Vote. Vote. Vote! It matters more than ever.
Election 2024 is the most consequential election in the United States in our lifetime. At the national, state, and local levels, there is a lot at stake. On the national front—decency, honesty, empathy, and compassion for others—are all on the ballot. And YES, the character of a candidate is also on the ballot. It is worth noting at the national level, the policy positions of the two leading candidates appear to be secondary. What is more important to many of our voters who will decide the results, is the character and decency of the person seeking the highest office of our nation.
We need to elect a leader of the free world who has our best interest at heart—not self-interest. In our politically polarized country, most Americans seem to agree on one issue underlying the 2024 elections—which is a worry over the state of democracy and freedom, and how this election’s outcome of the presidential contest will affect the future of our democratic republic. Now, the question for voters is, “Who poses the greatest threat?” That profoundly crucial decision is in your hands—YOU, the voters.
At the local level, it is extremely important to elect candidates who will address the many issues and challenges facing our residents. As the saying goes, “All politics are local.” Unfortunately, in the recently held Primary Election, voter turnout was miserably dismal. Reports reveal only 22% of registered eligible voters voted. This is NOT acceptable—and if we have not registered and voted—shame on us.
Maui has a housing crisis where the median price of a single-family home is a whopping $1.4 million, far out of range for our hard-working families, many who were forced to leave their island homes or are now homeless. We do not have enough affordable homes for our residents. We cannot wait any longer for our policymakers to address this critical issue, promised election after election.
Privately funded housing projects will not be built by developers without a fair and reasonable return on their investments and the growing uncertainty of the time-consuming process of land use permits and approval. It is a risk developers are not willing to take. So, the only remaining option to build affordable homes is for the County and/or the State to build them. It was done in the past and we believe we can do it again.
Owning a home brings stability to our workforce. It is the American dream. We must address it head-on by building urgently needed affordable homes now—to ensure our families have the opportunity to build equity and the ability to pass on the ownership to their children, and even move our working families to the middle class.
This is a significant election, one having a lasting impact on our lives. We strongly encourage those who are eligible to cast their sacred vote by November 5th. Voter registration for mail-in ballots is available until October 24th—it is easy and no postage is required. Or you can do a walk-in vote at the County Clerk’s Office in Wailuku by Election Day. No more excuses. Your vote—every vote—matters profoundly. Please VOTE!