Another Side
of the Story
Another Side
of the Story
|
West Maui economy
depends on promised
highway improvementsI am writing on behalf of the West Maui Taxpayers Association about a matter of utmost importance to the economic well-being of Maui County and the state of Hawaii.
We are shocked and outraged that the Highways Division of the state Department of Transportation seems to have downgraded sorely needed improvements to West Maui's Honoapiilani Highway. We have been waiting for these improvements for more than 25 years. It seems that the Highways Division has abandoned its commitments to West Maui in favor of improvements elsewhere, in spite of a recently approved Environmental Impact Statement for the Lahaina bypass. Homes were condemned, lives altered dramatically and millions of dollars spent. All that expense and time is at risk of being wasted should the EIS get stale because it was not acted upon in a timely manner.
We understand that the Highways Division already has made commitments for projects elsewhere on Maui that use all current federal funds that should have been directed to improving Honoapiilani Highway, the lifeline to the West Maui community, which is currently on a dead-end street.
Nearly 40 percent of the total income stream to the state of Hawaii from all of Maui County comes from West Maui. More than half of all visitor accommodations in Maui County are located in West Maui, and the economic return from billions of dollars of investments here are at risk. The state and county must try to preserve their revenues, like any prudent business would.
It has taken far too long for us to obtain the necessary highway improvements to the "other side" from West Maui. Our road closures are becoming a weekly occurrence. Visitors are complaining about missing their planes, people can't get to or from work, and Maui's visitor satisfaction surveys are showing danger signs. Whether any more development occurs on West Maui is not the issue. Whether anyone wants to come back here again to what already exists here is the issue. Governor Cayetano and our lawmakers must recognize the potentially disastrous consequences that may be the result of continued inaction on the Honoapiilani Highway.
We can only pray that by informing federal, state and Maui government representatives of our serious concerns that they may recognize and initiate corrective actions before it is too late.
Joseph Pluta is president of the West Maui Taxpayers Association.