#keani rawlins-fernandez
Text
I'm a native Hawaiian.
Locals are tired of tourists treating the island like a theme park – here’s what to know before you visit.
from: Pooja Mistry, Nov 9, 2023 / Insider
Keani Rawlins-Fernandez grew up in Molokai, Hawaii, and now is a local council member. Keani Rawlins-Fernandez
Keani Rawlins-Fernandez grew up in Hawaii and has seen tourism increase over the years.
Now a local council member, Rawlins-Fernandez…
View On WordPress
0 notes
Text
“Billionaires coming to Maui, buying up large swaths of land as their, I don’t know, seventh vacation home, it’s painful for our community,” Maui County Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, who grew up on the island of Molokai that’s part of Maui County, tells The Verge. “It underscores the stark disparity between indigenous people who want to mālama ‘āina, care for our land, and those who see Hawaii as a vacation destination.”
“It’s almost like a second wave of colonization, which is these ultra-rich individuals, a lot of tech giants, are buying property and creating their own colonies,” says Davis Price, who is Native Hawaiian from Oʻahu and Hawaiian regional director for the Indigenous-led nonprofit NDN Collective. “When you have ultra-wealthy folks purchasing large swaths of land, not only does it often displace people, but it gives them a lot of influence in terms of how things are done in their communities, and it becomes a threat and a change to the way of life.”
1 note
·
View note
Text
Parenting in the Time of COVID: How the pandemic presents challenges and opportunities for Maui's mothers
Parenting in the Time of COVID: How the pandemic presents challenges and opportunities for Maui’s mothers
At some point today my bedroom, which now functions as an office, school, and meeting room, will be turned into a wild playground. While trying to write these words, my three school-aged children will pile in out of routine boredom, looking for something to do after making their daily rounds through the house. When this ruckus happens, as is inevitable after weeks stuck at home, I know one thing:…
View On WordPress
#children#chldren#COVID-19#jen mather#kate griffiths#keani rawlins-fernandez#kerry foltz#krystal cabiles#lede#mauimama#Mothers Day#parenting#quarantine#Sarah Freistat Pajimola#stay at home#Tamara Paltin
0 notes
Text
`ĀINA KUPUNA BILL - SAVING HAWAIIAN ANCESTRAL LANDS
Hawai`i Public Radio - November 8, 2021 - By Ku`uwehi Hiraishi
Landmark legislation to provide tax relief to families struggling to hold onto their ancestral lands on Maui passed a major hurdle Friday.
The ‘Āina Kupuna Bill would allow descendants who have held onto their family property for the past 80 years to qualify for the minimum property tax rate.
Some long-time Maui landowners say massive growth in tourism infrastructure and the increase in luxury homes have pushed property taxes into the stratosphere. In order to make ends meet, some rent out their land for weddings. Others sold off parts of their properties.
Maui County Councilwoman Tasha Kama says the ‘Āina Kupuna Bill is a gamechanger, especially for the indigenous people of the islands.
"For a long, long time Native Hawaiians, we've always heard the term that we are land rich and money poor. This bill actually allows the opportunity for them to equalize that playing field being land rich and money rich too," Kama said.
The Maui County Council unanimously passed the ʻĀina Kupuna Bill on first reading Friday, Nov. 5.
The measure would add a section to the Maui County tax code creating a land dedication option for ʻāina kupuna or ancestral lands. These are lands held by a family for at least the past 80 years.
Councilwoman Keani Rawlins-Fernandez says the county already has an agricultural land dedication option as well as property tax exemptions for homeowners and long-time rentals.
"And so we’ve encouraged these types of activities. These properties that we’re helping that would qualify for ‘āina kupuna dedication have not been able to take advantage of the tax relief options that our counties offer," Rawlins-Fernandez said
Rawlins-Fernandez introduced the ʻĀina Kupuna Bill after hearing concerns from long-time Makena families worried about being forced off of their land because they canʻt afford the property taxes. Some of these families have lived on their land since the late 1800s.
"This is one way to close the gap to help those that have fallen through the cracks," she said.
Under the measure, families would dedicate their land for 10 years for a specific purpose and agree not to sell it. In exchange, the county would levy the minimum property tax, which is currently $350 a year.
Maui County Council Chairwoman Alice Lee calls the measure “historic.”
"It seems like my purpose on Earth is to come back every 30 years to take part in landmark legislation," Lee said. "The first time in the 1990s, I introduced a bill that would allow taro farmers to consolidate their parcels and allow them to pay their property taxes once instead of multiple times. And now again we have the opportunity to take part in landmark legislation that is badly needed for our people."
The ʻĀina Kupuna Bill will go before the Maui County Council for a second and final reading. In the meantime, Maui County’s Real Property Tax Division is collecting information from families interested in applying.
Interested property owners should email the division at [email protected] to request to be placed on the ʻāina kupuna application mailing list. The email should include the applicant name, tax map key (TMK) and a mailing address.
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
An update:
BREAKING: We just passed the first ever legislation for a feminist economic recovery from COVID-19 in the United States!
Maui County Council will use our community-written feminist economic recovery plan as the foundation for rebuilding from the crisis. Foremost, we are working with them on the equitable use of CARES Act money.
The COVID-19 crisis is MUCH worse for women because it collided with the pre-existing crisis of sexism. Many of the policies enacted under COVID so far have intensified the negative impact for women. Instead of being reached out to for consultation and inclusion, women have had to agitate every day to get decision-makers to even consider us. The exact opposite happened on Maui. Mahalo to Council Vice Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez for introducing this historic measure and the whole Council for being a model to the world.
75 notes
·
View notes
Text
Guest Post: Listen to Hawaii's Women Leaders and Change-makers--and NINA TURNER for CONGRESS
Guest Post: Listen to Hawaii’s Women Leaders and Change-makers–and NINA TURNER for CONGRESS
Slightly edited and re-published with the kind permission of Gary Hooser.
Register here on Zoom for an exclusive virtual event featuring Nina Turner for Congress & 13 of Hawaii’s top progressive women candidates:
State Representative Tina WildbergerMaui Councilmember Kelly KingState Rep. Candidate Shannon MatsonState Representative Jeanne KapelaState Representative Amy PerrusoState Rep.…
View On WordPress
#Amy Perruso#Becky Gardner#Felicia Cowden#Gary Hooser#Heather Kimball#Jeanne Kapela#Keani Rawlins-Fernandez#Kim Coco Iwamoto#Laura Acasio#Nina Turner#Rebecca Villegas#Shannon Matson#Tamara Paltin#Tina Wildberger#Women leaders in HI
0 notes
Text
'Underwhelmed': As Hana and Moloka’i confront their first COVID-19 cases, elected officials are frustrated with notification procedures
‘Underwhelmed’: As Hana and Moloka’i confront their first COVID-19 cases, elected officials are frustrated with notification procedures
Rep. Lynn DeCoite (L) and Sen. J. Kalani English (R), who represent the areas, remain concerned, confused, and angry by the lack of information coming from county officials, hospital staff, and the Department of Health
Up until around noon on Thursday, April 2, life was pretty normal on Molokaʻi. While the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading around the state, Molokaʻi’s 7,500 residents so far had…
View On WordPress
#Bruce Anderson#COVID-19#Department of Health#Hana#j kalani english#kalani english#keani rawlins-fernandez#Lynn DeCoite#Michael Victorino#Molokai#Walter Ritte
0 notes
Text
Mayor’s Budget Boosts Tourism: Is it the Best Way to Recover from COVID-19?
The mayor’s budget proposal cuts the hotel tax rate and increases funding for the Maui County Visitor Association
Against a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maui Mayor Michael Victorino released his $870-million county budget proposal last week. It includes a number of measures that Victorino said were responses to the impacts of COVID-19, such as $10 million allocated for countywide costs…
View On WordPress
#2021 budget#Budget#county budget#Dick Mayer#hotel and resort tax#hotel tax#keani rawlins-fernandez#Kelly King#maui county visitor association#Michael Victorino#Tamara Paltin#tourism#victorino#visitor
0 notes
Text
Op-Ed: Vote by Mail Would Be Enhanced If Automatic Voter Registration Was Enacted in 2020
Op-Ed: Vote by Mail Would Be Enhanced If Automatic Voter Registration Was Enacted in 2020
Maui County Council Vice Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez. Image courtesy Maui County.
by Keani Rawlins-Fernandez
Hawai‘i’s move to vote by mail (VBM) is critical in maintaining democratic inclusion in a place that consists of communities scattered across many islands. For this process to be successful, it is equally important that the legislature enact Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) in…
View On WordPress
#automatic voter registration#Election#keani rawlins-fernandez#Maui County Council#op ed#vote by mail#voting
0 notes
Text
Nearly Half of Maui Homes Sold in Last Decade Were Bought by Non-Residents, DBEDT Reports
Nearly Half of Maui Homes Sold in Last Decade Were Bought by Non-Residents, DBEDT Reports
Source: Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Data excludes Q4 2019. Visual by MauiTime
Forty-eight percent of homes purchased in Maui County during the last decade were sold to buyers outside the state, according to data from the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. That’s twice the percentage of out-of-state homebuyers for Hawai‘i as…
View On WordPress
#Affordable Housing#Alice Lee#department of business economic development and tourism#Eugene Tian#jason economou#keani rawlins-fernandez#Maui County Data Book#median home price#median household income#non-resident#Realtors Association of Maui
0 notes
Photo
The Battle for Wailuku: In debating the Wailuku Civic Complex, stakeholders grapple over “revitalization” "Wailuku is dead." That could have been the rallying call of those testifying in support of the Wailuku Civic Complex at the March 29 meeting of Maui County Council’s Economic Development and Budget Committee.
#buzzword#changing maui#economic development and budget committee#keani rawlins-fernandez#Market Street#Maui County Council#Michael Victorino#revitalization#ReWAILUKU#Riki Hokama#Sandy Baz#Tamara Paltin#Wailuku#wailuku civic complex#Wailuku Town
0 notes
Photo
Councilmembers Molina, Lee, King, and Rawlins-Fernandez Call for Patrick Wong’s Resignation Last week, Maui County Corporation Counsel Patrick Wong made more than $2,800 without having to lift a finger.
#abuse of a household member#administrative leave#Alice Lee#brian perry#Chad Blair#Corporation Counsel#Honolulu Civil Beat#keani rawlins-fernandez#Kelly King#Mayor Mike Victorino#Mike Molina#paid leave#Patrick Wong#resignation
0 notes
Text
Committee Votes to Reduce Funding for Wailuku Parking Garage
Committee Votes to Reduce Funding for Wailuku Parking Garage
A 2018 rendering of the plans for Wailuku redevelopment. The parking garage structure is shown on the left
Funding for the long-awaited yet controversial Wailuku Civic Complex was subject to scrutiny Tuesday, as councilmembers of the Economic Development and Budget Committee debated the scope and need of Phase 1B of the project, the parking structure. Councilmembers voted 6-3 to cut funding for…
View On WordPress
#economic development and budget committee#harrison rue#keani rawlins-fernandez#Kelly King#Maui County Council#parking#redevelopment#Tamara Paltin#transportation#Wailuku#wailuku civic complex#weeklynews
0 notes
Text
Maui County Council Debates the Future of the Island's 'Golden Goose,' Tourism
Maui County Council Debates the Future of the Island’s ‘Golden Goose,’ Tourism
It’s said that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So it goes for Maui’s Island Plan, a long-range planning document adopted in 2012 to guide the county’s decisions until 2030. It contains this bit of policy direction: “Promote a desirable island population by striving to not exceed an island-wide visitor population of roughly 33 percent of the resident population.” A quick look…
View On WordPress
#2020 budget#Budget#keani rawlins-fernandez#Kelly King#Maui County Council#maui county visitors association#Tamara Paltin#tourism#visitors industry
0 notes
Text
Fiscal year budget meetings scheduled
Fiscal year budget meetings scheduled
Meetings on the proposed 2020 fiscal year budget will be held throughout Maui County in April, announced Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, chair of the council’s Economic Development and Budget Committee.
“I look forward to the committee visiting all areas of our county to receive community input where our constituents live,” said Rawlins-Fernandez. “We need the public’s assistance in…
View On WordPress
#County of Maui#Hana Community Center#keani rawlins-fernandez#Kihei Community Center#lahaina civic center#Lanai Community Center#Maui County Economic Development and Budget Committee#Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center#Mitchell Pauole Center#Paia Community Center
0 notes
Text
Community Divisions Displayed at Last Week's Anticlimactic County Council Meeting
Community Divisions Displayed at Last Week’s Anticlimactic County Council Meeting
Among a number of dramatic moments, Councilmember Keani Rawlins-Fernandez was accused of reinforcing gender stereotypes by Madge Schaefer, a member of Mayor Victorino’s screening committee
Last week, the Maui County Council convened for what was supposed to be the conclusion of the confirmation process for Mayor Mike Victorino’s first round of nominees to head county departments. After almost 70…
View On WordPress
#confirmation hearing#county director#David Goode#deputy prosecuting attorney#government ethics and transparency committee#jd kim#joanne hicks#keani rawlins-fernandez#Madge Schaefer#Maui County Council#Mike Molina#Mike Victorino#Patrick Wong#weeklynews#william sloper
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
