Maui County Council Archives - The Maui Independent

GMO Crops Have Become the Hot Potato of Maui Politics Under Pressure, A&B Attempts to Mislead Maui County Council and Public About Their Plans For Former Sugar Plantation Land

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - September 15, 2017

In April at the Maui Energy Conference, Rick Volner, the general manager of diversified agriculture for Alexander & Baldwin, gave a presentation on how Maui’s thousands of acres of former sugar cane land could be utilized in the future. “We have the significant opportunity to alter that landscape,” he said. “Our lands are uniquely positioned

Will A&B’s Leases for GMO Farming Poison Maui’s Agricultural Future? Tuesday Sept 5 Council Meeting Gives Public Chance to Express Whether A&B Should Receive Public Water with Market Value of $250,000 for Just $750

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - September 4, 2017

A&B is set to increase GMO crop growing on Maui against the wishes of a majority of the island population who voted for a GMO moratorium in 2014. As part of their so called “diversified agriculture” plan, rather than devoting land to feed people, A&B is growing GMO Bt corn and sorghum on 140 acres

Zero Waste Sunflower Biodiesel Kick Starts Maui’s Agricultural Transformation Sustainable Pesticide-Free Farming on 115 Acres of Former Sugar Plantation Land Sets Maui’s Landscape and Economy Ablaze With Stunning New Possibilities

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - May 10, 2017

With the death of the sugar cane plantation system, a pioneering local company is banking on a sea of golden yellow sunflowers to help revolutionize agricultural and energy production on Maui. On 115-acres of former sugar cane land in central Maui between Waikapu and Maalaea, Pacific Biodiesel is harvesting its first batch of biofuel sunflowers

Maui County Council’s Proposed 2018 Budget Supports Tourism, Stiffs Locals Testify This Week or Call Budget Chair Hokama at 270-7768 to Express Yourself

Posted by Mark Sheehan - April 26, 2017

There was a character in a William Faulkner novel who learned early in life “that words go up in the air in a column of thin smoke, but doing goes along the ground.” The Maui County Council’s old guard talks about issues affecting residents: affordable housing and “solving the workforce housing crisis”, homelessness, water quality

Maui’s Timely Political Evolution A Refreshing New Wave of Political Representatives and Candidates Act From a Moral and Spiritual Foundation

Posted by Mark Sheehan - April 5, 2017

It would be gratifying to think that the politics of the Aloha State are conducted on a high plain, but unfortunately the history of our state was founded on lies, deception and force. Under the prevailing kleptocratic system, politics and morals are growing more distant, reflecting the national political environment – a murky swamp in

MAUI COUNTY CHAIR MIKE WHITE’S PRE-ELECTION VOTE RIGGING DEFIES THE COUNTY CHARTER

Mike White Misleads Maui Public In Desperate Attempt To Acquire Control Of County Council

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - December 31, 2016

Facing a political hailstorm in response to naming himself the powerful Chairman of Maui’s County Council through an illegally rigged secret pre-election, Mike White yesterday issued a statement on the Council’s public website defending his actions. White’s response doubles down on his dishonesty. He is now using the taxpayer funded website to both deflect public

Will an Illegal Backroom County Government Control Maui’s Future?

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - December 28, 2016

On November 11, just three days after Maui’s political establishment suffered unexpected Election Day losses to the Maui Ohana (family) slate of reformist candidates, Mike White, the Chair of the County Council, made a shocking announcement. In clear violation of the Maui County Charter (Section 3.5 here) which states that the vote for the Council