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ASSOCIATED PRESS
The devastating aftermath of the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire is shown.
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As Hawaii residents, we are all far too familiar with the painfully abundant number of empty promises made by local government. I regret to inform you that another one can be added to the list.
In August 2023:
>> 99 people were killed in the fire that destroyed nearly all of Lahaina and caused $5 billion in damage.
>> Most of the funds to rebuild Maui after the fire have and will continue to move through the hands of the county government.
No competitive bidding plus no changes in the county’s existing procurement procedure equals a vulnerable community that can be taken advantage of by contractors and unmindful government spending.
Not to mention, the Maui County Board of Ethics does not have the finances nor manpower to follow through with investigations of potential wrongdoing.
Although Maui Mayor Richard Bissen has already opened West Maui for tourism on Nov. 1, let’s not forget about the gaping neglect present in the systems that will quite literally help Maui rebuild from the ground up.
Sophia Hurd
Makiki
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