Recently, a young friend passed away in a motorcycle accident on Maui. It took four weeks for Hawaii to provide the death certificate to his family. The delay was emotionally and financially challenging to his parents, who with grief, wanted to bring their son back home to San Diego for his burial and final resting.

A death certificate should be processed in a matter of days, not weeks. I shudder to think what awaits those families in Lahaina whose lives were shattered from the August wildfires as they try to pull required documents and building permits in their efforts to put their lives back together. Government must do better.

Phil Winter

Kihei, Maui

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