Corruption in Lahaina continues!

➡ Hawaii State Representative Ellie Cochran discusses ongoing issues in the aftermath of the Lahaina fire. Despite two years passing, the community still faces challenges, including unresolved deaths and unsafe housing conditions. There are also concerns about unfair treatment in rebuilding efforts and lack of support for those affected. Cochran is committed to ensuring investigations take place and that the community’s concerns are addressed.
➡ The speaker is upset about the placement of temporary homes in Lahaina, questioning their permanence and the lack of transparency from FEMA. They’re frustrated that businesses can’t rebuild due to location restrictions, while these homes are allowed. They also express concern about the mental stress on the community, especially the youth, due to housing instability and the aftermath of a fire. Lastly, they mention unresolved issues with contractors not being paid and a lack of media coverage.
➡ The speaker is expressing frustration over the mismanagement of water resources and funds in Lahaina, Hawaii. Despite billions of dollars being given by the federal government to rebuild the area, people are still not back in their homes and businesses are not being rebuilt. The speaker also raises concerns about the misuse of state land and the lack of accountability from those in charge. They urge for more transparency and for priority to be given to the families and businesses in Lahaina.
➡ The community is dealing with issues of homelessness, fires, and concerns about the future as free rent programs are set to end soon. There’s also confusion and frustration about the lack of transparency in decision-making processes, especially regarding land use and development. The speaker emphasizes the importance of involving the community and respecting the history and culture of the area. They also express concern about the shift in focus of a local organization from social services to profit-making.
➡ The speaker is expressing concerns about various issues in their community, including potential misuse of funds, lack of transparency, and corruption. They mention problems with housing, rental assistance, and water management. They also discuss the need for community involvement and holding those in power accountable. They express frustration with the lack of direct answers and guidance from those in charge.
➡ The speaker is concerned about water shortages and the impact on tourism and agriculture. They suggest solutions like using less water for golf courses, capturing rainwater, and reinstating reservoirs. They also mention the possibility of using desalination and air-to-water technology to address the issue. The speaker expresses frustration with increasing costs of services like cable and Wi-Fi, suggesting a move towards self-sufficiency.
➡ The speaker shares their dream of becoming a rock star and discusses a prayer for Lahaina, a place facing difficulties. They ask for divine intervention to bring light, truth, and improvement to the situation, and for the people to return to their homes. They also express hope for a better future, including a friend’s political ambitions in California. The conversation ends with well-wishes and goodbyes.

Aloha everyone. Michelle Melendez with Blossom Inner Wellness and stand togetherhavey.com I’m here with Ellie Cochran, State representative, Hawaii State representative, grew up in Lahaina, born in Lahaina, grew up in Lahaina, survived the Lahaina fire, all of it. Ellie, thank you so much for joining me. I know you’re. It’s a, it’s a rough time right now. Yeah. Still, I mean, but people think two years later we’re all fixed and done and built and you know, everything’s all hunky dory again. It’s far from it. You know, we continue to face challenges and sadness and trauma on top of our trauma.

So, yeah, it’s still a huge challenge. So the deaths that happened in the camp, were there any. There was three deaths. One was a 16 year old boy that died in his sleep. One was a person just found unknown cause. And then one was a heart attack. And that one was known with those two other unknown deaths. Has, has anything else been investigated about around that? Not that I know of. So technically this is the state temporary housing project Kiola managed by Homemade Hawaii and Department of Human Services. And you know, to date I’ve so far heard of the four deaths.

So one happened months ago and don’t. Haven’t heard any details about that. Just someone died, I don’t know, male, female child, what? I have no idea. Then the, the next one, it was a teenage boy, but no cause of death has ever been mentioned. And then there was another one that just so happened to have been found just through the stench of a decomposing body in a unit. And then the. I think, at least as far as I, as far as I know, the most recent that I do know because it was a church member of ours, that was natural causes.

So I not sure exactly what. But basically the husband was sitting on the couch and said, I don’t feel well. The wife went, oh, go get you an aspirin or something. Came back and he had passed. So that’s what that one was. In the meantime, I mean, there’s like another firsthand account that when Kupuna broke both her arms, I’m like, wait, how does that happen? And it was mentioned that there had been some floor changes in one of the units and that’s where an elderly woman had broke both arms. I’m like. And so you got to figure the, the project says, oh, she tripped on her couch.

Okay. But there are these amendments to the floor design which created a step in between a bedroom and a bathroom. And. And just deducing that thought, perhaps she got up in the middle of the night or whatever, walked into the bathroom, walked back from the bathroom or something and fell. And so what’s going to come up in front of you to block yourself would be your arms. So that, again, you know, there’s no determination report or anything about that. And that’s just what I’ve heard and known. There are reports. So this will be forthcoming, as, you know, investigations and things are going to happen because I’m going to make sure they happen.

It’s just, you know, people need to know that these units and the whole. This whatever project, I feel is very unsafe for our people. And most recently, one of the huge traumatic events that had happened, one of the. And this is a friend of mine, also a church member. And I’m not sure if this is retaliation because of the fact that he’s friendly with me and, you know, con. Confides in me on things, but he had gotten a letter stating that, you know, you’re potentially going to lose your unit because you didn’t get your unit through because you don’t have a disaster cage case manager.

And he’s like, what? I tried. I reached out and no one came out or called back or helped me. So he had to do it on his own, which he’s been doing for the past two years, is just fending for himself, basically. But now I’m like, why would you send a kupuna? Lost everything in the fire, a letter like this, you know. And as my office researched eligibility to get a unit did not state that you had to get in there with a disaster case manager. So I’m questioning why are such letters going out to people? This was never a point, you know, of entry that you had to be.

So how did he get in then, if that was a, you know, a prerequisite? So just things aren’t adding up on so many levels still, till today. And I missed. They had a community meeting, the people who live in the project, a meeting. On Saturday, I was in Honolulu for Okinawan Festival. But I got a recap like, what happened? You know, and. And basically no one really got answers. You know, they share these concerns about this letter. They shared concerns, and it was either no answer or, you know, just beat around the bush and, oh, I don’t know, I wasn’t there.

There’s another meeting coming up, which I want to attend. So, you know, again, one thing. If you’re going to boot somebody out, what’s the solution for them? Where are they going to go because you know clearly they have no place. They lost everything in the fire. If you’re going to send such letters out. And when my office followed up with the because it came from the governor’s office, people in that office didn’t even know these letters went out. They’re like who wrote that? Who did it come from? Who did it? So they were questioning their own office.

So I don’t, you know, this has just been a non stop how things have been operating and again so office and nobody in the governor’s office knows where it came from. Not in that well it says who the emails came from and stuff but no one really knew why or how come or why were these letters sent out. You know it was. I don’t know who’s. Someone’s not copying to it or what. But basically the people who been sent these letters deserve at least an apology that this is not the right way to go about these things.

You know, come up you. They could have approached it in a different manner in a lot more compassionate, caring, sensitive matter. And it definitely was not that way. It was accusational. It was because you this or that you are at risk of losing your home. Like the last thing A person who survived the fire and lost everything their entire life in it, they should not receive letters like this, you know. No, no, not at all. Not especially from the state of Aloha. This is the state of Aloha, everybody. Yeah, sure, you know, bring her back. I know.

I’m like it is unbelievable. And then so what’s going on with the building permits? How many buildings have been built now? And what’s is, has any businesses been built? No businesses. As for homes, they’re coming up. But you know it was always said building like for like what you had, replace what you had. But just about every single home here is at least double the size they originally were. Double the size meaning double the occupancy, double the cars on the street, double the water usage. And we got huge water issues right now. I, I just, I don’t understand.

You know. And you have a gentleman on the ocean. Yes, it’s this controversial home. It was, it was a mansion, high end, you know, but it was there for years and no one complained about it. Now they’re like, you know, you, you need to, we don’t want you to build. You can’t put back your pool, you need to downsize, whatever. But it’s like he simply wants to rebuild what was once there. Like for like. And I’m looking all around, why aren’t you all pointing fingers at these other people? Granted, yes, they’re families. Yeah, I want everybody home.

But if you’re going to, you know, have a, if you’re going to pick on somebody for building what you initially wanted, which is rebuild what you had, but not question these others, that’s not fair, you know, and I just, that’s one of my things that I don’t think that’s fair to pick on one person just because they have money. And it built this mansion, Malibu style home in Laina on the ocean. No one complained about it before till now, you know, and I’m like, the guy has every right to build what he had because that’s what everyone’s talking about.

But yeah, and so the businesses know. Has, have businesses been given building permits at all? I, No, I, I don’t believe so. Not at all. No. Downtown Lahaina is not coming back. But what’s super disgusting and I would love to have footage of this is just a block up from the main road, front street, are these trailer homes. But like, they’re, they’re just boxy, long, rectangular. There’s one, two, three bedrooms. I believe they’re FEMA housing. And it looks like a total concentration camp in our Lahaina Historic District area. It’s just it, I, I’m so heartbreak. It gives me.

I don’t even have a heart to even want to call Lahaina Lahaina or call it my home. Looking at that, if that’s a line is going to turn into be. I don’t even want to live here. Literally. It’s just too heartbreaking too just, it’s just hard, hard to look at. I get it, people need homes, but really they’re like that, like. And my office hasn’t been getting even responses from FEMA about who are these for? What was, what was the application process? Who’s moving into these? And all these back was, well, if, if you weren’t notified about receiving one, then, then they’re, they’re spoken for.

But it’s like, but how did that happen? You know, Are these permanent homes or temporary? They’re supposed to be temporary, but you know, I looked at the infrastructure, man, and they’re putting in some good, hardcore infrastructure. So I, you know, they’re calling everything temporary, but I’m telling you, at the end of the day it’s, I, I predict it’s not going to be temporary. You know, it’s, it’s just disgusting. It’s really. Again, I know people need homes but there are other places they could have put these. And I get it, they’re like privately owned private properties where the owners have every right to, to, you know, agree to put these on their, their, their land.

But I just think the state or county, you know, everybody should have looked to other areas that aren’t eyesores in the middle of Lahaina town, I mean literally in the middle of Lahaina and yet one block down, all the businesses, all those people are not allowed to build. And, but yet just one street up, you can throw a rock to the property that won’t get permits from these whatever FEMA temporary home, trailer, trailer homes. Now the businesses that don’t aren’t getting permitted. Is it, is that, are they giving a re. Given a reason why? Like why.

Yeah, they’re on the ocean. They’re in the high tide shoreline setback. Yeah, you know, that’s why they’re on the ocean. So here’s my thing. You, you on the ocean. Build back what you had and you sign a waiver or you know, a disclosure saying listen, I know I’m building in a high risk zone. I know where I’m at, I’m inundation zone, I’m on the ocean, sea levels rising, whatever. But I’m going to take full responsibility should anything happen to me, to the, to the property and what I’m building. It’s on me, not going to come back on you state, county feds to bail me out to take care, clean up whatever that may happen in the future.

But in the meantime, let me rebuild back what I had at my own, on my own dime time and at my own risk. That’s how I would, I would go. Go for it, man. Put your business back on the water. Hey, you know, well, they’re already, and the thing is, is there’s already businesses on the water in other areas of the island. And that’s not like, that’s my other problem is that just so happens the lucky few who survived the fire just by chance, just by chance are just business as usual. Yeah. You’re gonna tell someone next door whose fault it isn’t of theirs that their business burned down.

No, you can’t. Well, where’s the fairness here, you know, and that’s why I don’t agree how things have been. Well, lack of things moving forward, I just don’t, I just don’t agree. And, and I’m heartbroken. And you know, just tourism is down because everyone’s like anti tourism sentiments and then our labor force can’t Afford, have no homes. They, they have nowhere to live. And so businesses again, can’t thrive that are in place actually, you know, in hotels or whatever. So I, it’s just we are not in any better shape, I feel. I mean, and it looks very bleak moving forward if, if these FEMA trailer homes I’m seeing that are just so.

I can’t believe they’re in the middle of our town of line. So what about the, the money? Now I remember our, one of our last conversations that you were saying that workers were actually contractors were actually walking off the jobs because they weren’t getting paid and that you were actually asking, give us, give me invoices, let me see the money. Has anything happened with that? No, I mean, I’m still asking questions and I still don’t have answers. Yeah, the state, you know, I think auditors are now doing a full investigation, but it’s about, I guess performance, more performance audit rather than a forensics money.

It’s like, no, you need to follow the money, number one. Everything else is going to come out of all of that. But so I don’t know. I mean, really, I think, you know, you have a state auditor who works for the state and this is a state project. So how far are they really going to dig, you know, implicate their own selves? So we’ll see. But I think just exposure and getting the word out and just putting it everywhere will force their hand to actually, you know, do due diligence and something. I, I don’t know, I can’t even guess anymore.

You know, the media sharing any of this on, on Maui. Is the media talking about, you know, what’s happening? Most of the media is paid and bought. Right? It’s all propaganda, most of it. They’re not gonna. No, I mean, if they have anything to do with the state and needed to get funding and be in the good graces, they don’t want retaliation, they don’t want to be cut off. They don’t want to like rock the boat. You know, that’s how things operate around here. Everything’s tied to everything. And if you have any kind of income from right decision makers and the powers that be, you’re not going to go against them.

And they will retaliate, as we know. And that’s the unfortunate part of everything. So things keep perpetuating and things never change. So I’m just, you know, I just stick to doing my job down at that graveyard and perpetuate our culture and getting more and more people to come and learn who’s there and, and you know, get hands on and, and just help Malama and, and I don’t know, that’s one thing I know is doable and happens, but the rest of this stuff, I’m just, you know, meetings get you more aggravated, we walk away with more questions and I don’t know, I’m just hopefully.

How are, how are the people? How are they? How are the survivors doing? Do they talk to you? Well, I mean, not every single one, obviously, but the sentiment is everyone’s still going through mental stress and trauma. Still. Still, you know, I mean, I feel really bad for our youth, okay? Our youth. I mean, they’re trying to focus on school. You got to look at 40% of the people who, you know, in Lahaina were of Filipino ancestry. And a lot of the parents, English is not their first language. So you got kids trying to graduate from high school or even just to attend and keep their mind, you know, on school, work and things.

But, but they have to be the adult in the house. They have to go through this really frustrating process. And if you talk to any adult who, who’s, who does speak English and is trying to work through all the, the programs and trying to get subsidies or whatever, they’re having issues. So think about a child in school trying to navigate this on behalf of their parents. This is not what they should be doing at this age. And, and a lot of them are saying they’re going to forego college, they got to stay home. You know, they don’t have housing stability.

I mean, that’s already a stress. You know, their families are split up. And I feel really, really bad. So, yeah, you see a lot of these new, organized, not new, but programs, you know, for teenage suicide, youth suicide, youth mental illness, you know, programs and stuff. Here’s what would cure most of this stuff for. I don’t care what age you are housing, get people back in their homes, get business back. So you have jobs. So our business owners are, you know, are going, they’re just normalcy is coming back, economy is coming back and I don’t know what part of the state or county taxes will be back in your pockets too.

You know, you, you, we would save on all these subsidies and all these, you know, rental assistance programs and whatever what, you know, feeding and housing, it, the list goes on and on. All the extras that come with taking care of people because they don’t have their lives back in order yet. And yeah, I don’t see any effort towards that end. And that’s what’s extremely frustrating for me because it’s not that difficult get give the people the permits and let them get built back on their. Now what do we have? We got double the size homes.

So I mean, I always said this from day one. Are you dragging your ass on giving permits because there’s so much water issues? The north end of West Maui is in litigation about the water issues. Granted, Mother Nature hasn’t provided waterfall rainfall is down. But you know, I know that the Mahina Hina treatment plant out north that feeds that portion the resorts and all that area out there and was that has been down. So no water has been coming from that way. We have one source here in Lahaina next to Lahaina High School. So that water already has been dispersed all over being used everywhere but Lahaina town, where technically it’s all originally it was used for and where it should be going again.

So I’ve always asked the question from day one, are you not giving permits back to Lahaina town itself because you’re using our Lahaina water everywhere else but Lahaina? I don’t know. It sure seems like it. And it’s just not right, you know, and there’s. And our state water commission says no new uses. There’s all kinds of new uses, but they’re using the term temporary again. I don’t believe this temporary crap is going to be temporary at the end of the day. So now what? When our permanent, permanent people who should be already built and living in their homes and business should be going, is there going to be water left for them come four years? What are we second year in three years from now? There’s already all kinds of issues with our water.

So I, I think there’s going to be issues because there already is. Yeah, you know, I mean, there could, there could have been a way more simpler way, more efficient and affordable way of doing everything because billions of billions of dollars has been expended and yet I’m sitting here saying, no, our people have not come home and no, our business have not been rebuilt. So where’s the money? Auditors? Yeah. No, it’s important that you follow this damn money and figure out where the hell it went. Because it didn’t go back to the people. You know, it didn’t go back.

You’re absolutely right because it was in. Bill, I remember when I was in Lahaina a year ago this month and Ed Case was here and he asked the mayor, what are you going to do? I think it was 2 billion or so it was. It was in the billions. What are you going to do with the billions of dollars we’re going to give you? And the mayor said, oh, we’re going to have a plan next month, which would be October a year. Billions of dollars, you guys watching. Billions have gone. Has been given by the federal government to the state of Hawaii to rebuild Lahaina.

And still people are not back in their houses. No businesses are being rebuilt, allowed to be rebuilt. It’s absolutely disgusting. I know the county, the. Our county gets that. Got the 2.8, 2.6 billion. Not even the state. This is the county, just the county jurisdiction. The CDBG Community block, Community development and block grant slash disaster relief funds have been given to the county. And people are asking, well, how do I tap in? Who is this for? How’s it being used? Where is it going? What? You know, and people are like, where there’s supposedly an office down the street, you know, there’s a certain person there who’s focusing just on dispersing of these CDBG Dr.

Funds. But I’m getting calls. In fact, I got to call back this, this family who says they’ve been waiting on their permit for a year. Like, that’s unacceptable. Why? And they’re saying water is an issue. I’m like, okay, wait a minute. If you’re rebuilding what you had, again, people who were here in Lahaina before fire should get first priority to water. So an answer from this county should not be, to them, there’s no water for you. That’s why you don’t get a permit. That should not be happening right now. And if that is happening, you know, I’m gonna lose it.

Lose it more than I have. But it’s just. Yeah. And this is the frustration, Right? And again, your term land grab, it’s happening, you know. Yeah. And I just. I don’t know, I’m just still here, try to, you know, sound the alarm and say, hey, listen, things aren’t right. What’s going on? And just keep asking the question. But I tell you, people don’t have to answer your questions. And they don’t, or very vaguely. And it’s just been extremely frustrating, you know, so keep trying. I mean, I have people who started this restoration conservation, tree restoration initiative up on some state land here, and I just got a call from the police department asking me, do you know if they actually have state land leases? I go, no, they don’t.

I go, they basically went up there, got grants, you know, and just started doing what they wrote in their grant, which is tree restoration in an area that really isn’t conducive to it does not have water. It’s in the middle of a desert dry zone. And so. But above him is a rancher who’s been ranching for 11 years. No issues, just minding his own business. Ranching made the roads, all this stuff. And just fast forward, this is how bad it’s gotten. The, the people, tree planting and stuff. Shot one of his cows, a pregnant mama cow, last night.

What? Yeah. What? Yeah, I know. Well, I know. And the cow was not mama cow. Just had a baby. And now she was pregnant again. Now she’s dead. And I’m so sad. I’m so mad. And so I got a call from the police captain to ask me. And I said, technically on paperwork, no, they do not. So it is illegal for them to be there. So I have talked to Chair Tang of dlnr, our Maui rep land agent, Daniel Arnelas. And basically, you know, their thought is, but, you know, what they’re doing is in line with the deal in our mission.

Yeah. Well, they never asked to be on the land, but they are, and we agree with what they’re doing. So we’re gonna have a hearing to give them land leases. That was months ago. So they. And, And I gotta answer the people who are like, is this how it works? You just pop up and just start doing business on state land without any permission or leases and just. You’ll be okay. It shouldn’t be that way, but that’s how it’s going to. And now this is it. I’m like, talk about liability, whatever. I mean, he could have shot a person, you know, and I would.

I’m not up there, but I’m told that the cow wasn’t within the boundaries of the. Of the garden or whatever. And. Yeah, it’s just really sad that it’s turned to this, you know. Oh, my goodness. And that’s a. You know, here these people are up in state land, they have no permits or anything, but yet the people down in Lahaina, you know, I’m just. It’s just. And. And on top of this, it’s like, how is it that you got county water trucks delivering thousands of gallons of water up there to water these plants that technically they’re not.

It’s not a good place to even grow this stuff. So. And is this really best priority use of our water right now, which we’re having litigation out north with the water we’re having. I got a family who won’t get a permit because of water. This is very unacceptable to me. Priorities should be again to the families here in Lahaina, the businesses here in Lahaina. So I’m just. This is the kind of crap that’s been going on non stop. It’s extremely frustrating. Is there anything that people can do to support you? Like, is anybody we could call, complain to, talk to, write letters to? I mean, you know, I think it’s about asking the question, holding people accountable at the end of the day.

Right? Like just. Yeah. I mean, why. Why aren’t you dealing with the. With the SMA shoreline setback so people can rebuild? I mean, what is your plan? I had. I’ve been so one thing. I’ve been getting meetings with different entities. Salvation army met with me. The Zoom met me to. Because they have property right on Shaw street, just, just up above, you know, that. The big Lahaina Shores building down there. And they said, you know, what do you think do. Does Salvation army services? Are they needed? I’m like, totally. They’ve been needed for day one. Oh, well, we’re so afraid.

We weren’t sure if we should be back in Lahaina because we understand that the governor wants to emanate eminent domain, our property. I go, what? I go, you know what? Who is he to do that to you? It’s your private property. We need your services to this community. So why would he do that anyways? You know, I go, if it’s about the restoration of Mokul and the whole cultural area down there, the back of your. A very small portion of your. Of your property is part of the island. You could give that portion up and still build back what you had.

I get it. You’re in an inundation zone. It was always discussion to move them further, you know, inland. And I had discussions with Kamehameha Schools who’s looking to do this big master plan also. And they were open to having land for Salvation army to move further up the hill and all this stuff. But in the meantime, they got perfectly two good trailers on wheels, you know, mobile office things that they could just wheel up on their land over here. And I’m telling you, the homeless are back and the needs for this community. There was just a fire caused down at Mala boat ramp yesterday by two homeless people the boatyard guy saw.

I mean, there’s. There’s people who know who did it, started the fire. Last thing we need is fire again in Lah. And fire department, police, everybody just let them go. Let Them go, yeah. I’m like, what, What? You just so. I don’t. I got phone calls about that one and I’m inquiring with the department. It’s like, why would you just let people go? They created a fire and you just said, oh, okay, bye, we’ll take care of your accident. It’s just, I don’t know what’s happening, you know, so, yes, we, we. They’re here. They just cleared, you know, a couple miles stretch of homeless camps.

Where are they gone? Where are they going? It just never so. And then in February, not to mention in February, rents are going to kick in. The state project is all free rent right now. Everyone’s living up there free. And actually I question some of the people that are living there because if I. No, if that is truly who I’m thinking they are, they didn’t lose homes. So why are they living in free units when they have a home? Are they banking on that? Maybe. So rental kicking in February. Who got a job since then? Who’s going to have a job in a couple months? Nobody.

There’s no businesses back. How are they going to afford anything? So probably on the streets, living in a car, living in the beach, living in the bush. I don’t know where they’re going. And the state doesn’t have solutions either, you know, so it’s just been a. Nonstop, you know, just when you think we should have it, get. Have it together. It’s no, it’s not after two, after two years. Well, tell me more, a little bit more about Salvation army said the governor said they’re going to, he’s going to eminent domain their land. Like why. Why would they think that? Did they get a letter? Did they? Well, it’s been the discussion about the whole restoration of Moko Ula island, the whole capital, you know, the royal capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom thing, which I’m sure it’s a part of that because I heard that too.

And so when they brought that up, I go, I wouldn’t let any of that stop you. You know, I’m like, it’s your property, you do what you want. And, and your services are needed. So I recommend that you come back and start and just. And you have trailers, you know, or like I’ve been pushing, educating the community about the company called Castle Block, which is out of Hilo, that builds with, you know, resilient, you know, the. With. With different, you know, prod. Instead of wood, you know, it’s metal plated. So I just think building back smarter, more Resilient obviously.

And it’s also truly affordable at. Even with tariffs kicked in at about 250 per square foot versus people right now are getting quoted $1,000 per square foot to build a home in Lahaina. Yeah, it’s. It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s a ripoff. And. And it’s should not be happening to our people right now. But it is. That’s really evil. Yeah, that’s really evil. Yeah. About the eminent domain, how did you like why did you hear about this? Like where is this stated that he’s going to do this? He said it. He. The other. He was talking about that all day.

The la when they originally did that panel out and all that stuff when the governor came, remember they were like hyping it all up. Oh we’re gonna restore the glory. Mokohula, this and that. Like dude, you even know where that is? What do you anyways, I don’t know. So we’ll see I think. And that’s. There’s a big push about all that and that’s fine. But you know you need to get the greater community involved in this decision making. There’s way too much going on behind closed doors. There’s way too much going on with select hand pick people only, you know.

And number one, you better include the true lineal descendants and people of Lahaina. I mean what you know, people don’t like the word transplants and people who come from other places. Well you know another island is also somewhere else and not Lahaina. So it’s just. I don’t know. Again I just keep my nose to the grindstone and do what I do at the graveyard. We had 30 people from the Richardson’s family who by the way Marianne Shaw Richardson is the sister to Kuna Shaw who is the Kahu who was the caretaker of Mokoa Mokahinia and her home is where that big monstrosity condo hotel, whatever Lahaina Shores is located and that that everybody talks about, that’s floods because there natural spring that feeds it.

That’s where her home was. She lived there and she care. She took care of of the pond and the island and all of that. And she’s interred at our graveyard and her sister, they were adopted by King Kamehameha the I guess the fourth and the her family came all from Honolulu Haia and all these places and just helped and cleaned and got to meet their family and it was just a really moving touching thing. So this is the kind of connection I mean we’re working together and, and, you know, educating, perpetuating culture for direct descendants and family.

And it’s just the most beautiful thing, you know, and those are the kind. And it just. More and more of that is happening and it has nothing to do with money. It has nothing. It just me. It just has everything to do with connecting family to family and getting them rooted back through. Through their. Their actual descendants of Lahaina, you know, at the oldest cemetery, you know, oldest graveyard and oldest church in existence here. And it is part of next door, Mokula Moka. So there’s no way anyone can move forward with that whole project without including the people who were interred in our graveyard, because that’s who was once on that island.

And Princess. Princess Bishop reinterred them to our property is what she did. So that’s who’s there. And I don’t know how you’re gonna separate the two, but yet, you know, none of us are in any discussions with that currently. I guess maybe it’s worth coming. I don’t know. Again, we just do what we do. And when that day comes, we will sit at the table together and. And, you know, work this all out. But I think the greater community needs to be involved. Oh, speaking of. And then I had Harry and Jeanette Weinberg, which is a nonprofit type group organization.

They have quite a bit of Property in Lina 1 is a lot of commercial. So they’re focusing on their commercial property. Right. I mean. Oh. I said, you know, once upon a time, when Harry himself was alive, this organization was totally equated to our, you know, you folks built for our most neediest, our lowest, lowest of income people. And now, you know, as soon as he, Harry passed, I guess the brother had taken over. It just jumped right into commercial and profit, profit, profit. You know, it was. It was. And that literally did happen overnight. I remember because I was a council member and, you know, we would fund these projects and it was always about social services and nonprofit work and stuff, and they were always at the top of the list.

And they gave back and they did great work, but it just totally flipped and it ended up being. You could tell, you know, the. The numbers mattered more so than really taking care of the people. So I mentioned that to them the other day and they said, we. Well, that’s. That’s what we do. We make profit on our commercial arms, so we can help fund the social service type, you know, projects. I’m like, yeah, okay, I get that. But that was never the focus before and. And it. It was very successful. So this is where I learned, though they own old Lahaina Shopping center, which currently there’s a McDonald’s on one side.

They don’t own that property. But there’s Foodland. The building’s still intact. And then where the Ullana show was, that building is still there. And they said Lewakini street would. Would go right through their lot. And I’m like, wait, what. What about Luakini Street? So I guess there’s talk about extending that road. I never heard of this. I go, you know, I really appreciate you shedding light on this has been up for discussion. I go, but I wish the county or somebody would keep me in the loop on just thoughts and discussion about this. But this is how I have to hear about things, you know, And I’m like, wow, are they talking to the other parts of Lewikini street and the business owners and the landowners who should probably be kept in the loop about possible decisions affecting this road? That part of it was one.

In fact, all of it was one way. You know, it’s like, what, so what’s the plan here? Are you going to eminent domain people’s properties to widen the road so it’s not one way anymore? I don’t know. It’s all these are like, I think should be brought to the general community about, you know, that’s. I don’t know. I just keep finding out things like this just by chance, you know, and it’s just, you know, I think that’s also synchronicities to your guides bringing you to. Into situations like this, that light lighten it up. Because there’s a lot in the state, we know that and.

But I think that this whole thing is. Is bringing a lot of the corruption to light, and I think it’s just a matter of time. And that’s my. That’s my hope, honestly. That’s my prayer. Because, I mean, how dark are you gonna. Are they gonna be able to go? It’s so evil right now? Yeah, it’s. Truth will prevail. I know, and I know people who are doing the wrongdoing and the corruption are feeling the heat right now. And. And they should. And. And so. So should they. Because at the end of the day, it’s our community and people that suffer, and it’s just.

Just. Yeah, it’s so hard. And how people can actually go to sleep at night doing harm to other people is beyond me. Like, I don’t. I. I cannot even fathom that. But plenty in power, that’s all They’ve, they’re driven on. Doesn’t matter how they get it, doesn’t matter. You know, there’s an evilness around that though, that, that I think germinates. I think it germinates and grows. But Ellie, is there anything that people can do to support you, to support this work, to support this effort? Because you can give us an action and I’ll put it to my list.

I mean, I think, how do we hold the powers that be accountable? You know, so this CDBG doctor funding. Yeah. What, how, how can people, you know, what are the parameters of use or how. I don’t know. I mean, just trying to find out how people can tap into that and get help. Because everyone I’m talking to, they’re like, they don’t have a direct answer. No one’s giving them like direct guidance. And I, my office asks questions too, and I don’t. Nothing’s ever forthcoming. You ask questions too? I mean, rental assistance. I, they’re bragging how they’ve given, I don’t know, $367 million or something for rent assistance.

I got people who have to, you know, squeeze blood out of turnips. I mean, they never got, they maybe got six months rental assistance in the last two years and that was hell just trying to get that, you know, So I don’t, I mean my, my tenant, for example, I mean one guy, he’s like, you know, was in the process, put in an application, blah, blah, blah, got all the documents needed. By the time he got done, the, the, the program ran out of money. He’s like, what? You know, and I just, that that’s the kind of stuff.

Yeah. And yet supposedly there’s, you know, almost probably billion dollars that went to rental assistance. So I don’t know, it’s been. Again, where is the money? That’s my, my top question is where is the money and where has it gone? That there’s a, this homeless camp over by the airport that were these brown tent things and they kicked everybody out. But next door they put up these units, these hard shelled units. And I’m like. And again, they haven’t answered my question. Sent a letter to homemade Hawaii and asked what? Why did you kick the people out and where did they go? Why wouldn’t you put them in the units that are next door? Oh, we had to make them leave because we’re taking the tents down.

Yeah, but, but you have the other units up. Why didn’t they just move in there and you remove the tents? No, I, I Don’t know. I don’t know why. And that project got $14 million. Where’s the 14 freaking million dollars? Still asking. I’m still asking. You know, I’m asking. Still. The 186 million at Kiola, you know where the guy, the main guy who’s got the biggest contracts is. Unlicensed contractor here. Unlicensed. Oh, my goodness. It’s a state project. And it’s a state project, yet the state DCCA has. I took it upon myself to get their signs so I can educate the community to protect them from unlicensed contractors and things like that.

Yet I look at the state and I’m like, you’re not even following your own damn signs. You’re got a guy who’s not licensed in Hawaii who’s gotten, I don’t know, $23 million or something. That’s state. That, that’s taxpayer dollars. That. That’s partly donor money. But I’m sure donors didn’t want something to go to something illegal, you know, and it’s just. It just never ends. I. I don’t. You know, this is where the four. The known. Four deaths and a fire had occurred. And just the other day there was all kinds of ambulance and fire truck and am police and everything.

But my. My friends who live there, they couldn’t quite see or figure out what happened. But something happened obviously with all of that showing up. So again, you know, I don’t know this place really, someone needs to take a closer look. When I asked, was it ple. Fire? Oh, Fire department sent me back a letter stating that he. They considered that place. They can’t really enforce, I don’t know, fire rules or things because it’s private property. I’m like, it’s state property. It’s a state project. It’s a state. It’s not like a gated private community, dude, that.

That runs on HOAS and CCNRs. Like, what are you talking about? So I. They haven’t. They. They haven’t. Yeah, explain that part to me either yet. But I’m just, you know, I don’t know if people are just making it up as they go or what, because nothing’s making. Sure nothing’s making sense. Yeah. And I hear, you know, a little bit of LA and all these other places that are going through it. We are. I mean, that. That Katrina show is like, same crap, right? Nothing changed. And the LA people are complaining. The same thing we’re been complaining about too.

And I been. Was trying to originally re. Reach the governor and the mayor and everybody of that town to say, listen, you can get lessons learned from Lahaina, you know, and do things differently and more efficiently and smarter and whatever. Here’s some issues we came across. You know, why you don’t need to reinvent wheels here, like. And I, I don’t know. I haven’t gotten through to anybody there either. But I’m just watching it going, well, yeah, there you go. Could have told you that was going to happen, you know, and you could have done something. You could have done it differently but didn’t.

So. Yeah, well, yeah, I feel your frustration and I’m, I’m all about actions. Like, maybe if you think of something, email me. Like, who to contact, what to. Like just a verbiage of what to say if we contact them. Because numbers matter. I think, I think, I think people, the more people that, that get on them and harp and harp on them. That’s what you just, when you just said they’re feeling the heat, they need to feel. They need more. I think water. I think probably C Worm Commission on Water Resource Management needs people to say, what.

What is going on with the water? How are you prioritizing the water? So I agree with the part of the litigation. The richest man in Japan is suing Maui Lanpine right now. He’s taking the company to court because they’re baking, doing cutbacks on the water source out there. And the main ditch system is managed by, well, Hawaii Water Service, but Maui Land and Pine, basically, for four decades, for generations. And so he’s suing them for lack of maintenance on the ditch system. I totally agree, 100 billion percent on that. I live in Honolulu Valley. I know they have not been maintaining that ditch since, like Fleming himself and Cameron’s left that company.

Literally. They have not been maintaining and, you know, the ditch system. So the ditch system has leakage, the dish system is falling apart, there’s root intrusion. No, it’s not carrying the full capacity of water that it should be due to the lack of maintenance and upgrades and whatever that the company could have done. They have not. So I agree with that part. What I don’t agree with, and I didn’t say this to them because I did email their attorney to say, hey, listen, I agree with that point, but I don’t agree that golf courses should be a priority for water use.

Not, not in agreement with that part right now. Water use should be for, you know, for feeding us, for housing us, for things. So. But I don’t completely agree with that. But I just so Happens I’m driving to the other side and HPR comes on and here’s the guy who’s part owner in the golf course. He’s talking about, you know, the state just wants to shut us down, cut us back on water, which yes, they have every right to and yes, we need to do it. But he goes, but no one’s talking about solutions. I’m like, okay, hey, I hear you, man.

That’s right. Let us, we understand that. We all wanna, we can’t get as much water as we always were and, and need, but you know, let’s just share the pain here, but let’s figure out solutions. So he, you know, basically was saying, you know, we, if we can just bump up to a certain percentage of water, not the 100%, but a certain amount, they can maintain their courses good enough to where they can continue to hold the century tournament, the golf tournament that happens in January, which gives back all this charity money to our county, which is helpful, right, and all that stuff.

But it’s golf and it’s tourism and all that. So I’m like, yeah, okay, that sounds reasonable, you know, for X amount of months to get the greens back on, good enough to play. And he was saying, you know, when you look at old, back in the day in London and Scotland, wherever they do all this golfing, they played on brown grass on not lush green, it was brown. And he goes, and it makes it even more challenging when it’s, you know, not all or easier to play golf, I guess, because it’s flatter and rolled, I don’t know.

So I’m like, all right, you know, he’s talking, he’s given some and, and sort of trying to balance it out. But he goes, but no one’s really discussing anything like this. So I wanted to call him and say, listen, I hear you. And yeah, let’s be solution oriented because at the end of the day, we did put all our eggs in the tourism basket. And you know, you want to get rid of it, but what’s the alternative right now? You know, and I would love to see ag, you know, ag tourism, let’s feed ourselves food security and that job creations and all that stuff, right? But no one’s focusing on that.

You just want to get rid of tourism, shut down all those short term rentals and whatever, which I never supported to begin with. But there’s, there would have been, there was a smart way to do that also, but that never happened, you know, and so you can’t just cut it off now because There we are. We got people who can’t survive anymore with the trauma of the fire. And now you’re just cutting off their, you know, their bloodline, which is tourism. How’s that supposed to help anybody right now? You know, I, it’s just to me, nothing is.

And then, I don’t know, I didn’t even read the Post or I don’t know what it was, but it was about the mayor saying release all the waters back into the streams. But we don’t have water going into our water treatment plant for all of us to shower with, to cook with. To do what? I mean, hello again. Where’s the balance on the common sense here, you know, and, and, and the other thing that the state and what private whatever companies need to do with the water is when we have heavy rainstorm events, we need to capture that rather than just let it run off into the ocean.

I get we want Malcolm mackay flow, but we need to capture that stuff. And same in reservoirs. Right, for. Yeah, for use when things are down and low and all that. So I don’t, you know, the granite, I don’t agree with plantation. And what they did, monocropping diverted our streams. We should have 33 free flowing streams here in West Maui. But we got like 32, maybe three. I don’t agree. But the point is they did build a very efficient system in this sense. Well, if you maintain and keep it going, you know, the ditch system and then the irrigation of the fields and stuff, it was all lush and green.

These mountain sides were not dead and brown. And fire hazards like you see today. Right. They were lush, green. It was cane. Not that that’s the best way of grow. But the point is there was enough water to go around the grow. You replace that cane with stuff we eat. Why not? And they had reservoir. They had. Yes, they had some wells. But they used the, you know, irrigation ditch system and reservoirs. They captured the water. So they had it for years. Catching the water is where to go, especially in man. Yeah, you catch what you can, man.

And it’s like. But that’s not what’s happening. So now it’s like release everything when you have access. Like why. So here we are and I just think number one priority for water use and I think that’s where the public can ask, demand seaworm to whatever they got to adjust or rewrite or whatever to make sure that water is prioritized for, you know, for us, the people. Yeah, and I again. And, and you reinstate reservoirs, you know, you recommission These reservoirs that are in place and it was because of money. The reservoirs, the people who own them, you know, Peter Martin bought a bunch of land after pioneer mill and people the state owned, county owned, they didn’t want to fund it and that’s why they just decommissioned them all.

So I, you know to me that those efforts would have prevented our water shortage that we have today. Part of it, I mean it’s not a cure all. Obviously not. But you know, it definitely could help and help point. Yeah. And at this point our, the salinity of our well water, our aquifer is at the 2,000 foot level. So when the county or state, whoever keeps saying they’re just going to keep digging holes and sticking more straws into the aquifer as wells does not make sense because whatever you pull up is brackish and salt. So we’re not going to drink that and a treatment plant’s not going to clean it.

So you’re going to, we’re all going to have to turn to desal. I think that that is the future because of just the rate. Yeah. The. How much where the water has to come from and the condition of the quality of the water is salt. You’re going to have to decel that in order to be usable. And that’s expensive, you know. So again, not just looking right here, maybe somebody out there is an inventor that can do it cheaply. And if you can contact me because. Because I do. There are systems out there that we don’t know about yet.

Do you have the air to water stuff, the atmospheric stuff? Because I’ve been. There’s a company called Altitude Water, they’ve been here in Hawaii. I just recently reached back out to them to talk about getting a unit from them. And that’s what it does. It brings the moisture, the humidity out of the air and works through them and it creates actually pure water. And it’s like ionic. Yeah, whatever. Whatever. Filtered, you know, so it comes out even purer than what’s in your tap. Because what’s in our tap, the county loves to just dump chlorina all over it.

So, you know, it supposedly works. I haven’t technically physically, you know, I know a couple people who have them, but I never really saw them yet. I know there’s a soccer club or something in Hilo or Po or someone that did buy some units there. So I know they have them active in the state. They’re, you know, they’re on the pricey side. My air condition broke down, so I’m like I need air over water right now because line is so freaking hot. You know, I’m like, I can’t live in this house without. I’m sorry, but I got to replace that first.

And then I’ll talk about getting one of these units. But I’m at the point where I just want to be off the grid, you know, I mean, Spectrum is Now charging over $200 for your cable and WI fi. I’m like, I don’t know, should I just buy a Starlink? I mean, I just, I don’t want to be tied to these corporations anymore because they just jack your up to where it’s unaffordable and your service ain’t that great, you know? And it’s never going to go down. When are they ever going to go down? It’s just, it’s.

Yeah, I’m at. Yeah. I mean, my one friend called her. Her Spectrum bill is 256. She’s a single person on fixed retirement fund and it’s $256. I’m like, oh my God. This is. You’re. Maybe, maybe people need to get offline and stop watching television so much and get back into nature. Get back into that too. You know, maybe it’d be good for us all to unplug. Yeah. You know? Yeah. I mean, I love watching my, my Netflix and if I, if I want to watch funny and get, you know, it is entertainment and it does get your brain off of the whole, you know, so I enjoy it, you know, but I just watched this, the whole, the episodes of Run around.

That was so cute. I always. One of my dreams is to be a rock star. So, you know that show just now these kids from high school become rock stars. But anyhow, just, you know, it’s fun, it’s entertaining, takes my mind off the sadness and I get it. Yeah, we have to have a little down time as well. Well, let’s do a quick prayer for, for where we’re at and calling the infinite creator. Infinite creator. Wow, this is such a journey right now. We know that you’re holding Lahaina in light right now. There’s. There is a lot of darkness, a lot of things that are going on over there.

That’s just not pono great spirit. And we know that that is coming to light. We call that forth now. We call forth that anyone who can make a difference in Lahaina in the permitting process in doing what’s right with the water, that their hearts be turned to doing that. That they be courageous enough to step Forward to make a stand for the people. Great Spirit, we just call forth that all angels, all guides are in Lahaina right now, sending those people hope that things can get better for them, that they can return to their homes. Great Spirit, we bind anybody right now.

We bind them with the Christ consciousness of unconditional love, with the spirit of Aloha. That they be bound from doing any more harm and that their hearts be turned to doing what is right. Praise Spirit. We see that Lahaina right now is. Can be the example. It can turn around. We see people back in their homes. We see permitting easily done. We see contractors being paid. We see the truth about what is happening with the money, and we see that rectified. Great Spirit, we don’t know how it’s going to happen. We absolutely have no clue. But through you, Great Spirit, through the infinite powers that you are, you’re moving the sun across the sky.

You’re running the tides in the ocean. You are making this happen. We call it forth right now. We call forth truth. We call forth life, light and life right now in Lahaina, in la, and in other. Other places around the world that have been attacked like this, because I truly believe that it was attacked. Great Spirit, we know that it is done. We send Ellie so much mahalo, nui loa. So much mahalo. And we know that she is always guided, that she is always protected, that anything that she needs shows up easily. And we have guides around her and angels around her just to give her a light on her path, Great Spirit, because she is not alone.

She is not never, never alone. Great Spirit, we know that this is done. And so it is. Amen. Thank you, Jelly. Yeah. Thank you so much for your time and looking forward to the show. You know, hopefully Marshall feels better so we can. Oh, yes. Yeah. America. Yeah. It will happen. It’ll happen. It always will. It sounds good. I’m excited for Lewis Herms, too. Going for it in California. Yeah. Screw back up. He’s working on being a governor there. I know. Of Hawaii. Oh. I want to get out of this. I’m. I don’t know. I. Yeah, you know, I know it’s hard.

It’s really hard. Yeah. Amazing. That would be absolutely incredible. So, anyway, just. We’ll see. All right, you guys. Okay. You take care now. Be well. Okay. Bye. Sa.
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