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Jesus, Gandhi, MLK were all agents for change - they wanted a new improved world. I think most of the complaining on this forum (at least the Maui section) is that there is too much change and why can't things be like the good old romantic Maui of the past. I am guilty of that also. But my point is, change is inevitable. You cannot stop it. It is part of human nature to always be "improving" things. Yes, Jesus and MLK were agents of social change, but it is the same mindset that exists in the minds of people who plan big public works projects like freeways. They think they are changing things for the better for all of us.
The historical agents of change sought change from their given present moment to something better. The better may be in part returning to positive elements of the past, potentially combined with completely new territory. Gandhi sought "home spun", a return to an ancient craft in response to the industrialization in England. The point being, when those titans sought change, there was no limit placed upon that change, it could include dynamics of the past. That said, of course its unrealistic to return to pre-contact Hawaii. However, we can use the political process to mitigate and improve the direction we are headed by bringing forth elements of the past that are realistic for today, as well as controlling how the island moves forward in an intelligent fashion instead of by the unfettered developmental whims.
Lanai has a great opportunity to establish an example for the entire state. Oahu is a lost cause. Maui, Kauai, Molokai and the Big Island are in varying capacities, slipping through our fingers like sand. Larry Ellison of Oracle has put forth an enlightened vision of what a Hawaiian island can be in modern times. He's not reverting to pre-contact except to bring forth a bit more pono. But he is attempting to create quality housing that even resort workers can afford, as well as develop and plan Lanai in a sustainable way. If Mr Ellison pulls off his vision, I hope, I pray, I beg that the other islands take notice and follow his lead. Maui suffers from a long standing lack of enlightened leadership, I believe the political will is there, Maui is very left leaning as a whole, we do not suffer the gridlock found in Washington.
As for the spiritual part, laws cannot dictate the state of the human heart, those are different waters entirely.
Hawaiians deserve first nation status and at least something equivalent to an independent reservation. Granted, they are divided amongst themselves about how to accomplish this. And yes, if Molokai were made into a reservation, it potentially could end up full of casinos. But it would be the Hawaiian's choice. Hawaiians account for under 10% of the population and fall into the very bottom of every socioeconomic measure. Like so many first nation people with a very different constitutional way of life than haoles, they have never recovered from first contact. Hawaiians deserve something better, or at least the opportunity to screw up on their own.
Last edited by Maui Moving Source; 08-08-2013 at 07:20 AM..
When people whale watching from the cars end up causing accidents. =P Oh and if there's a brush fire that hops the road like that one year? We'll see you in a day or three. Got stuck out there from 8pm to noon.
I'm a veteran of the brush fires, as I wrote earlier in this thread - they normally don't last 3 days, they "usually" clear the road in a matter of hours - 6 - 8? The normal fire burns for days, but the road does not stay closed for days. Its still a mighty inconvenience.
If you are in the west side when the fire breaks out, the key is to drop everything you are doing and bolt for Kahakuloa via Kapalua before everyone else figures out what's going on. You have a window of time in which you can feasibly make Mr. Toads wild ride to Wailuku before it too becomes a mess. Going out from Kapalua, the sheer drop into the ocean is on the opposite side of the road. It takes about an hour to get to Wailuku in favorable conditions.
If you are in Central Maui and get caught up in a brush fire that shuts down of the pali, either resign yourself to waiting for the road to open, or bolt for a hotel before the other tourists get there. It's unwise to attempt the back road from Wailuku via Kahakuloa to Kapalua. The reason is that you will be one little car facing a line of many many cars coming the opposite direction - mostly savvy locals who have little patience for the tourists. When you get to the one lane road part, you will be forced to the side of the road - stepping out the passenger door will toss you down a sheer cliff into the ocean - while car after car coming in the other direction leaves you stuck in much worse circumstances than just sitting in traffic by Maalaea.
Last edited by Maui Moving Source; 08-08-2013 at 07:23 AM..
Here's a copy of my deposited monies...looking into filing a complaint at Maui District Court.
To complete lease: Deposit required:
First month prorated at $1,575.00, Last Month $2.250.00 and Deposit : $2,250.00
Total $6.075.00
Deposit to Chase Bank upon signing:
OpenD has pretty much nailed it. In my not so important opinion, you have a very strong case. The additional $2,250 deposit is completely illegal. Every renter should read the Landlord Tenant handbook, everything is spelled out. Not that it matters now, but at least in furnished apartment buildings, they cover and leave the furniture for tenting.
I hope it works out for you. Even with a court judgment in your favor, you still have to collect the money. With such dicey characters as your landlords, collecting could prove very difficult. I have seen attorneys walk away from multimillion dollar, shoot fish in a barrel cases, because of an inability to collect. You can place a lien on their property, but be unable to collect until the property sells - and with $6K on the line, the whole process could cost you more than you stand to collect. I suggest consulting with an attorney instead of relying upon the the Landlord Tenant Association's clerk, with a high school diploma, interpretation of state law. An attorney will know more about the practical reality in Maui Courts. The "law" and what actually "happens" in court, can be two different things. A one hour consultation for $250 could be money very well spent. Here are 3 long time, highly respected Maui real estate attorneys that I have used:
Tom Welch - 808.871.8351.
Matthew Pietsch - 808.244.8713.
Clay Sutherland - 808.249.2522
Tom Welch is a great guy. He handles all of Oprah's real estate dealings on island. The others are excellent as well. Rates are in the $225 - $280/ hour range. Realtors have limited knowledge in this area. Some know more than others, but for a situation like yours, you need an attorney to, at minimum, provide you with a plan of attack and a realistic assessment of your practical chances of seeing a dime. You can consult with one and not necessarily hire them to fight your case. The consultation, the battle plan is well worth the money. And heaven help you if your landlord is related to members of the judiciary.
Real Estate: And for folks buying real estate on Maui, please keep this in mind. It takes very little to become a realtor or broker. There are a few good, ethical brokers on island - but at least in my experience, I can attest that there are many many many (did I say many?) brokers who are either unethical, incompetent, or both - who are separated from a Front Street activity hawker by a slim piece of paper. Before you spend some ungodly amount of money on a piece of property, and the current medium residential price is over $600K, already back to 2008 levels - have one of the attorneys above at least review your contract and title report to notify you of red flags. Realtors and brokers have an inherent conflict of interest. They only make money if you buy the property. Therefore its often - and say this not as hyperbole, but as personally witnessed fact - in the broker's best interest to overlook some of those red flags, assuming they recognized the problem to begin with. I have investigated many many properties on Maui and uncovered all sorts of wild stuff that brokers, ahem, missed. I could rattle off a long list of serious issues that Maui brokers "missed".
A good attorney, like the ones listed above, can review your deal for under $1000, for as little as $500 if all is clean. Unlike the broker, the attorney has no vested interest in whether or not you buy the property. You can set spending limits with the attorney so their consultation does not exceed your budget. I cannot stress this enough, do not blindly trust any real estate broker on Maui. Question everything. Even the few good honest ones should be questioned. By questioning, you will come to the truth and be protected from another's incompetence. Remember, the goal is to avoid having to go to court in the first place, and only you are going to look out for you, like you. Be proactive. Do not assume your otherwise nice Maui real estate broker is necessarily acting in your best interest, or has the acumen or intelligence to do so.
Yes, most deals go through on Maui without a hitch. Yet its often because there were no problems present, not because a trained eye comprehensively evaluated the situation and determined there were no problems present. Do you see the difference? One relies upon skill, the other upon luck. Do you want to risk hundreds, if not millions of dollars on luck? Hawaii has all sorts of Hawaii-centric issues not found on the mainland. Often in real estate, people put no more effort into the transaction than they would for buying a toaster on Amazon. Don't be that guy.
Savvy investors forgo using a real broker at all and allow their attorney to handle the entire deal, soup to nuts. They can save tens of thousands by eliminating the 3% buyer's agent fee and receive a much higher level of service - they lower their offer by 3% to compensate. Unless you simply do not understand Maui's neighborhoods or have zero negotiating skills, I see little reason to use a Maui broker. They are often only high priced taxi rides.
Last edited by Maui Moving Source; 08-08-2013 at 08:36 AM..
There is nothing wrong with my housing, minus it being a vrbo rental....however the other poster is correct in the fact there is a plethora of landlords or others on the property who use drugs or are just plain bizarre. I have chosen to not rent from them no matter how desperate I am.
That being said, I think I scored a very nice ohana from a couple that will allow my pooch However, yet again there is a large amount of junk all over the neighbors' yards on either side, although mostly blocked with a fence. This couple seemed annoyed by it as well, but obviously can't control the neighbors lifestyle. I don't understand the need to accumulate so much garbage? How many coolers, dressers, or old cars on your lawn does one person need? There was a large number of applicants so fingers crossed. They are showing today and tomorrow. Hopefully that will work out!
I will let you all know!
I am not hourly, I'm salaried which is very rare for an RN. I'm not part of a large medical group here. It's an independent operation. I have a large client load and seem to be doing 2-3 jobs! Despite what people say, if you drive frequently from home to home on the island there is definitely traffic, especially today when I had to drive into Lahaina late afternoon. You see, I see ill patients in their homes all day long. I then have to drive back to my office and complete paperwork. Or, at times I do it at home all night. I give this 1-2 years. It is a great way to get experience and then figure out a next job.
I don't think 'laws' work well in Hawaii. Nepotism is rampant, and they do want they want. It is a right to work state.
That's unfortunate that both neighbor's yards are effectively private garbage dumps. There doesn't seem to be much pride in ownership for some people. To me, it shows disrespect to the property and the neighbors. They live in a place where they can have a beautiful property with gardens and an endless summer. They don't appreciate what the climate can give them all year around, unlike in Minnesota where most plants die or dormant for 6 months a year. The city government here won't allow properties to become private garbage dumps in our city. Maybe something can be done at the county level there to get codes in place and tie the violation fines to the county water. Then if they don't correct the problem and pay the fines, then the county would simply cut off their water. Cutting off the county water would quickly get people's attention!
That's unfortunate the Hawaii is a right to work (for less) state. Those right to work (for less) laws depress wages and worsen working conditions and at the same time, concentrate the wealth even more for the very rich. Some politicians tried to pass right to work (for less) laws in Minnesota, and failed to do so.
Maybe you could use your current job as merely a stepping stone to a better job in the area. Do you think it might be possible to get a different job working for the VA clinic there or some other clinic or hospital with better working conditions and hourly pay?
Is your paperwork electronic or actually on papers? If it is in electronic form, then maybe you could bring a laptop around with you and do the 'paperwork' on the road between or on calls.
That's unfortunate that both neighbor's yards are effectively private garbage dumps. There doesn't seem to be much pride in ownership for some people. To me, it shows disrespect to the property and the neighbors.
Yes, some of it has to do with a lack of pride of ownership, assuming they own the property to begin with. Some of it has to do with varying levels of poverty. They hang on to stuff because island storage is very expensive and it can cost more to replace than to keep that old fridge, or even to dispose of it. What if the inside fridge fails? Need backup brah. The house is already stuffed with family members, so the stuff gets put in the yard. I agree, poverty ought not negate cleanliness, yet there are some valid reason for hanging onto stuff when you are generationally poor and can barely afford to live here as it is. It's easy for rich folks to drive through and pass judgment without walking a mile in their shoes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the mess, but realize there's more involved than just pride of ownership.
Last edited by Maui Moving Source; 08-08-2013 at 09:07 AM..
Some of it has to do with varying levels of poverty. They hang on to stuff because island storage is very expensive and it can cost more to replace than to keep that old fridge, or even to dispose of it. What if the inside fridge fails? Need backup brah. The house is already stuffed with family members, so the stuff gets put in the yard. I agree, poverty ought not negate cleanliness, yet there are some valid reason for hanging onto stuff when you are generationally poor and can barely afford to live here as it is.
I agree, but also think there's a second part of poverty; when it becomes generational, people don't know know anything else. If you grow up in a house with junk everywhere, that's what you know and sometimes, it what makes it feel like home. It's often seen when the poor get shiny new housing. Within a short period of time, it often turns into what most of us would consider a visual cesspool.
Also, I grew up outside of Detroit- my dad grew up in poverty. However, this is unlike anything I have ever seen and I worked all around Detroit in my 20s.
Also, 90% of my patients are non-Hawaiian or local people. They are a mix of white, Hispanic, middle eastern, and other islanders from the pacific, as well as Chinese, Filipino, Japanese etc..... only a handful grew up here as I ask that in my nursing assessment! Big surprise to me.
I get wanting to hold onto stuff, but seriously this is on a whole new level. The drug issues are horrendous here as well. I have a lot of people terminally ill and dying at a young age due to getting messed up on drugs here on the island.
Also, I grew up outside of Detroit- my dad grew up in poverty. However, this is unlike anything I have ever seen and I worked all around Detroit in my 20s.
Also, 90% of my patients are non-Hawaiian or local people. They are a mix of white, Hispanic, middle eastern, and other islanders from the pacific, as well as Chinese, Filipino, Japanese etc..... only a handful grew up here as I ask that in my nursing assessment! Big surprise to me.
I get wanting to hold onto stuff, but seriously this is on a whole new level. The drug issues are horrendous here as well. I have a lot of people terminally ill and dying at a young age due to getting messed up on drugs here on the island.
It's a symptom of poverty and isolation, similar to what you find in small towns on the mainland
I don't understand the need to accumulate so much garbage? How many coolers, dressers, or old cars on your lawn does one person need?
There are several neighborhoods here on Oahu and there on Maui that remind me of Indian Reservations in the Pac NW. One yard is immaculate with a nice house, the neighbor's is trashed and a junkyard. Just the way it is.
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However, yet again there is a large amount of junk all over the neighbors' yards on either side, although mostly blocked with a fence. This couple seemed annoyed by it as well, but obviously can't control the neighbors lifestyle. I don't understand the need to accumulate so much garbage? How many coolers, dressers, or old cars on your lawn does one person need? There was a large number of applicants so fingers crossed. They are showing today and tomorrow. Hopefully that will work out!
