Let’s make choices that preserve Maui’s resources.It’s election time again! And for me it is time to pick candidates who can see the shifting paradigm of changes here on Maui.
By that I mean, with airlines, gas prices, shipping costs and food dependency, we are in a new fluxing of priorities. Who is really for sustainability, or the hope of self sufficiency? Who is ready to give up big construction for large profits of luxury homes at the expense of long-term interests such as clean, accessible beaches and valuable agriculture land? What needs to be considered is more—not less—farms, and more walkable communities like Lahaina, Pa‘ia and even Kihei. We have enough drive-thru bedroom communities.
Must we continue to sacrifice the beauty, vitality and life-giving forces of our island to clear the way for more development in Honolua and Wailea?
The words of a great teacher occurred to me: “The poor will always be with you, but I am here for only a short time.” Similarly, the rich will always be with us, but our land and its life force is only here for a short time. Unless we grasp our chance to keep clean our ocean and our land as our food source, we may lose it forever.
Imua. Let’s go forth with some choices that preserve, not surrender, what we have left.