JASON SCHWARTZ on Maui, Hawaii, interviews Candidate for County Council ALIKA ATAY. Alika is in the Wailuku Waihee Waikapu district
Summary & Complete Timestamped Transcript Below…
Summary
The video features Alika Atay, a candidate running for Maui County Council, who passionately discusses his commitment to sustainable Hawaiian agriculture, environmental protection, and the well-being of Maui’s people. Alika is a prominent figure in the Shaka Movement, an acronym for Sustainable Hawaiian Agriculture for the Keiki (children) and the ʻĀina (land), emphasizing the importance of protecting natural resources, especially water, from toxic agrochemicals and genetic engineering pesticides. He highlights the historical contamination of Maui’s water sources due to decades of chemical usage in pineapple and sugarcane plantations, explaining the urgent need for change to safeguard the island’s finite resources.
Alika advocates for a self-sustaining agricultural economy on Maui, aiming to reduce the island’s heavy reliance on imported food, which currently accounts for 90% of consumption. He sees an opportunity in the availability of large tracts of former sugarcane lands to boost local food production, create green-collar jobs, and foster economic independence. Alika also strongly emphasizes the critical issue of affordable housing, proposing genuine solutions for local families, young people, and senior citizens to prevent displacement and maintain Maui’s cultural values and quality of life.
Throughout the interview, Alika stresses the importance of civic engagement and voter participation, especially among Native Hawaiians and younger generations historically disenfranchised or apathetic due to systemic oppression. He encourages voters to register and vote, highlighting the new same-day registration and voting system in Maui County for the upcoming election. Alika presents himself as a candidate deeply rooted in aloha ʻāina (love and respect for the land) values, with a holistic approach to council responsibilities that includes critical thinking and solutions-oriented leadership beyond just agriculture.
He claims his unique qualification lies in his long-standing activism, community leadership, and direct involvement in protecting Maui’s environment and people from harmful practices. Alika envisions a future where local decision-making reflects the values of keiki o ka ʻāina (children of the land) and aims to bring about a majority of like-minded representatives to the Maui County Council for the first time in history. His message closes with a call to action for the community to support sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, environmental protection, and increased political participation to secure a healthy, prosperous future for Maui.
Highlights
- [02:17] ? Alika explains the Shaka Movement’s mission: Sustainable Hawaiian Agriculture for the keiki and the ʻāina.
- [04:09] ? Historical contamination of Maui’s aquifers by agrochemicals like DDT remains an ongoing threat.
- [08:06] ? Maui imports 90% of its food; Alika stresses the urgent need to grow more local food for self-sustainability.
- [10:13] ? Affordable housing is a critical issue; Alika advocates for truly affordable homes and rentals for locals and seniors.
- [15:43] ?ﾸﾏ Same-day voter registration and voting available in Maui County from August 1-11, encouraging political participation.
- [20:37] ? Alika emphasizes aloha ʻāina values and accountability to protect land, water, keiki, and kupuna.
- [26:03] ? Vision for a green-collar economy where farmers add value to their products, boosting local economic growth.
Key Insights
- [02:45] ? Environmental Legacy and Water Protection: Alika draws attention to the long-lasting pollution of Maui’s water aquifers due to decades of chemical use in pineapple and sugarcane plantations. This contamination has persisted for over 40 years, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable farming practices and regulatory vigilance to protect Maui’s basal lens aquifer, a critical freshwater source situated just beneath coral reefs. This insight highlights the complex intersection of agricultural practices, environmental health, and public safety on island ecosystems with limited natural resources.
- [04:53] ? Frequency and Intensity of Chemical Use in Modern Farming: Alika notes that while conventional farms might spray chemicals every 10 to 13 days, genetically engineered (GE) crops on Maui are sprayed up to five times a day, daily. This intense chemical exposure accelerates the risk of soil and water contamination, posing a significant threat to local ecology and human health. This insight emphasizes how modern agricultural methods can exacerbate environmental degradation, especially in sensitive island contexts.
- [07:46] ? Agriculture Underfunding and Food Import Dependency: Maui’s Department of Agriculture is funded at only 0.1% of the state budget, reflecting a systemic undervaluation of local food production. This underinvestment has contributed to the alarming statistic that 90% of food consumed on the island is imported. The economic and ecological vulnerability from such dependence is stark, suggesting that investment in local agriculture could enhance food security, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability.
- [10:33] ?ﾸﾏ Affordable Housing Crisis as a Barrier to Community Stability: Alika outlines how Maui faces a severe shortage of affordable housing, currently tens of thousands of units behind demand. The inflated “affordable” housing market, pricing homes at $450,000 to $500,000, excludes many local families, forcing displacement and outmigration. His call for comprehensive, tiered housing solutions (rentals, starter homes, senior housing) reflects a nuanced understanding that housing affordability is foundational to preserving Maui’s cultural fabric and quality of life.
- [11:22] ? People Power vs. Corporate Power: Alika’s activism and campaign are grounded in empowering the community to participate in governance and decision-making processes. He frames the struggle as a battle between organized money (corporate interests) and organized people (community activism). This insight reveals the political dynamics and challenges inherent in local governance where grassroots movements must mobilize to influence policies that impact land use, agriculture, and environmental protection.
- [20:07] ? Cultural Leadership and Responsibility: Alika compares the role of an elected official to that of a traditional aliʻi (Hawaiian chief), whose kuleana (responsibility) is to protect the health and welfare of the people, especially keiki and kupuna. This cultural framework informs his leadership philosophy, emphasizing stewardship, long-term thinking, and community-first decision making. It suggests that effective governance on Maui requires integrating indigenous values with contemporary challenges.
- [25:48] ? Transitioning to a Green-Collar Economy: Alika advocates for transforming agriculture beyond raw production into value-added enterprises, such as turning tomatoes into salsa or basil into pesto, to increase profitability and job creation. This insight highlights the economic potential of diversifying agricultural output and embracing sustainable business models that can revitalize Maui’s economy beyond tourism. It also aligns with global trends toward green economies and local food systems.
- [36:46] ?ﾸﾏ Voter Apathy Rooted in Historical Oppression: Alika discusses the generational impact of systemic oppression on Native Hawaiian political participation, where apathy and disengagement are understandable responses to marginalization over several generations. His efforts to increase civic engagement, especially through accessible voting initiatives, address this deep-rooted challenge by reconnecting people with their power and responsibility to influence governance. This insight is critical to understanding barriers to political inclusion and mobilization in indigenous and marginalized communities.
- [38:31] ⚖️ Ongoing Legal and Political Battles Over Environmental Issues: The GMO-related legal battles in Maui are expected to continue through the courts up to the Supreme Court. Alika frames this as part of a larger fight for environmental justice and community sovereignty, underscoring the importance of political representation and grassroots advocacy to influence policy outcomes amidst corporate and legal pressures.
- [40:06] ? Campaign Strategy Focused on Grassroots Fundraising and Voting: Alika presents a simple but effective campaign model called “2020” – $20 donations and 20 votes – emphasizing the power of small contributions and broad voter turnout. This approach reflects an understanding that grassroots movements and community engagement, rather than large corporate funding, are key to electoral success and meaningful change in Maui’s political landscape.
Conclusion
Alika Atay emerges as a dedicated, multifaceted leader deeply committed to sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, cultural values, and social equity on Maui. His campaign is rooted in protecting finite natural resources, advancing local food production, resolving the affordable housing crisis, and empowering historically disenfranchised communities. Alika’s vision integrates practical solutions with aloha ʻāina principles, aiming for a future where Maui’s people govern their land and resources in a way that honors their heritage and secures prosperity for generations to come. His call to civic engagement and voter participation underscores the democratic foundation necessary to realize this vision.
Timestamped Transcript
This is Alika Tai, and many of you know him because Alika is one of the small handful, five, I guess, of people that stood up and formed and said, I want to make a stand. They called it the Shaka Movement, but it was…
01:03
Well, you can tell us what it is all about. Alika is running for Maui County Council. No matter where you are on all three islands, if you like Alika Tai, you can vote for him. Remember that. We have districts, but right now, until we have a district voting, if that becomes, we will vote for everyone. So he’s your representative no matter where you are. And that’s a real winning thing to remember and important for us to do right at the front. All right.
01:31
welcome to our show hello hello thank you for having me it’s pleasure anything that is specially i mean obviously you don’t run for only one reason what other things anything special that you’d like to do well well i think uh first you mentioned uh i guess the exposure
01:51
or increased exposure of myself being involved with what you call the shaka. And everybody throw the word shaka out, but I wanna emphasize that the shaka is just an acronym for what the meaning of sustainable Hawaiian agriculture for the keiki and the aina.
02:17
and so so that’s you know my involvement has been just like your your agency addressing the issues of sustainable Hawaiian agriculture for the keiki and the future and the future of our health of our aina that’s what I stood for and so with that it it was a period in my life where I said you know enough already
02:45
We cannot allow these people to continue to be poisoning our land. A lot of people are unaware that
02:57
Our drinking water source or our water aquifer is located just under our coral reef. We’re a basal lens. So we’re pretty much right near zero elevation. And you look at some of these agricultural chemical fields that they’re at, they’re sitting at like 40 feet, 50 feet.
03:18
My involvement, why I raised my hand to say enough already and leave this charge goes back 40 years. 40 years earlier,
03:29
We’ve had the pineapple agrochemical companies that sprayed chemical poisons such as DDT and this is out in the Haiku area in the Hamakualoa well and that sits at like 300 something feet. You know the poison went onto the plant seeped through the soil went into our water aquifer and at a well that’s located below 300 feet
03:57
40 years ago was deemed tainted and not healthy for us to consume and drink. Fast forward 40 years today, that same well.
04:09
is still tainted and deemed unhealthy for us so if we we i encourage people to use hindsight and look at the past mistakes and learn from the past mistakes and also realize that we live on an island
04:29
We live on an island with very finite resources. Finite resources to the point that we got to pay attention to our drinking water. And so we no longer can close our eyes and allow this chemical poisoning of our land. You know, you spray conventional farming, they normally spray
04:53
Anywhere from 10 days to once every 10 days to once every 13 days, they’ll spray a field with that. But in this genetic engineering method, they spray five times a day, every day. And so with the drenching of the plants seeping into our soil, sitting at a 40-foot elevation above sea level, it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.
05:23
And when will that seep through and get an effect? What are the chances of us seeing that stopped? Well, 50-50. Either we will or we won’t, right? So that means that’s what we know. If you stand up, then we will. If you don’t stand up and make yourself counted…
05:47
We won’t. Isn’t that the choice that we’re talking? That’s how you really are involved. Well, I got personally involved because I’ve seen the storm. I’ve seen the heavy rains. There’s a tropical storm that came onto the fields. Their fields got flooded.
06:06
with all these chemicals saturated the saturated fields then then funneled into our streams and then I saw the streams going downstream into our ocean carrying along these chemicals into our ocean and I saw
06:22
the effects of of our bay you know it it it um i saw it and uh are you a farmer yes besides everything else that you’ve seen you know from personal experience there’s another way there is another way there’s another way of producing a healthier product in a healthy way do you think that the land that we live on that you can make money on land with agriculture yes
06:52
Let me ask you this. What do you do every day? I mean, eat, eat. Right? We eat food. Who grows the food? The farmer. Whether a farmer is in Hawaii or a farmer is in California, somebody’s growing the food. Right?
07:13
Let’s assume it’s a farmer in California that’s making all the money. Why are you sitting in Hawaii saying you cannot farm and cannot make money when there’s a farmer sitting in California making money?
07:28
So I don’t see how that’s connected. You know, we as a state have not committed to the production of food in our islands. Our current Department of Agriculture budget is only 0.1%.
07:46
zero four of one not even a half percent of the entire state budget that’s their commitment to agriculture and of that commitment to agriculture they have committed in the past to sugar and pineapple and now biotech
08:06
Where’s the commitment to the production of food to feed the people? We have evolved to a state where we now consume 90% of the food that we eat is not from here. It’s being imported. Can you imagine that? I mean, look at this. We turned the camera so we’d have something beautiful behind us. Beautiful mango tree, all kinds of…
08:36
this is a wealth of property papayas there’s a squash around there’s all kinds of things to eat absolutely self-sustainability if nothing else can happen here it can be done i i i strongly and so my excitement is this
08:58
opportunity that’s just around the corner. We hear about 36,000 acres of sugar cane fields that will now have, I don’t know what the decision making is going to be. But I’m excited with the real opportunity
09:16
for people to grow food to feed this island. Even if we committed to lowering our island imports from 90% to 80%, that 10% drop means $300 million into our economic activity. You like those numbers? $300 million for 10% of our food supply? Right.
09:43
Then that’s only 10%. That’s also important to realize. And what’s the power and importance of self-sustainability? That is priceless. It’s like that commercial. That is what’s most priceless. We have a little moat around us called 3,000 miles of ocean. We have a place that could be completely… It is paradise. What are we doing to it? And also, you talked about something for the people.
10:13
What’s real close to my heart is affordable housing. I’m just beyond a doubt. How can you fall behind, know you’re falling behind on housing, and then fall further behind and further behind? And now you’re 10,000 units behind. Maybe it’s 8,000. Right.
10:33
Well, there are solutions now to solve this problem in such a hurry. If you could put up refugees in or out of a country and put up a city in no time, why can’t we do something here? That’s the lesson that I’ve learned in my involvement in the last two years with this project.
10:54
You know, with this charge of this, first from going back to this People’s Initiative ballot and the victory that we acquired from that. And I learned that whole process. And the biggest lesson I learned is about power. There’s corporate power. And then there’s people power. There’s organized money. And then there’s organized people.
11:22
And I strongly believe that organizing people, letting the people acquire their power and representing themselves for the change that they want to see.
11:39
That’s why we’re standing up. We’re saying, no, that’s not what we want to see. What is just as important to know what we want to see and where we want to go, what is just as important is to know what we don’t want. And so the people are saying, no, we don’t want that. We don’t want Maui to shift that way. We want Maui to keep Maui’s values, to keep Maui’s quality of life, and yet…
12:07
You know, maintain a better future for Maui, keeping that values and the mentality of Maui noko hoi. Maui the best. Think we can handle the affordability problem before we’re swimming and people… Well, that’s one of my concerns that I have. You know, just like you, for the last…
12:27
two two decades yeah for just like you i’ve heard 20 years worth of oh i’m gonna address affordable housing i’m just an affordable housing today has brought us to a definition of 450 000 to 500 000 that’s affordable that is not so my my concern is let’s really address
12:49
the truly affordable housing. Let’s truly address the issue of displacement of our young local Maui families and not, I hate to see them being displaced and having to choose to move away to the mainland such as places as Las Vegas because the quality of life is changed because the lack of availability of affordable housing.
13:17
And so we need a truly affordable housing plan now that addresses steps. We need affordable rentals. We need affordable starter homes. And then we need them to go up as well as…
13:34
affordable housing or rental housing for our senior citizens. You know, we have an expanding senior citizen amount and we need to plan ahead for that. And, you know, look, I don’t see too many senior housing in the horizon, but we do need that. Do you think that you can do more on council than you can not on council?
14:01
I think either way. I mean, I’m, you know, I live here, you know. And as I shared with a lot of folks, the reason why I’m standing up is there is a difference with people who live here and people who come here just to sleep here. There’s a lot of people that come here because of jobs. And when I approach them and ask them, well, where is your home?
14:31
oh back in Illinois or back in California you know so that mentality tells me that they’re not committed to living here and there’s some of us that say we live here and if you live here this is your home and if this is your home then you will protect your home to protect your home to keep your the
14:59
health and welfare of your community to be safe is why we want to be here. We’re concerned about the health of our home. And so yes, can I be effective in office or out of office? I’m confident either way. The people must realize that their power is carried out through that vote.
15:29
And primary election day on Maui is August 13. Coming up. We’ve already just passed the deadline to register to vote. So if you have not done so, that’s okay.
15:43
Because for the first time, first year, first election ever, we now have the opportunity to do same-day voting. It’s not extraordinary. From August 1st through August 11th, if you have not registered to vote and still want to participate in this upcoming primary elections vote, you can go to the county building between August 1st and August 11th. Go in there.
16:12
Ask to register to vote and the same day they will give you the card to vote. So it’s not too late to be involved. The most important thing is to be involved. I’ve worked with the youth of Maui for some 35 plus years.
16:32
So many of them are parents. And then, you know, my younger days, I used to always ask the kids, oh, who’s your mom? Who’s your dad? Trying to find connection. Nowadays, I see the kids and I got to ask, who’s your grandma? Who’s your grandpa? And we still find connection, you know, but no matter what, I think it was through the youth and shaping the youth to live here.
16:57
to continue to be proud of where they live. And now they also carry that kuleana. They also carry that responsibility. You know, I always share with a lot of people that we all have one main goal in life. And that goal is to become a great ancestor. You know, anything we do,
17:22
You try to be the best that you can be and to be recognized as being a great ancestor. You don’t want generations behind you, seven generations behind you, to look back at you and your generation and say, They had a choice. Yeah.
17:43
so everyone every one of us have that challenge to stand up and live life to its fullest but also live that challenge to be a great ancestor let me ask you because i think our voters will want to know if you would say what is the difference between you and the other candidates and why they should you know what things that you want to stress make you a unique candidate for the job
18:12
Oh, most definitely. Well, I’m up against four other candidates. Right. And we all live here.
18:23
one is uh definitely um you know it’s the aloha aina values that i strongly believe and i don’t just say throw it out as words you know it’s it’s you have to live it you know it’s one thing to to talk about aloha aina it’s another thing that we gotta live that aloha and and aloha aina is
18:48
The depth of understanding what that is, it is Aloha. It is love. Love for this land, love for Mother Earth, and love for the ocean. And people can say, oh, that’s an environmentalist. No. You must see the connection of now it transcends to that love and relationship with humans and our people. And you’ve got to protect the health and the welfare of our people.
19:19
As an elected official, it’s just like being an ali’i of the past. And the kuleana or that responsibility of the ali’i is always to the health and welfare of the people. Most importantly, they always look at the children.
19:37
the keiki and then the kupuna the health of the senior citizens so unlike the past it’s the same you know whether you’re an ali’i or an elective official you still have the same responsibilities to make the best decisions for the health and welfare of your community and people so my difference in in the others that’s running is that you know i look back and i say where were they
20:07
Where were they when the GMO poisoning was going on? Were they front and center standing up to protect the people? Were they front and center to save our land, to save our drinking water? I got to emphasize this. Our drinking water is a finite resource that we must always protect. Because without water, we will not have land. Land of gain. Yes.
20:37
This year, this year of all the years, I think for Maui County Council, I think if you as a citizen of Maui County feel that we, the people, have not been fully represented, this is the year. You know, I’m very excited because…
20:57
You know, we have candidates running from Hana, from Haiku, from Akanchi, from South Maui. These are all like-minded Aloha ʻĀina candidates that all care for the land that they live on.
21:13
And the majority vote, if we can see nine of these candidates, out of these nine candidates that are filed, if five of these like-minded candidates get through, that’s the majority vote.
21:31
When was the last time that aloha ʻāina, people who care for Maui and people who care for the people of Maui would have the majority control? I cannot remember that. Of that, of the people, the nine people, there are seven, keiki o ka ʻāina, seven Hawaiians that are born and raised right here on these islands that are also running. We are excited.
21:59
That we can’t even remember. But the potential, the potential of five of those seven individuals getting through and sitting on a county council seat brings us the first time in ever.
22:15
first time ever that we can think of that County Council decision-making will be made by Keiki Oka Aila, those who are born and raised from this land. That’s huge. Sounds like Trump. That’s huge!
22:34
Alika Atay, a very important candidate, Maui County Council, Wailuku, Waihei, Waikapu District, but you vote no matter which island. And if you see this video on Blind or on Akaku or someone emails it to you,
22:53
If you like Alika, you can vote for him, no matter which of the three. Yeah, I think a lot of people are confused about, oh, Waiduku District. And so I want to encourage everyone that if you live in Maui County, you are able to vote for me. And so if you’re away, you’re on the mainland, and…
23:14
You’re seeing this and you have relatives that live on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Please encourage them to cast their vote for myself, Alika Atay, and the rest of the Aloha Aina folks. And you can show them this video. Send it to them. Send them a link. Thank you for joining me. Is there anything that you can think of that…
23:38
I’m not bringing up that you’d like to bring up because I don’t want to cut you off or take an issue that you want to talk about. Yeah, well, I think there is an important part that a lot of people know of me because of my involvement with the sustainable Hawaiian agriculture keiki and the aina push, which is the shaka movement. And they think that, oh, that’s the anti-GMO guy.
24:05
And I do want to emphasize that, yes, I got involved in that arena. But many, many years of community service, I’ve been a community servant leader in the community in many facets. And I am confident that I am prepared.
24:26
And I’m capable with creative thinking, critical thinking. I am capable and able to reach effective decision making on all topics. You know, I sit around and I look at the issues of affordable housing. I look at the issues of transportation. We look at the issues of representation of tourism and the role that they play. Small business issues.
24:52
So I want to emphasize that, that I’m not just in a box. You’re not one-dimensional. Right. Very important. That’s why I said he becomes a celebrity. You forget he’s more than just a pretty face. He’s got a lot of substance in a lot of areas.
25:08
You know, my biggest push right now is agriculture. I strongly believe that Maui’s future opportunities other than tourism is agriculture. We did not invest in the production of food.
25:23
So I’m looking and excited with this opportunity of creating green-collared economy. So in other words, all the green jobs, not just for the farmers, but there’s also value-added businesses that can come. So I try to encourage people, the mentality has to change. You’re no longer a tomato farmer. You are now a salsa farmer.
25:48
You’re no longer a basil farmer. You’re now a pesto farmer. So that they can see. And you can take your product to the end and make the big money. Right. Instead of just the money that you sell it at the door. And then that guy makes all the money.
26:03
Yeah, so it’s a matter of the economy. It’s a new green economy that we must embrace. And with this opening up of land, and it’s not only the recent Alexander and Baldwin land that’s open. If you look, Wailuku Sugar Land has been opened, Maui Land and Pine Land on the west side has been opened. All the land underneath the L in Lahaina, that’s Kamehameha Schools Bishophood State Land, that’s 4,500 acres. The Pioneer Mill Land,
26:31
All of these lands were never available. Now we have land and water available for the commitment of production of food. So we need to really look at that opportunity that’s coming for us. What are we importing? Of what we’re importing, what can we grow? It was 20 years ago, more than 20 years ago, I heard Richard Cameron say,
27:00
Not Colin’s son, Richard, but the other Richard Cameron from HC&S say in a meeting that at that time, 5,000 acres and they could grow all the food that’s needed on the island. But it wasn’t enough because they had 35,000. And so they didn’t give it a hoot. We give a hoot. Look where we are now because we don’t give a hoot.
27:25
Outrageous. It’s within reason. It’s within reach. All these things that people say are dreams and unreachable, don’t limit yourself or us because you can’t dream it. Because anything that you can dream, you can do.
27:42
There’s no question that there’s so much land here. I’ve talked to one farmer, except he was living in Kihei, and I said to him, how much land do I need to feed your family? 10 feet by 20 feet, and he could grow enough. He had too much. He was going and donating his stuff down at the market and selling it. We can be self-sustainable.
28:12
Even if it’s pots on your condominium. There are solutions here. I’m just bringing it up because it’s just, I hear it all the time. Oh, that’s not realistic. You’re asking too much. It’s a matter of what you want in your life. That’s what you’re asking. What kind of life do you want? Is it time for you to stand up and be accounted for and help make a difference in our world?
28:43
Anyway, I sound like I’m standing on my soapbox. No, no, no. I’m right there. I’m right there. In fact, I know the studies have been there, and an average household of five, a family of five, can survive off of half an acre. The theory in that is that if you planted 12 1,000-square-foot food lots…
29:05
food plots that’s like just about 15 foot diameter yes if you had 12 and you harvest from that once a month and you keep on rotating it so basically you only need 12,000 square feet for food production and then you need the size of your house so how much how much square footage is that
29:25
So let’s say it’s 7,000 feet, so you add that 12, so you really need 19,000. And if you want to raise a small animal, let’s add more space. So what it comes down to is that people can survive and live and feed themselves if they’re willing to invest their time to grow their own food on half an acre, you know, to feed a family of five. And if you don’t have time, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re…
29:53
neighbor and you can make out a deal. See, the word barter sounds like the old days, but you know, every bank is barter. We choose these papers and we give them a value. It could be anything. Think of all this land. You watch these big companies break off a little piece and change the zoning so they can sell it high and keep it in low ag. And then they break off a little piece. And when are you getting tired of that?
30:23
Remember it was 20 years ago or more that Mark Hodges talked about buying A&B? Right. It’s a little later, but still a good idea. And the people that are at A&B and HCS and others can make good decisions with us. There won’t be an enemy because we can all work together. Someone that’s trying to destroy…
30:50
You know, we’ll get weeded out. You know, I don’t even want to use the word Monsanto. It becomes a stilted issue when you talk specifics. But everyone here is looking to save our island and save our world. Never in our history have we had days like we have now. And we have an opportunity in a unique place called Maui. Yes. How wonderful is our home?
31:20
To make a difference. So, Alika Atay, I’m off on a subject again. Alika Atay, Maui County Council, all three islands. Thank you. Thank you. Hello. Pleasure. Hello. I know you’ll tell me I talk too much. So be it. Hello.
31:48
Anything that you’d like to think that… Well, I think having that opportunity to know that, you know,
31:57
A lot of people think, oh, that’s the GMO guy. I was never involved in that until I got that phone call to say, we need your help, we want to ask. And I knew what my answer was going to be, but they took several minutes trying to convince me to join them and to be one of the citizens.
32:20
But inside, from the very beginning, I knew what my responsibility was, is to protect our home. And so be it. That’s how it became. And you stood for the very brave Hawaiian brothers that know that they would like to stand, too. Yeah, and in fact, there were two others on the call that are also Hawaiians. And then the second day, they said, oh, by the way,
32:47
To be able to sign this Citizens Initiative, you need to be a registered voter. Well, those two other guys stepped back. Well, I haven’t voted in 30 years. I’m not registered. So I guess I earned that seat by absence. These other two guys stepped back. That’s one of my jokes I tell people. I was in a line of 1,000 men and women
33:14
And the general said, I need 10 brave volunteers. You may all die, but you’re going to save this thousand. And suddenly I heard this whooshing sound. And what was it? Everyone had moved back, and now I’m the leader. That’s how leadership sometimes happens. That’s exactly what happened. It’s a whooshing sound. Yeah, yeah.
33:41
But I’m glad that I’m where I am. I just wish that we could get more leaders. I think this awakening, you know, the victory of that initiative ballot,
33:58
was an important statement to a lot of people and a statement was we need to be at the table or else we will be on their menu and so with that it encouraged more civic engagement
34:17
more individual involvement from people that you never expected because they now see the big picture of their responsibility for the planet and their investment to our future. Our tutus used to say, what do you get when you do nothing? You’re going to get nothing.
34:39
so how will you change things for the better if you don’t participate in that change so i i’m excited i’m excited to look for what this and that’s why i’m kind of running too you know it’s kind of like um you know the tutus used to always say hey you gotta finish what you start
35:00
And when we started, yes, we were victorious in that initiative ballot. But that wasn’t the end. That wasn’t the end. That night when they announced we won the initiative ballot, we were all celebrating and hugging. And there was an elder couple, about two aunties, you know, like 82, 84. And they came up and hugged me and they said,
35:30
You know, we never voted for 40 years. And they were 82. And I said, why have you never voted? And they said, there was never anything worth voting for as to now. And then the next couple I saw were young couple, 32, 35.
35:56
And they came up to me and hugged me and said, this was their first time ever voting. Wow. 32. 32, 35. That blows my mind. And I said, wow, you could have voted from when you were 18. And he goes, but it never mattered. It never mattered until now. So those two conversations that I had almost two years ago made me realize that
36:24
My involvement was not about the GMO. I also thought it was about the pesticides and the chemicals, but it wasn’t even about that. It was empowering the people to come alive, to participate in the process of voting.
36:46
And so, you know, it made me reflect on a conversation that I had with my son before and he said, why is it that Hawaiian people don’t participate in the election process? And I had a discussion with him and I shared with him. He said, well,
37:05
You try to be oppressed, not for one generation, not for two generations, not for three generations, but try to be oppressed for maybe almost four generations. Wouldn’t you acquire an attitude of apathy and not caring and not participating? And he said, yeah, but don’t the people know and realize that
37:31
They can be the ones to make the difference. They can be the ones to step up to the table and participate in voting. You hear that, Mr. 18-year-old? It’s true. And so that to me is also important. These young kids that are going to wait till they’re 35.
37:53
Isn’t this a powerful time? Yeah, so that was two years ago. Wow. And why I’m running for office now, it was just a message that to me, it was, yes, we were victorious that night.
38:08
irregardless about all the court details and where we are. We’re in it to the fight. I visualize that that court case will go all the way to the Supreme Court. You know, whatever the decisions of the Ninth Circuit Court judges are, whoever loses will challenge, will appeal. And that appeal will take us to Supreme Court. That’s a separate issue. Where we are today,
38:31
is we need to encourage all of our residents to be at the table to participate exercise their power and on August 13th
38:42
They have the power. You have the power. August 13th. Remember again, I’m just going to remind you, August 1st to August 11th, you can go to the county clerk in the county building and register and same day vote. Right. And thank you for a young representative who was…
39:02
Champion on that. Kanye Leung was the one that championed that process to allow us same-day voting. So it’s not too late. If you miss the deadline to register to vote, you can still exercise that power. That’s really good. You know?
39:18
and really be a part of this. So I hope your folks that are watching this program, Kitsch, understand their role, their commitment, their responsibility of their role. So when you’re done listening to this, if it’s on TV, smile and tell a friend that you saw it there. Go find it on the net and send it to five friends. That’s what you do.
39:43
Yeah, for me. And then vote. Yeah, for me, we have that vision, you know. We have, you know, visit my website, you know, alikaAtay.com. And I welcome you to visit our website. We have that vision. To see this vision to come forward, I say it takes 2020.
40:06
And 2020 is, it takes $20 donating and 20 votes. And if you can go around and get people to say 2020, donate $20 to your favorite candidate, encourage 20 different people to go and vote. It’s very funny because I use 2020 and that 20 years ago, we were ahead of our time. Now we have 2020 vision on what we should have done. Right. But you’re right, 2020. And…
40:36
Remember, this means you. It means you can vote. Thank you for joining us again. I didn’t know we’d have this extra, but so be it. Maybe it’ll be two pieces of video. Send them out to everyone. Aloha. Thank you. Yeah.
41:06
Give me a morning with the rising sun So we can go out to play In the water, flowers will lay Before we jump out of it and go on our way We get down on our knees and pray In the water, flowers will lay Come, come, come, come, come on now
41:31
Lift me, lift me up tonight Take away my fears, make me feel alright
