Old Lahaina Town Utterly Destroyed - Recovery & Relief Efforts

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

'Tourist Keep Out'

Nice option for those whose house didn’t burn down, don’t work at the restaurants or hotels, and have no compassion or empathy for their neighbors not as well off as they are.

[HiloJulie]

So, this is concerning to me.

All in all, I think Bissen has been and is a good man and Mayor for Maui. The only thing I would fault him on was his acceptance of Andaya as his MEMA lead when he became Mayor. Just seeing Andaya's performance at his one press conference before his immediate resignation amazes me that ANYONE would have thought he was a capable leader.

At any event, I think the blame of responsibility has to be laid out in detail of each and every agency and utility before we start calling for resignations enmasse.

Besides, who is an acceptable alternative? 

Kai Lenny? The haole real estate guy now suddenly mysterious Maui fire investigator on YouTube?

Some haole from the mainland?

I think it's clear however, that at the end of the day, MEMA was too overwhelmed and too incompetent to understand the potential even existing for what happened in reality.

I think with the addition of Oliveria, those fears can be laid to rest for the moment.

But Bissen could end up being a sacrificial lamb, and I'm not too sure that's a good thing. 

At the moment.

[offgridguy]

I apologize for calling Dobanion a clown. That was an insult to hardworking clowns everywhere.

If the 66,000 people killed in Hiroshima is the "the closest historical parallel" to the Maui fire that somebody can think up then they are an idiot. Plain and simple.

---

So, today I open up the Google and my first news feed headline is:

Maui Desperately Needs Visitors – Hawaiian Airlines Offering $82 Flights

The second news feed headline is:

A Hawaiian family with a ten-generation history in West Maui has put up a sign stating 'Tourist Keep Out'

So I wonder where this is headed?

It's headed back to business as usual.  Maui's economy is so completely dependent on tourism that this bluster is meaningless.

[TomK]

offgridguy,

If you are not able to allow other people the right to their opinions you will not be here all that long.  I suggest you apologize.

I don't understand what's going on here. Yes, offgridguy was insulting, but how has he or she prevented anyone from posting their opinions? Rob, you've let others post insulting posts over and over again without taking any action but now you do for this thread? And if it comes down to what's being discussed, yes, I completely agree with offgridguy, comparing the Maui fire to the atomic bomb in Hiroshima is inappropriate. I hope I'm not disallowing others to post their opinions by saying so.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I hope I'm not disallowing others to post their opinions

Maybe it’s not just when someone disagrees with another person’s opinion, but if they’re exceptionally disagreeable in the process?

[TomK]

I would accept that explanation if Rob hadn't ignored that in the recent past with other posters. I think consistency is appreciated by most here and I'm not seeing it here.

[HiloJulie]

Well, I would like to say that to the victims of the Maui fires, my heart goes out to you and your loved ones.

Comparing what happened in Maui to past historical events really serves no purpose - really the only one being prevention for it to ever happen again in the future.

My heart aches for Maui and the ones lost. My husband and I have done what we can to help.

If you can donate, donate to verified worthwhile causes, not some schmuck on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok or X.

If you have loved ones missing, file a report with Maui PD or the FBI and donate DNA. Don't listen to some schmuck on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok or X.

If you are a survivor, get each and every benefit you're entitled to. Don't listen to some schmuck on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok or X.

Let the investigations play out. Don't listen to some schmuck on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok or X.

[TomK]

Comparing what happened in Maui to past historical events really serves no purpose - really the only one being prevention for it to ever happen again in the future.

I think comparisons are just fine as they show what lessons have been learned or what haven't by government agencies and private companies. Good comparisons would be wildfires elsewhere or perhaps the tsunamis that hit Hawaii in the past - the latter shows that at least some have learned lessons from the past. I suspect we're in agreement here. I also don't think the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are comparable for various reasons, which I won't bring up now given I think it's inappropriate.

[HiloJulie]

I think comparisons are just fine as they show what lessons have been learned or what haven't by government agencies and private companies. Good comparisons would be wildfires elsewhere or perhaps the tsunamis that hit Hawaii in the past - the latter shows that at least some have learned lessons from the past. I suspect we're in agreement here. I also don't think the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are comparable for various reasons, which I won't bring up now given I think it's inappropriate.

Complete agreement!

On all counts!

[HiloJulie]

If you assume 18,000 idle rental cars at 50 bucks a day, that's $900,000.00 a day in lost revenues, plus the associated taxes.

And that's just rental cars.

This is now a whole new phase of hurt for all of Maui and all of Hawaii.