Banners urging Vote NO on all Maui County Charter Amendments are proliferating around Maui, while an off-island Super PAC is also disseminating more fear during this trying pandemic imploring support for the conservative old guard that has ruled Maui politics.

The dubious Vote NO campaign has ramped up scare tactics alleging that 7 new amendments on the November 3 ballot will curtail the Mayor’s power, hand over control to an “outside” entity, cause financial hardship, impose unnecessary term limits, and inhibit agricultural production on Maui.

This blanket rejection of all amendments cites cost issues even though some amendments would have zero economic impact.

As if democracy itself was threatened a NO mailer fosters panic – falsely asserting DON’T VOTE YOUR RIGHTS AWAY. It’s promoted by a mysterious entity with the longwinded title – Vote No on County Charter Amendments Hui O Maui We Can’t Afford It.

Sowing the seeds of fear, Upcountry Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura warned in a contentious Maui News’ Viewpoint: “Quite frankly for the sake of humanity and survival of our neighbors, focus should be on getting our community through this pandemic. This is not the time for charter amendments.”

Who knew that the “sake of humanity” was at stake on Maui?

A former aide to Mayor Alan Arakawa, Dave DeLeon, pushed the panic button astonishingly asserting that the “proposals amount to an attempted “coup d’etat” on the council’s part.” As if it was time to man the barricades against a violent overthrow.

Even Arakawa waded in, launching a direct attack – “Enough with the crazy spending!” he fumed, urging folks to “vote against the Ohana Coalition candidates.”

Building on coronavirus anxiety these toxic propaganda campaigns are motivated by the fear, that just like in the last election, Maui’s developer/corporate establishment will lose more control to a progressive axis more interested in protecting the environment, creating affordable housing, advocating for regenerative agriculture and smart growth, encouraging economic diversity, and fostering government transparency.

Why else would Mayor Michael Victorino complain in a County press release that the proposals would drastically inflate the cost of government “while Maui’s economy has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Hijacking pandemic angst, the Nevada-based Hui O Maui Citizens For Change is flooding local media with pro-old guard ads, describing candidates Alberta deJetley, Stacy Crivello, Claire Kamalu Carroll, Tom Cook, Rick Nava, and Tasha Kama, as “innovative community leaders who will help us build a better Maui.” The Super PAC also supports Alice Lee and Yuki Lei Sugimura.

“Innovative” for Nevada’s Hui O Maui translates as “reducing regulations” and “removing barriers to needed infrastructure,” along with pushing tourism.

This suspicious PAC has initially tossed $100,000 into the election race. The funding includes $60,000 to Oahu company CommPac, which is described as Hawaii’s leading communications company, offering public relations, marketing and crisis management. Another big chunk, $20,000, went to the Pacific Media Group which owns Maui Now, and radio stations KPOA, DaJam, 99.9Kiss, K-Country Maui, and Hi92. And $5,000 went to Hochman Hawaii Publishing, which owns KONI-FM, while $10,000 went to the Post Office to distribute all those alarmist mailers. 

Chairperson and Treasure is Grant David Gillham out of Reno, Nevada. A former tobacco lobbyist and chemistry industry lobbyist, Gillham spearheaded a campaign in California (spending $22 million alone in 2007) to defeat an effort to ban toxic fire retardants. He later made amends, exposing the lies companies told about the safety of their chemicals.

Also wishing to turn back the clock, another Super PAC, the National Association of Realtors Fund, has jumped into the Maui council race to try to defeat Molokai’s brilliant council member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez.  They’re pouring $60,000 into online ads supporting her opponent, pro-GMO Stacy Crivello, who was defeated by Rawlins-Fernandez in the last election.

Why would a Super PAC based in Chicago, with close to $2 million in their coffers, bother with a Maui County race?

The Fund supports Republican candidates around the nation. In 2012, they spent $700,000 supporting a California Republican candidate, Garry Miller, who made a fortune in the real estate development business.

In 2018, it was a dodgy group from Alaska supporting Crivello, who were  campaigning for more short term rentals on Molokai.

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Jon Woodhouse
Article at mauiindependent.org