Mayoral candidate Yuki Lei Sugimura freaks out during budget hearing and tries to shut down public testimony critical of Corporation Counsel’s ongoing protection of corruption in Public Works and Planning.

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Just one example: Former Corp Counsel Moana Lutey (now County Clerk, thanks to Alice Lee) lied about conducting her own internal investigation and influenced the shutdown of a forensic investigation that the Council approved 9-to-0 to find out who helped Greg Brown violate dozens of ordinances to build his monster hotel in Napili. Obviously, Yuki … Read more

ACTION ALERT – PETITION: When Lack of Accountability Becomes Deadly: A Candid Conversation with Former-Mayor Mike Victorino About Fear, Intimidation, and County Cover-Ups that contributed to the Lahaina Disaster.

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This video captures a candid conversation with then-Mayor-Elect Mike Victorino, Chris Salem, and Sam Small about why clear violations of County ordinances and Charter duties so often go unaddressed — even when the facts are undisputed. In the exchange, Victorino openly acknowledges that County Council members are afraid to hold officials accountable because of the … Read more

ACTION ALERT – PETITION: New Ethics Director and Corporation Counsel in Violation of the 2024 Charter Revision

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Restoring Ethics, Transparency, and Independent Oversight in Maui County Government (Expanded companion piece to the petition at https://c.org/KwP4SkNWNY) INTRODUCTION In 2024, the people of Maui County voted for change. Their message was clear: the public no longer trusted a Board of Ethics that was legally and structurally dependent on the very department it was supposed … Read more

How Maui’s Good Ol’ Boy network manipulates everything to fill their pockets.

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To anyone believing that Peter Martin, Bob Horcajo, West Maui Land, and their related Olowalu development and water companies are trustworthy and care about the community’s well-being, or thinking that their recent criticisms of DLNR Deputy Water Director M. Kaleo Manuel are not in response to Mr. Manuel’s efforts to hold them accountable for decades of broken … Read more

Greg Brown now renting his Napili “Hotel” for up to $20,000 per night

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Email your demand for the County to rescind Greg Brown’s SMA Permit Exemption because he’s now doing short-term rentals with no permit: To: mayors.office@mauicounty.gov kekuhaupio.r.akana@co.maui.hi.us jordan.hart@co.maui.hi.us planning@mauicounty.gov info@exoticestates.com info@MauiCauses.org Call the Mayor’s Office: (808) 270-7855 Join the Napili Bay Community Assoc at www.Napili.org and make a contribution to Shut Down Brown. Planning Director McLean to Brown … Read more

Testimony: MPO meeting Re: Irregularities and impacts of uncollected 3-Lot-or-Less Infrastructure Deferral Agreements

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For over 40 years Maui’s Corporation Counsel wrote 3-Lot-or-Less infrastructure Deferral Agreements that allowed developers to delay roadway improvements and environmental protections until such time as they could be charged a prorated share of what the County spent at some future date when they initiated a CIP on the associated frontage. Problems arose and persist … Read more

Testify to support Offer to Settle Wrongful Termination of Chris Salem Mon 5/22 1:30 PM

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Testify in support of Chris Salem, wrongfully terminated for Blowing the Whistle on Greg Brown’s violations, and other misdeeds by Corporation Counsel. https://bluejeans.com/513107325 Submit ecomments here:  Agenda Because of their obvious abuses of authority, Judge Bissen wisely refused to carry over Moana Lutey and Michelle Mclean into his Mayoral administration. Alice Lee then rewarded both … Read more

Mayor Bissen is called upon to follow Honolulu’s lead to revoke Brown’s unlawful Monster Home permit

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Honolulu DPP said it is revoking the building permit for a 14-room home on Kamehameha Heights after a review requested by a Council Member and State House Rep revealed that the developer misrepresented their permit application. That’s precisely what we have repeatedly shown Greg Brown did in Napili Bay – but so far, no Maui … Read more

Like a Zombie Rising, Alice Lee’s Authoritarian New Rules are Back

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As predicted, like a zombie rising, Alice Lee has resurrected her Dark-Government new rules, bringing them to the GREAT Committee this Friday. Alice Lee’s proposed new, authoritarian, anti-open government rules eliminate early public input on any resolution she chooses, fast-tracking around committee hearings and public testimony. Chair Lee wants the power to skip committee and … Read more

Greg Brown bails out of Workforce Housing Project. Makila Farms site listed for $12,900,000  MLS 398159

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Not that we want to promote Real Estate broker Buzz Moffit’s listing for Greg Brown’s Makila Farms site, but we include this link so you can see for yourself. On the Makila Farms website, Brown states “We must be a good neighbor to the communities we build in and listen to their thoughts, ideas, and … Read more

State OIP directs Council Chair Lee to stop violating Sunshine laws

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Has anyone noticed that under Alice Lee’s direction, Maui’s County Council is in direct and deliberate violation of State Sunshine laws in that none of the official minutes from any council meeting since June of last year has been publicly posted to the Council’s website? Sunshine mandates official minutes be made public within 40 days … Read more

Alice Lee is Doing EVERYTHING She Can to Block Public Participation

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Share as you can… And testify this Fri. 9am      COUNCIL’S NEW RULES Reso 23-5 On Friday, Alice Lee will most certainly resurrect her proposed new, authoritarian, anti-open government rules to eliminate early public input on any resolution she chooses, fast-tracking around committee hearings and your public testimony. Fast-tracking currently requires a Super-Majority, 6 to 3 … Read more

There’s a battle raging for control of Maui County.

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Tasha Kama obviosly does not want candidates who could replace Moana Lutey

Alice Lee’s proposed new, authoritarian, anti-open government rules eliminate early public input on any resolution she chooses, fast-tracking around committee hearings and your public testimony. Alice Lee wants the power to skip committee and public input, which currently requires a Super-Majority, 6 to 3 Council vote taken AFTER a 1st round of public input.  Alice’s … Read more

Supreme Court action will keep Alice Lee from the Wailuku Council seat for months! Can five votes approve her as an “Interim Council Member” anyway?

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According to this press release today from Attorney Lance Collins, because of the suit brought by Candidate Noelani Ahia and thirty voters over the 800 outstanding votes, the earliest Alice Lee can participate in any Council Business will be ninety days after the Hawai’i Supreme Court makes a decision. No date has yet been set for … Read more

Alice Lee wants to fill her Team w Corrupt Lawyers who Bissen removed – and overpay them.

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Mayor Bissen’s removal of Moana Lutey and her sidekick Richelle Thomson from Corporation Counsel was a great step towards ending decades of institutionalized corruption on Maui. As her push towards Fascism expands, Alice Lee wants to hire Lutey and Thomson as County Clerk, and Deputy County Clerk. With massive salary boosts over past Clerks (Lutey … Read more

Alice Lee’s Power Grab to Limit Public Testimony.  Testify to Amend Reso 23-5 Monday Jan 2nd 2PM

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Resolution 23-5 – ADOPTING THE RULES OF THE COUNCIL. There are several substantive changes in Alice Lee’s new Rules which significantly reduce the Public’s opportunity to Testify for the next two years. Our old rules required a 2/3 Council Vote to Fast-Track any new law, otherwise, all new laws MUST have Committee Hearings with Public … Read more

County attorneys help kill investigation of Planning Director McLean’s wrongful permitting of Brown

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ACTION ALERT from the Napili Bay Community Association: Our County Council’s unanimous vote to launch the first-of-its-kind Official Investigation into Planning and Public Work’s wrongful permitting of Brown’s Development is being terminated thru conflicted advice from the Office of Council Services (OCS) lead attorney David Raatz.    Rather than conduct the investigation with urgency through … Read more

Mayor Victorino boasts that he hired Directors because he knew they were corrupt.

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Mayor Mike Victorino just lied through his teeth about his knowledge and tolerance of corruption within Maui County Gov’t. Listen to the audio below where Mike boasts that as Mayor he hired prior Mayor Alan Arakawa’s tools, Pat Wong and David Goode, BECAUSE he knew they were corrupt and thinks he can use that to … Read more

Action Alert: Testify Tues 6/28 or send email now: SUPPORT IMPOSING EMINENT DOMAIN ON GREG BROWN

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After over 18 months of ignoring us, the County Council is finally moving to do something about Greg Brown’s monstrously oversized and illegitimate “Hotel” at Napili Bay. Please testify Tues 6/28 live via Bluejeans, or by email to support Reso 22-158 to acquire the property for public purposes. Click here to testify Live starting at … Read more

Maui County Clerk rejects Term-Limit & Residency Voter Challenges of Candidates Alice Lee and Riki Hokama

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  Earlier this week, Maui County Clerk Kathy Kaohu rejected all five Voter Challenges submitted including the Voter Challenge based on violation of the Council Term Limit in Maui County Charter Section 3-2.5.  Here’s a pdf of the letter portion of the rejection – with the Clerk’s attached Exhibits – the entire ruling is 1303 … Read more

These three testimonies reveal the County Council’s reluctance to assert its true powers to hold the Administration and Department Directors responsible for their actions.

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The wide-spread abuse of process that is allowing Greg Brown to build his monster hotel in Napili Bay provides us all an education into the loopholes in our existing legislation that promote fraud and abuse in the administration of SMA permits, as well as a deeper dive into the general dysfunction and ignorance among our … Read more

All’s fair in love and war: Public Works internal report leaked to Maui Causes alleges Director McLean personally gained through Permit Abuse

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Mike Victorino has started a war between Public Works and Planning over his proposed Waikapu Country Town public-private partnership and Greg Brown’s monster Hotel that destroys the quaint character of Napili Bay. The partnership proposal Mayor Victorino just announced was brokered by Mancini, Welch, and Geiger, attorneys for both Waikapu developer Mike Atherton and Napili … Read more

Montana Beach, Act II: Promises of change cannot be hollow

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In 2002, Mayor Alan Arakawa admitted to blatant and intentional violations of County Code by developers, consultants, and the Planning Dept, implying the promise of change. One trigger for his comments was Montana Beach, where a citizen’s complaint famously revealed a Director’s faulty decision, causing a permit revocation. Mike Victorino sat on the County Council … Read more

Stop Work Orders Shut Down Brown – Whistleblower’s wrongful termination suit against Mayor Victorino advances.

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Eight months after Chris Salem first notified Mayor Victorino of Greg Brown’s violations and six months after Mr. Salem was terminated as retribution for responding to community complaints and pressing the matter within the administration, Greg Brown has finally been ordered to stop all work on his Napili Bay “Hotel”. Today’s Stop Work orders were … Read more

Director McLean is working hard to protect Greg Brown and other favored developers.

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We believe Director Mclean is acting outside her authority to manufacture opportunities for Greg Brown to sue the County and avoid severe fines for his misrepresentations. All the applicable County Codes clearly state that if there are conflicts between the requirements of any State law or County ordinance, the more restrictive requirements shall apply. Director Mclean has repeatedly … Read more

Official Inspection Report: Brown Violated Napili Bay District Rules  

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YOUR TESTIMONY HELPS – CLICK HERE BY WED:  The Council is wisely looking at the schedule of extremely low fees for various Public Works and Planning permits and appeals that greatly subsidize professional developers’ speculation, at the public’s expense. Please consider here the enormous departmental costs that Planning Director McLean and Corporation Counsel continue to … Read more

ACTION ALERT: Testify to GREAT Committee Tues 9am: TEAR DOWN BROWN – BUILD A PUBLIC PARK (w/ restrooms)

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Online Only Phone testimony: 1-408-915-6290, meeting code 175 115 369 Video testimony: https://bluejeans.com/175115369 View live: Akaku, Channel 53 or www.mauicounty.us/agendas Tuesday the GREAT Committee will hear Planning Director McLean’s update on Greg Brown’s Monster “Hotel’ in Napili.  Rather prematurely, Director McLean has several times now publicly characterized this disaster as the “department’s mistake” which seems … Read more

BREAKING NEWS: Senior County Official Confirms that Whistleblower Chris Salem is Correct on Greg Brown’s Violations.

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“Third Story” violates Napili Bay District “Two Story” limit. Building over 7,500 sq ft, Brown’s SMA Permit Exemption is INVALID. Greg Brown’s “Hotel”, misrepresented as a “Single-Family, Two-Story” home, denied the community’s right to public hearings to protect shoreline areas, as mandated by the State and Feds. But will Corporation Counsel Director Moana Lutey block … Read more

Accusations of Bribe-Taking in Maui’s Planning Department

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 In June, long-time west-side resident Kanamu Balinbin testified at some personal risk to the County Council about his direct knowledge of bribes taken by certain staff members of Maui’s Planning Department, possibly with regard to Greg Brown’s Monster Hotel. Mr. Balinbin offered to name names. Is the following a result of that testimony? In … Read more

Earthday International recognizes two Maui-connected Regenerative Agriculture initiatives in its featured video, part of the 51st global Earthday celebration

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Apparently 10 years ahead of their time, Maui residents and environmental educators Charlotte O’Brien and Sam Small made a video about how the manufacturing on a global scale of something called Biochar is the best way we have to draw down the massive amount of carbon in the atmosphere from our reliance on burning fossil … Read more

“Mandatory” 2nd test? Mike Victorino is playing yet another COVID Bait & Switch

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“Mandatory” 2nd test? “travelers…will get access to…” sounds way more voluntary than mandatory. “Travelers headed to the Hawaiian island will get access to a free test to be done at the airport upon arrival at the end of April, Maui County mayor Michael Victorino said.” https://www.foxnews.com/…/maui-to-require-two-covid-19… Note from Sam Small, Director Maui Causes: My apologies … Read more

Maui Tomorrow, State Rep McKelvey, former Council Member Joanne Johnson, Archie Kalepa and Keomoku Kapu file suit against Mayor Victorino and Moana Lutey for ignoring County Council’s vote.

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These suits filed against Mayor Victorino and Moana Lutey for ignoring County Council’s vote to settle the Injection Well case were dismissed not on merit, but because none of the Council Members themselves were party to the suit and the judge ruled the plaintiffs didn’t have standing. Corporation Counsel here appears to be in violation … Read more

Action Alert: Tues June 30 9am Proposed Charter Amendment to Allow County Council to Fire Corporation Counsel

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Testify Tues June 30, 9 am: Most of our Council Members only found out after the fact that Moana Lutey publically lied in her confirmation hearings in order to secure her extremely powerful job as Maui’s top lawyer. By then it was too late to protect the citizen’s interests as our current charter allows only … Read more

The Call to Action Elle Cochran Refused to Make.

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Faith Ewbanks, Elle Cochran’s then Campaign Manager, Faith’s paid legal consultant Daniel Cohen, Chris Salem and myself, Sam Small, spend 8 hours on Easter Sunday this past spring, and the entire next day, co-authoring a call to action for Elle to launch in order to address Elle’s obviously disastrous record on Infrastructure issues since joining the … Read more

Affidavit of Sam Small Oct 1, 2018

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This is a sworn affidavit that details research I’ve done over the past 3 years on manipulations of Maui’s land development process and cover-ups of fraud that have now extended to the manufacturing of false documents by Department heads and Corporation Counsel.   I believe these manipulations warrant an investigation into Racketeering.  Download by clicking here: Below … Read more

Maui County Data Purge: FAHRENHEIT MAUI

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Maui Causes is producing a documentary on the destructive impacts that unregulated overdevelopment has had on Maui’s Shoreline. Our extensive research has uncovered public documents that clearly show how politically appointed county officials systematically manipulate Federal shoreline management regulations and County ordinances to allow certain private land developers to circumvent public input, avoid building environmental … Read more