where Tutu and Me Traveling preschool came in.

It was just recently that we learned the program was at risk for being discontinued due to the Department of Education submitting a $0.00 budget for the Native Hawaii Education Program (NHEP), removing it from the federal budget the next fiscal year (2026-2027). This lack of funding directly affects the Tutu and Me Traveling Programming on Maui, forcing the foundation to shut down all of its sites here on Maui.

This news has been heartbreaking for us. My daughter is off to kindergarten in August and while we are exiting the program, I am still a firm believer in the continuation of the program. The foundation has been serving families statewide for the last 30 years; providing programs that are both culturally grounded and family centered. When we entered the program 3 years ago, my daughter was turning 3 years old. She was often shy around other children and adults outside of our ‘ohana. It was through the Tutu and Me program that she was able to come out of her shell. She now loves playing with her classmates and interacting with her kumu.

Not only does the program promote social skills for young children, but they also have a curriculum that has helped my daughter learn all of her alphabets, number 1-20, sign language, new ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i vocabulary, and much more. The program is also heavily involved in teaching the children about the communities they live in by taking them on monthly field trips.

I will never stop ranting and raving about how amazing this program has been for my family. And, I know all parents both in the past and presently involved in the program can agree. The last three years that we have spent in the program will be long lasting memories that we speak of for the rest of our lives; memories that I wish future families will be able to enjoy as well. The effort, time, and dedication each staff member pours into the program really shows.

me ke mahalo piha,
Erica-Paige Arcilla

Aloha

My name is Alexandra Hillabrand Sada, and for the last two years, my son Henry has attended Tūtū and Me at the Kihei location.

We currently found out that the Department of Education has a $0.00 budget for
the Native Hawaiian Education Program, which will be removing it from the federal budget in the next fiscal year, 2026 and 2027.
Due to this, Tūtū & Me is directly affected and will be forcing all four Maui locations to close.

We can ask for your support to sustain Tūtū & Me sites on Maui because they are a huge benefit to the community. This program has allowed my son to grow and develop alongside his peers. As we continue to see how important a good educational foundation is for our kids, cutting these amazing programs will only be setting them back. Not only does this affect the children attending these programs, but the amazing staff who make them happen.
My family has seen my son come out of his shell and open up in addition to skills learneddue to Tūtū & Me and his kumu.

Maui does not have that many free education programs in general, let alone one that benefits such a large age range the way Tūtū and Me is designed to do.

Thank you, council, for your time considering this request.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me via email or phone.

Sincerely,
Alexandra Hillabrand Sada