Leona Bak Nomura – Reflections on the Past 15 Years of Maui LIfe

TNZ-MNZ Leona Bak Nomura in The NEUTRAL Zone with Jason Schwartz 10-25-2025

Jason enjoys an hour conversation with Leona, who had owned the KUAU General Store, a fixture outside Paia next to Hookup windsurfing park and MAMA’s Fish House; then a council candidate here on Maui; an active Matriarch of a large extended family. A pleasure to have her share her insights and bring Hawaiian Portuguese Chinese ancestry come alive in a vibrant high-spirited way!!! Enjoy!

Summary & Timestamped Transcript Below…

• [00:00 → 03:07]
  • • Introduction and Context
• The broadcast is from K.A.K.U. 88.5 FM, The Voice of Maui, introducing the Neutral Zone show on MauiNeutralZone.com, which archives over 30 years of community-focused programming.
• The host welcomes guest Leona Bak Nomura, a long-time Maui resident and former political candidate for the Maui County Council, Haiku district.
• Leona’s background includes a 2010 city council run; she remains actively involved in local issues, notably affordable housing and community activism.
• The conversation touches on the current political climate and community tensions surrounding leadership and governance on Maui, emphasizing a desire to focus on local solutions instead of external conflicts.
• The host announces the recent passing of Tasha Kama, a respected public servant known for advocacy and community work, expressing condolences and recognizing her contributions to the island.

• [03:07 → 10:36]
  • • Leona’s Observations on Haiku and Local Issues
• Leona shares her long-standing opposition to short-term vacation rentals, particularly in agricultural lands like Haiku, due to their negative impact on neighborhoods and community cohesion.
• She notes the increase in vacation rentals in Haiku and their harmful effects on the area’s agricultural zoning and lifestyle.
• Discussion includes local infrastructure issues, such as the absence of bike lanes on Kokomo Road, despite the presence of bike companies and permit issuance.
• Leona expresses concern about community divisions and the need for respectful dialogue, highlighting the challenges in balancing activism, family concerns, and political sensitivities.
• The conversation reveals that Leona attended a large rally opposing certain policies, motivated by her special needs grandchild and fears about the loss of cultural and educational programs, including Hawaiian immersion schools.
• They touch upon national issues like the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and their local cultural impacts, with Leona commenting on her awareness of her own racial privilege as a white person living in Hawaii.
• Leona reflects on the diversity at the rally and her wish for greater unity between Native Hawaiians and other residents, noting the difficulty in bridging these communities.

• [10:36 → 19:54]
  • • Housing, Economy, and Community Challenges
• Leona and the host discuss the ongoing affordable housing crisis, citing unaffordable rents and inflated real estate prices, exemplified by new homes in Haile Mali costing around $1.5 million, which are inaccessible to many locals.
• They emphasize that development is encroaching on traditional village areas, disrupting community memory and cultural ties.
• The aftermath of the Lahaina fire is referenced as a pivotal event affecting the entire island, including displacement of families and shifts in work patterns.
• Leona shares personal stories about her grandchildren losing their homes and the resilience of affected families who maintain humor despite hardships.
• The conversation highlights frustrations with temporary housing solutions such as trailers placed in unsuitable locations, and the slow pace of government response in addressing housing shortages.
• They discuss the importance of supporting local agriculture to reduce food import dependence, emphasizing organic and sustainable food production as essential for community health and resilience.
• Leona expresses concern about rising crime and social problems linked to economic hardship, including the loss of food stamp benefits and its effect on vulnerable populations.
• The discussion touches on the loss of community and respect over time, warning that cultural erosion and social fragmentation undermine Maui’s future.

• [19:54 → 29:40]
  • • Cultural Preservation and Community Respect
• The conversation shifts to efforts to protect sacred sites and burial grounds, specifically mentioning Hamakua Pokokai beach areas where significant graves were disturbed by natural events and human activity.
• County authorities have responded by closing beaches and restricting parking to prevent further disrespect and damage.
• Despite protective measures, vandalism continues, including the theft of signage, highlighting ongoing challenges in preserving cultural heritage.
• Leona laments the decline in community respect and cohesion, attributing some of this to societal changes and individualism.
• They discuss the importance of community cooperation during crises, such as the response to the wildfires, emphasizing solidarity despite hardships.
• The conversation acknowledges the struggles of displaced families, including long-term residents being uprooted by enforcement actions.

• [29:40 → 44:09]
  • • Community Engagement, Technology, and Political Realities
• Leona and the host reflect on the loss of close-knit community ties compared to past decades when Maui had a smaller population (~40,000), with people knowing each other well.
• They note that many newcomers to Maui lack awareness of local culture, schools, and history, illustrating a disconnect between residents and newer arrivals.
• The discussion touches on the role of technology and social media, including AI transcription inaccuracies and content censorship, expressing skepticism about overreliance on technology for communication and record-keeping.
• Leona stresses the need for grassroots, local-driven solutions rather than waiting for outside help, emphasizing self-reliance in food, housing, and energy.
• They critique the political landscape, including influences of money, lobbying, and special interests on local governance and development decisions.
• The conversation underscores water scarcity as a critical issue, questioning the sustainability of current development and water use practices, including the prevalence of swimming pools on an island with limited water resources.
• Leona advocates for innovative and sustainable housing options such as cob houses (made from earth, straw, and water), which are affordable, fire-resistant, and practical but often face regulatory obstacles.
• The topic of bankruptcy tactics by wealthy developers and parallels to national figures like Donald Trump is discussed lightly, linking financial maneuvering to local real estate dynamics.

• [44:09 → 54:37]
  • • Vision for Maui’s Future and Economic Recovery
• Leona shares her vision of reinvesting real estate commissions and local income into community development, including music, art, and cultural events to boost the local economy and tourism in a sustainable way.
• She highlights the importance of supporting local Hawaiian immersion schools as a cultural foundation and educational priority.
• The conversation stresses the opportunity Maui has as an island to build self-sufficiency in water, power, food, and housing, leveraging technology and community cooperation.
• They discuss the need for more affordable housing inventory to prevent younger generations from being priced out of homeownership and becoming trapped in debt and rent.
• Leona expresses concern that current economic trends and housing market dynamics mean that future generations will struggle to afford homes, leading to social and economic instability.
• The idea of creating a local currency or barter system to facilitate trade and support the local economy is mentioned as a potential way to strengthen community resilience.

• [54:37 → 01:00:00]
  • • Closing Reflections and Community Spirit
• The host and Leona reflect on their long-term connection to Maui (over 30+ years), emphasizing the importance of trust, relationships, and being part of the local ‘ohana (family).
• They acknowledge the challenges faced by families, including multiple failed attempts to purchase homes due to escalating prices and outbidding by investors.
• The conversation closes on a hopeful note, stressing that despite difficulties, Maui’s community can come together to build a better future through mutual respect, cooperation, and innovative thinking.
• Leona invites continued dialogue and community involvement, stressing the value of open conversations in “neutral zones” where diverse views can be shared without conflict.
• The show ends with gratitude, encouragement to share community resources, and a call to action to support local culture, economy, and sustainable living on Maui.

1. 1. 1. Key Themes and Insights

Theme	Details	Key Insight
Affordable Housing	Homes priced beyond local affordability, shortage of rentals, regulatory barriers to alternative housing	Crisis continues; innovative housing options and increased inventory urgently needed
Vacation Rentals	Growth of short-term rentals impacting ag land and neighborhoods negatively	Short-term rentals seen as harmful to community cohesion and agricultural land preservation
Community & Culture	Loss of respect, cultural erosion, sacred site preservation challenges	Preserving Hawaiian culture and community respect is vital for Maui’s identity and future
Local Governance & Politics	Political influence by special interests, council dynamics, slow government response	Need for transparent, community-driven leadership and faster implementation of solutions
Self-sufficiency & Sustainability	Water scarcity, local food production, renewable energy, cob houses	Maui must leverage technology and local resources to become self-reliant and resilient
Social Issues	ICE enforcement impacts, rollback of social programs, rising crime and economic hardships	Social justice and economic equity remain critical concerns amid broader political shifts
Community Connection	Population growth diluting community ties, newcomers’ lack of local knowledge	Building cross-cultural understanding and local engagement is necessary for cohesion
Technology & Media	AI transcription flaws, content censorship, technology’s double-edged role	Technology should assist but not replace genuine human communication and cultural nuance

Summary

This episode of the Neutral Zone on Maui provides a heartfelt and wide-ranging discussion with Leona Baknamura, a long-time Maui resident and former political candidate, focusing on the complex challenges facing Maui’s communities today. The conversation centers on affordable housing shortages, the negative impacts of short-term vacation rentals, and the urgent need for sustainable development practices. Leona highlights the erosion of community ties, cultural respect, and local knowledge amid rapid population growth and economic pressures.

They discuss the legacy of political activism and the difficulty of navigating local governance influenced by special interests, as well as the importance of preserving sacred sites and Hawaiian culture. Water scarcity and resource management emerge as critical concerns, alongside the need to embrace innovative, low-impact housing solutions like cob houses.

The discussion also touches on social justice issues, including the consequences of ICE enforcement and the rollback of supportive social programs, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Despite these challenges, Leona and the host express optimism that Maui’s residents can work together to build a resilient, self-sufficient island community. They advocate for reinvesting local wealth into culture, education, and sustainable economic development, emphasizing the power of open, respectful dialogue in neutral spaces to foster understanding and collective problem-solving.

The episode closes with a call to Maui’s residents and listeners everywhere to embrace community solidarity, cultural preservation, and innovative thinking as the keys to Maui’s sustainable future.

Transcript

00:00

K.A.K.U. 88.5 FM, the voice of Maui. Oh, it’s scary. Blessings, everyone. Aloha. We’re almost Halloween 2025. Headphones gone.

00:21

Welcome, everyone. You are at the Neutral Zone, MauiNeutralZone.com. When you go up there, you’re not going to only see this show tomorrow morning, but you’re going to see all our shows back for, gosh, I don’t want to say it, I’m that old, 30 years. And you can say fishing. And anywhere we said the word fishing in any of the shows, you’ll see, oh, it comes up. Affordable housing, oh, it comes up.

00:47

By the way, I have someone who’s current to me, and to some of you, oh, that’s Leona. How did you get here? Leona Bak Nomura. How’s that? Can I call you Leona? Yes, please.

01:04

We’re being formal. Yes. When I said to AI, look how fancy I am. Hey, AI, do you have a quick history on Leona Bak Nomura? And I said, it’s shorter. No, that’s not true. But when I looked, I knew that 2010, it’s 15 years ago.

01:27

I did an interview. You were running for an office. What was that? Council. City Council. Maui County Council. And you were what district? Haiku. You still live in Haiku? Still living there. You probably still have issues. Oh, God. Fool on. Now you know. That’s why. I was out at the rally that said no kings, no dictators, no this, no that.

01:55

And when there was no, I looked and someone said, Jason! Who is it? It was Leona. And I was so glad that you did. We were looking for the Hawaiian delegation, which was down the way a little bit. We’re all together on this. No matter who’s in charge, we don’t want anyone running that’s doing it the way they’re doing it. And…

02:19

Let’s just say that’s enough of that subject. It sets us all on fire. People are on all kinds of sides about what’s happening outside of Maui. And I say, if we would look at what we can do here ourselves…

02:38

And you’ve seen, I have some ideas. We all have ideas. We look at them together. What about a search engine that says, oh, look, someone said hydrogen, and then they said hydrogen there. And look at this person. And workforce housing. And suddenly these ideas come together through the technology of our age. And I said, well, here’s one thing they haven’t done. They haven’t sat with Leona and said, hey, my dear, you were so hot on fire to run before.

03:07

How’s the world now where you’re running? Let’s take a look at some of the issues that we’ve all been living with and see how things have progressed and where they need to be progressed. By the way, speaking of progress, sadly, Tasha Kama died last night. Yeah. I don’t know any more detail than that. I’m sorry, but you knew Tasha Kama for years also. Yes.

03:34

Love and respect to her and blessings to the family. She was really a faithful public servant. There had, you know, many special interests, and one was people with a heart. She was of the heart. I saw her help people that were foreign, helping to stop the Mexicans from getting raided in the West.

04:01

20 years ago, you know, so she’s been active before this current thing, you know. And lots of ways. She encouraged me when I was in college to get involved in the student council. You know, and I was like, Jason, you’re… And then she bailed and went… I didn’t even… She was on ahead. But blessings to her. Yeah. Yeah.

04:23

You know, this life, you can talk any time. I don’t know. You keep talking, so I keep waiting for you to ask me the question. I have a question. You have a question? Yeah. Give me the question. What do you think of life in haiku now? What do you see that’s been the same? What’s been changed? What kind of things do you think that you were running on that…

04:46

Have gotten better? And how about not? You wouldn’t believe. At the time, I was against vacation rentals because in our cottages or our rentals, I imagine our families living in it. There was no way I would even think of having someone from away living there when our families would be in the cottages. So I was against vacation rentals from then. Well, vacation rentals as long-term or short-term?

05:16

Short term. Short term. The short term. Yeah, actually, because I don’t like them in neighborhoods, you know, in communities. And if you look at Haiku now, it’s a lot. It’s so a lot. Are there any vacation rentals in the area? A lot, yes. And…

05:37

Has it helped the area? No. Does it hurt the area? Because we’re all ag land, yeah? Yeah. Yeah, so it’s just… But in our neighborhood, you would have to… There was one once. We never said anything, but, you know, their people would be, like, in and out. You could tell by the cars they had, yeah? Sure, right. They had new cars. I notice now, I just came from La Perouse, and all the tourist cars, they’re not like tourist cars.

06:04

The people that were in it were tourists, but they’re not renting the real, you know, the fancy cars. And they were all going out there. And I was like, wow, why would they even go that far? But yeah, you know what bothers me? No. Okay. You know, a bike company started one bike company, yeah? Who’s giving all these permits? Well, the bike company ends up with another bike company. And Kokomo Road, we have no…

06:34

Bike lane. But they did put bike pictures on the road. I wonder if I should be saying this. My family said to watch what I say. Well, let’s be fair. We hope that there are millions of people watching. And with your help, and with the help of all you people out there, you’ll share this show.

06:56

And you’ll share MauiNeutralZone.com and you’ll see all this stuff. And one of the things will be Auntie Leona, who’s on there. And anything that you’re being careful that you want to tiptoe around that we can identify by what you don’t say?

07:16

I have a sister that’s praying that I don’t say the wrong thing. And I have a daughter that told me don’t bring hate into it. Well, you don’t have hate. Yes, yeah. You have hate. You hate things that aren’t right. Yes, yes, yes. You have hate. I don’t think you hate me. No, no, you don’t. Because I’m not from here. You’re the only white guy I knew at the rally. Is that right? Yeah. Is that crazy?

07:42

And our people weren’t there. You want to know why I was there? Because I have a special needs grandbaby. So that’s why I went, because that program is getting taken away, right? And then I went for, eventually, because what’s happening with Kamehameha schools, with that lawsuit, I’m worried that eventually they’re going to notice we have immersion schools.

08:08

And that, yeah, it’s like our culture is getting, like, you know, pushed away. Well, you know, isn’t that what DEI getting gone is all about from Trump? It’s like, let’s get rid of any special help for any groups that have need to suddenly become equal in a society that has so overrun them.

08:31

Again, maybe I’m speaking words. And I’m a white guy, so I don’t ever think about it, but I have a built-in privilege in many ways. But I don’t think about it. So how did you know me? From that time, from way before? From way before. I was looking for somebody I knew. Okay, Jason, I do Hawaiian…

08:54

protests a lot, yeah? So I go and get these tea leaves, these huge, beautiful tea leaves, and I go and get a kihei, and I’m going to the rally, and I get there and it’s like, oh no, don’t take the tea leaf and leave it in the car. It did not match. I don’t know where all these people came from.

09:14

I mean, it was a lot. I don’t know where they all came from. And I don’t know how far down you were. I went looking for my people. I went all the way down. I went all the way down. And you see, I don’t know how you identify your people, but I saw people of all colors. And I didn’t go, oh, you’re Hawaiian, oh, you’re French, you’re German. But I saw people, even little ones, big ones. Yeah.

09:37

And what I didn’t see is what I always hoped to see, which is what you just said. I want Hawaiians and white people together more in everything. I think it’s because when we have something we stand up for, they don’t show up. Well, I think it’s a matter of cultivating. Don’t we have to get to know each other? How did you get to be comfortable that you could talk to me?

10:06

You spoke to me. I don’t know, Jason. You’re one of the few people I knew. I thought you lived in Haiku. I had. That’s why. I lived at Five Corners years ago. I knew you from there. Yes, yes. That’s a long time ago. That’s why. You know where the radio station is at Five Corners? What? I lived in that house. Oh. At 590 Ulamalu, which is there, but the station. Oh, yeah. That’s a long story. You was in country. AM 1570. You should see the traffic on that road now. It’s crazy. Oh, I know. There’s no other ways to get through. Huh.

10:36

Anyway, there’s another issue. 15 years is enough time that we’ve changed council regimes. Here we are now. We have a council.

10:51

God bless you, Tasha. You’re not there. Now that means there are four votes for, four votes against. And this is a pivotal seat to see how some of these actions that were in council right now may evolve. Yeah. And so…

11:13

For example, you live there. I live here. I ran, and out of seven in the primary, I came in seventh. Tasha told me she would have voted for me, but she was running. But I came in seventh out of seven, because people are too old. They don’t even know. They don’t know I booked the cultural center when it opened. They don’t know the stories of this and the political that. But you see the area you ran from?

11:41

What area you ran from. Then? Yeah. I started, I was Lahaina. I ran against Butch Suarez and Dennis Nakamura when Dennis got the seat. And then I ran in Kihei after I was running for mayor, but I didn’t want to be a Ross Perot third-party spoiler, so I ran in Kihei against Wayne Nishiki and whoever was running. And Wayne took it. But I wasn’t thinking I’d win. And I’ve been interviewing people because…

12:09

It’s people that you don’t know that can talk like we talk, that can get to issues and sides and talk about things that need to be talked about.

12:21

But people don’t talk about them because they’re somehow afraid. We’re in the neutral zone. That means all good. It’s not neutral. What you don’t want to say are probably things that are sensitive issues because of some reason. I mean, honestly, I haven’t tried to antagonize people. But who the hell is Jason Schwartz? Can I say hell? I think I can. Yeah, you can. You can’t say seven words. I don’t know what they are. I do, but I don’t say them very much.

12:51

No, there’s a country just… How about a house I saw in Kihei, a little very weird little… It’s smaller than my little thing. 1900. What’s going on with rents? Any affordable rentals in your area? No. We have all those ears out there listening. Affordable for nothing? Have you seen Haile Mali lately? It’s Haile Mali, my grandbabies say. Have you seen? Have you been up there?

13:21

I’ve driven through and I see the building new homes. Yes, 1.5 million. Oh, no. Next to the town, the village I grew up in. Those homes should have been on the other side of the gulch. You know, what they’re doing is they take away from…

13:39

Our villages, yeah, our memories, by bringing in this. And, you know, eventually it’s going to be the next Paya, where Paya right now is the new front street because of what happened in Lahaina.

13:52

And parking’s going to have to be expanded everywhere, and the roads have to be expanded. Wait, we didn’t yet get to how we’re going to pay for it, but as you’ve just expressed, we are behind a few eight balls. You think it’s only housing, you think it’s only food. We import all this food, we have all this ground, they’re growing lemons? Yes.

14:14

And citrus? Yes. How much citrus and lemons? Maybe they’re growing enough that can support the island. Are we going to be able to pay the freight and have my pono and others locally grow organic, beautiful food? Are we going to be part of that? Are we going to be part of a culture that…

14:34

has a value and can trade for housing and can trade… Are we going to create at the front edge like riding a surfboard? Are we going to take a chance as an island and love each other and help each other? Or are we going to do like we see happens around the world? You don’t like that. You said something bad. I’m raising the tariff. You can do… It has changed. You know, the respect part out here…

15:03

Good, bad? It’s not good. It’s sad. So sad. What can we do about it? Can’t. If people… I always think, you know, people don’t realize we exist, yeah? They don’t realize our history and everything. Who’s we?

15:25

Our Kanaka Maolis. Okay. Yes. They don’t realize. Kanaka Maoli. These are the people. Of the land. Of the land. Yeah, of the Aina. Okay. They don’t realize that we…

15:36

are here you know i remember being in the mainland because i’m i i feel for the the spanish people that are getting the mexicans because when i was in the mainland hello i look spanish i look mexican so i would i will not travel because i’m afraid i will get

15:56

taken right of course so i learned the phrase no habla espanol as hawaiiano i go around telling them all the time but yeah it’s just have you been stopped here no but i wish i do god i want to fight ice you heard it here first i’m like was that what you weren’t supposed to say no yeah my family

16:22

I totally do. I mean, I think it’s so wrong. I think it’s wrong. I have family that said, oh, but you know, they’re here illegally. I said, if this was done in the days of my parents, my mother, who would have been… No, she was born here. My grandfather would have been deported. I just was out on the West Side doing some interviews. We’re gathering something. We’re going to call it West Side Stories.

16:52

Anyway, there’s always films. There’s one that just came out. I don’t even know. But in it, I met a couple, the wife, after the fire at one of the centers. I’m not trying to get specific here because whoever’s listening, Hope Ice is listening. Humanity is watching. You should watch your own self, by the way.

17:17

Anyway, and these people, when the fire happened, you know, there are people, millions out there, potentially, if you share it and everyone shares it, rising tide raises all ships. I’ve been on this boat of Maui 37 years, half of my life. I’m 74 now. And I deserve, and I think I call it home. I’ve been trying the same time, same thing, all this time. It’s time we come together. And…

17:47

I think that we can solve this. We can. The ice thing is crazy. The things about food stamps. How do we feed ourselves until we don’t? We have to help each other in this period. And the kids that are getting free lunch, free breakfast, and free lunch won’t be getting it anymore. Right.

18:07

Yeah. Well, never mind that. Every other person that has food stamps won’t be getting it right now. Right now. That means hold on to your things. People that were trading food stamps for money be able to get drugs and alcohol.

18:27

Now they don’t have that source. I just know from personal experience, parked at 11 o’clock on a Friday, they broke into my car, light of day. I mean, it’s not uncommon to have things happen that are outrageous. Oh, yeah. Worse than before. Yeah. You know, people say, oh, yeah, there were no traffic lights in Kiev.

18:50

Paradise Fruit Stand was the hangout there, right where Foodland is. Oh, yeah, yeah, okay. You know, you’ve been here a long time? Yeah, but I don’t want to go down. I don’t care to go to that side of the island. No, no, no, but… Yeah. We, when things happened in Lahaina, in fact, did everybody work…

19:10

And lived over on your side. That would go in there. It affects every, like you talk about, your group. People coming over from Molokai all the way to work here. Everything’s shifted and changed. It’s a major thing. Which is why I say it when I show you what I’m doing. I have two granddaughters who lost their place.

19:36

They have stories. But you know what’s so crazy is we say things now. Like I’ll say, hey, don’t you have that? You know, like I forget. Yeah, they lost everything in the fire. And we actually laugh now. Yeah. Because what you’re going to do. And?

19:54

Not only are you not alone, they have family, they’ve got you. How many people are out there that are literally being bounced from… Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and they’re in that stupid… If they’re in that stupid… You know, the… We don’t know. You know, I’m putting it in Avenue, across the church. Why put that things in the most hot place of this island?

20:22

Because the real estate… The trailers. You know the trailers and… No, I just know that everything… You haven’t driven down Punene Avenue. You mean talking where they’re going to be building multifamily housing across from McDonald’s?

20:39

Yeah, no, they have, what do you call, all the… Oh, the ones at the corner at King’s Cathedral? Yes. That’s been there two years. That was supposed to be, you know, those things were brought over, and then they were supposed to be done. And then there were ones that were able to be given to the Maui Aid Society, but they had no place to be.

20:59

Andrew Cuomo

21:16

Oh, we’ll build 500,000 affordable units. You know what that means? Someone’s going to equity share, whether it’s the city or the county or an individual who can get richer if he’s smart or she’s smart and create these solutions.

21:34

I don’t want to say instead of building a White House ballroom, but let’s be real. When the whole world is not eating, and you’ve just stopped Americans, 42 million, from getting food stamps, and you’re showing that your special interests privately are going to break down the White House. Never mind. Let them get through permits faster than you.

21:59

How long are we trying to fix things here? We’ve got permits standing in the way. Trump says, I’m president. I’m going to break down the east wing of the White House. Anything going on here like that? You see any emergency treatment here? Have they done emergency housing? See, there’s a lot of things happening.

22:18

that can be done, never mind could have been, can be done. I can break them down, but I’m here with Leona. I want to see what she thinks is happening, because this all creates the environment where we all start to recognize we can do it ourselves, save ourselves. It’s a matter of how we think and do, and that’s who I am.

22:42

I know. I’m trying to. We’re all on Ag land, so we’re only allowed a house and a cottage. I want to put, for my kids, yeah, two more buildings because there’s enough room. But I would be opening up a can of worms. You know, we’d become…

23:04

God, a tight little… Like in The Godfather, a compound. Yeah. Right? And you put a wall around it. Yeah. But it’s enough where you could put two. But if I add two, then the next one’s going to add four, and the next one’s going to add six, and the next one… And if they’re not self-sufficient, it’s going to overglow everything. And then there’s no water anyhow.

23:28

Yeah, there’s no water. That’s a big example. Yes. Water problem. Now, if we know there’s no water, why are we using our resources the way we are? Yes. Lots of reasons. Why are we not researching how to get water out of the air? But you know what? There’s so many things that are available and can be done in scale. 37 years ago, we were talking about solutions that they don’t listen to here. But listen. Listen.

23:54

I loved the water bill, how it stayed where you couldn’t. You had to go through these because it kept development from happening. But no more. But then when I see all these mansions coming up, and what happened? And pools, swimming pools, really? We live in an island. There’s water right there. There’s swimming pools all over this island. Wow.

24:20

See, now, some people say, I don’t want to elect her. She wants to get rid of my swimming pool. I know. I know. I’m sorry. I do. No, but I don’t think that’s going to be easy. How about if they could run their swimming pool and not touch your water supply? Yes.

24:37

Not only that, you run your house and your life and you don’t touch the water supply. What if the water supply goes to like growing food? Why? Because we’ve used the technology that we have. We use our brain and the technology. And why don’t we? And the answer is a lot of reasons. But one is some people are making money.

25:02

from the way it is that’s why i say we have to do things on our island and be independent of the madness that the world has to offer at least that locally we can feed each other we can house each other do you know you can take uh… earth

25:21

And straw and water and a little mix it up. And you’ve heard of cob houses. Have you seen? Yeah. Yes. I saw it on your thing. Yes. Now there’s an example that is so totally doable and solve a problem for now. People say, well, it’s not to code. Never mind. They could beat a code. What is code? Yes.

25:44

How long do you want it to last? Long enough for a fire to come through? Those things are not a fire problem by a simple example. And that could be done now. There’s just so much that it makes me sick. You know, maybe you’re not supposed to be on and be angry because you’re a guest. But I sometimes get angry because my guest…

26:07

It should be angry. I know that it’s not really angry. It’s more like righteous indignation. We’ve all been living here a long time. I knew you were owning the Kua store. Yes. And then a developer, we won’t go into his name, Rick. Windsurfer. Right.

26:27

But has money, knows how to, makes a decision. And I believe it was them that changed Paella. Yes. It was them with the rents. That’s when the rents started going. And we left because our rent was raised. I remember when Charlie’s was open and this guy was going to buy across the street. Then he bought. And then he bought here and then he bought there. But he’s like Trump. He filed bankruptcy.

26:54

And you can do it. I mean, Trump needs to teach us how to do that. But, yeah, just file bankruptcy. Hey, I’ve got to tell you something. I hope. Okay, listen. I don’t know if you know. Have you been country lately? Do we have time? Let me look. Half an hour. Good. Half an hour. Okay. So, between, did you know? One quick second. We are on tape.

27:19

KAKU 88.5 FM, the voice of Maui, simulcast on Akaku, Maui Community Media, TV for oldsters like me, Channel 55 on cable. Also, Maui Stream on your Windows phone, your Android, or your Maui Stream has all the three channels of Akaku, plus the radio station, plus mauineutralzone.com. You know, I’ve used technology and used AI that reads my script

27:49

It not only reads it, it types me out a transcript, so they’ll be able to see what you said. And writing. Oh, wow. But now, of course… Was it in pidgin or English? Well, it’s… Actually, I had to read it close because I was talking to a friend that I had driven as a kid through Harlem with my family. Yes. That’s the story. And in the script, it said that he did. And it’s like, wait, because I talk over? Yes, yes. It doesn’t know who said it, and it made a summary.

28:19

So don’t always trust your AI, you people who use AI to replace yourself. Your book report may be wrong. It looks like Shakespeare when surfing doesn’t work. If you’ve got to read that stuff, make sure it’s right. You know I don’t like all that. Well, it exists, though, right? I don’t know if it’s because I’m older.

28:38

It doesn’t seem real, right? Yeah, I don’t like technology. I found out that the kids are not learning cursive anymore. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that something? Do you want to have individuality? Let’s all make A’s the same way.

28:54

Yes. You saw? Fancy. That’s horrible. Yeah. You know, that means that you no longer have script writing. You are writing this very simple block letter. Yeah. English. I know. Anyhow, wait, I’ve got to tell you this story. No, but it all fits together in one thing. It’s that we’re getting…

29:15

handed a bill of goods that we have to take control of our lives. Not fight each other, love each other here locally. That’s why I say. That’s hard. Why? Why? Really. Because we don’t have communities like we used to. Well, how do we do that? You and I, are we going to have a party and invite everybody? What do we have to do? What do we have to do?

29:40

I don’t know. I love going to funerals now. Because I see people you know. And people you hadn’t seen in a long time. Otherwise, you don’t see them. I went into Costco.

29:55

And I didn’t know one person. I mean, I knew the cashiers, but I didn’t know anybody in there. Which is good, because before, when you went in a store, you stayed in there for hours because you knew everyone, yeah? I know that one. But I try to forget that when I lived years ago, there was only 40,000 people on this island, yeah? And now? And now it’s out of control. The sad part is that…

30:24

they don’t realize where they’re at. We’re not like going from… We are not the mainland. Yes, we’re not like going from California to Colorado. We’re not. We’re like a whole culture, you know? I know. I’ve been here 30-plus years, so I know 37 years. Actually, it’s the ones that I remember all from haiku, everything that…

30:50

All started, they are, you guys know. Yeah, but who comes here don’t care. Because they’re like, just people that actually live here that didn’t know stuff, you know? I met a girl in Paya. She’d been here 12 years. She did not even know that in Paya there’s an immersion school.

31:16

She had no clue. She had no clue. She had no clue in a lot of stuff. And I was like, wow, baby. I mean, you know, if I go somewhere, I’m going to look it all up. I have to know everything about it. I have to know the place, the cars, whatever. Yeah, so I cannot disrespect whoever the place I’m going to, yeah? Yeah.

31:40

Yeah. Anyhow, I wanted to tell you something else. But you’re getting like me. You’re so Portuguese. Listen. Anyhow, there’s a place called Hamakua Pokokai.

31:54

And true, my friend, remember Jocelyn Costa? Yes. Yes. So she’s the Moku representative for Hamakualoa, and I retired from Hamakua Poko. Anyhow, when the last group of waves came, they opened up a significant part of graves, a significant that we…

32:20

Through that OEV group, with the help of them, we were able to shut the beach down. So the county made four huge beaches close. Do you know? It’s between Mama’s Fish House and Ho’okipa, coming down Old Maui High School Road. Yeah? That little beach. So we were able to… The county made…

32:43

How do they block people from that area? Do they? Yeah. There’s no parking now. No. But first it started with those water things, you know, the big orange things. And do you know twice people moved it all back? And then because this is where the kite surfers used to launch from. And we’ve had meetings with the kite surfers. And they’re…

33:09

The older ones are very respectful. You know, they understand. But there’s people that still break in. They take the signs and they go in. And then the county put the no parking sign. So this way you’ll get a ticket if a cop comes by, yeah? But…

33:27

Anyhow, but anyhow. Where does he stop? Huh? Where does he stop? I know, because actually not that much problems that were mostly up. But anyhow, I’m hoping that everybody passed the word out that it is shut down. There’s new signs. There’s a group of women that made signs again.

33:49

And somebody threw it out, too. I mean, there’s no respect. Is it grave sites alone down there that’s the issue? Yeah. Significant graves. Is it something that can be honored or blocked off in any way that would make or not really? No. The whole beach has to be…

34:09

Excavated. Is it going to go someday into the ocean? What’s going on? No, we plan on trying to maybe gather it all. We’ve had burials in the ocean.

34:25

You know, when DLNR gave each Moku back their EV, yeah. But the disrespect, it’s unreal that people just steal with a sign. And they stole the signs. Then they stole the signs again. I mean, see, how are we going to all be together?

34:49

On things. Cannot. Well, society has changed and respect and a lot of things that… I mean, I always knew that respect was one of those basic things. No matter who someone was. Yes. Yeah. This is like gone with the wind. It’s gone. It’s gone. So, again, the only way I know how to do that is…

35:11

What we see in crisis, do the people in, let me not pick on them, Gaza, Uganda, New York, wherever, Maui, do people help each other? Do they cooperate and challenge? What happened during the fire? We found there were two things going on. One,

35:34

People that never even here, they didn’t have their license. That woman who wasn’t from here, when they finally found her, now she has three kids here and a family here. And now Auntie, they’ve been here 30 years and now they’re ripping people out of the communities all across. This is a disgusting experience. I’m sorry. Yeah. What do we do about that? We talk about it.

36:03

And we talk about it in a loving way, but what can we do personally? You know how hard it is to do things? We’re old now.

36:14

We are. I’m older than you two. I’m busy. I’m like, I have, yeah. When you told me, come on, I said, yeah, no, yeah, no, yeah, no. I cannot believe I said yes. No, I can because of this. This is a free forum. Yeah. Literally. Even if we didn’t agree, we wouldn’t fight. Right? No. That’s what a neutral zone means. I think we’re saying a lot of stuff. But even if we didn’t agree. Yeah.

36:41

But, I mean, I don’t know what we don’t agree on. But that’s what happens when people talk. Yeah. I’d hope. Unless you’re Trump. Yeah. Don’t get me started. I know. My family said don’t bring it up. I can’t help it. Yeah, I don’t like Trump. Okay. No. Okay. Well, there we go. See, we agree.

37:00

We like him. He’s a very beautiful orange man. No, he’s not beautiful either. 1974, New York. I was there. I remember when he bought the Central Park Plaza Hotel.

37:16

The guy has been a scamming playmaker. The thing with Epstein, all that stuff. But again, we parked at because local issues, we could talk about it and handle. There’s one that I know I want to handle and not forget. If you’ve gotten this far on the show, it’s a perfect thing because you know that on the October 24th, 5th, 29, 30, are we 24? We’re already there. Where are we now? What’s today? We passed 24.

37:43

Today’s what, 28, 27? Yeah, later. Well, so coming up here, coming up again, 29, 30, 31. Yes. At 6 p.m., Fourth Friday. What’s this other one? Where is this? Where’s this at? Is this the one in the mall? I don’t know. That’s why I’m looking.

38:03

Okay, we’re old. We’re going to find out where it was. It could be the same where Fourth Friday was. Or is it, we don’t want to send you to the wrong place. Oh, this is Azekas. Oh, Azekas. There we go. So where there was Fourth Friday, they’re going to have trunk or treat. That’s Halloween night, 6 to 8. Wow, but these nights in the Azekas Mall, Azekas.

38:30

I guess I don’t know which side. I guess, you know, everybody here needs business. You know, I went on a Friday night to Coconuts. I’ll have a free taco, thank you. I went to Coconuts.

38:45

And we were taking out, and there was no one there on a Friday night. Oh, yeah. It saddens me to hear reports, oh, the tourism was only down 25%. The real estate’s down 33%. Well, you know, because Canada’s not coming.

39:03

Who would come? It’s very expensive. Not only that, it’s because of what’s happening. The attitudes of the Americans and what’s happening with Trump, I know. Yes, yes. Well, and never mind all of Maui was affected by the fire. Even there in Haiku, we’re all affected by what’s happening. That’s why my ideas of rebuilding the economy from within by my real estate commissions…

39:27

I feel like Robin Hood, robbing from the rich. It’s not robbing. It’s redirecting monies that I earn back into my community to enrich the community, create jobs, and have people around the world realize that’s why I come here. Because this community is rich with culture and art and music. And they use their own self to raise up. We wouldn’t mind some help.

39:57

But we can do it ourselves. Our attitudes, when we get to know each other, I said to someone who told me, he was a Trump guy, I said, if I needed food and you’re growing food, I really still believe that you would help me. Yes, yeah.

40:14

Well, but if he didn’t know me, that’s why I say we have to stop this thing about us and them. I don’t understand what people don’t see that he’s not a good person. You know, it’s the good person part that you see in someone, yeah? Yeah.

40:32

And that’s, God, I voted Republican several times because I liked the person better than who was. Well, you voted based on a person. I got that. Yeah, I do on a person. Yeah. I check what they do, what their kids. Yeah, I look at their family part. Yeah. I don’t care what they do with the government, but it was that. A good person will follow and do good things. Yeah? Yeah.

40:57

I think so, but I don’t have any history here. But now I’ve been 37. Is that close? You’re still close enough. Good? Yeah. I’m close. You’re perfect. Yes. 37 years I’ve been here. Uh-huh. I consider that we’re family if I’ve been here 37 years. Yeah. And you know me and you trust me. You’ve gotten to see me, you know. It gets clear after a while that you have to earn your stripes to be a Kama’aina, right? Yeah.

41:26

I don’t think our kids will be able to really afford a home. No. I have a grandson that said, Grandma, I looked at the numbers, and even if I made six figures, there’s no way I could buy a home and pay electric, pay this, pay that, and be able to—it would be like being a slave to this building.

41:50

Which is what we see going on. People are distracted by being slave to what’s going on to allow things like this to happen. I know. Sad, yeah? Make a promise. We will make it all right. I wonder if he did it all right. Does that say we got 15 minutes? 15 minutes. Okay. So I have my great-grands that live with me.

42:12

Great-grandchildren. Great-grands. I cannot see… The parents are there, too. They have good jobs. But I cannot see them paying, like, well, like $8,000, $6,000, $5,000 a month, and their kids do it out. You know what I meant? Like, you know, nowadays, these kids need to be…

42:38

entertained, you know, sports or something. They cannot just be on that stupid phones, yeah? I wish those things were never invented, even though I use it. But that’s where I get to see things. I finally realized time on the phone is the same as watching TV.

42:57

It’s the same thing. I had to make my time on the phone look good when I’m watching TV because I get mad when they’re on it so long. But, you know, I see, I cannot see. They tried to buy several times, four times actually, and people came above them. Whatever they put in, and they did go above, someone came above them. Meaning what? In the price.

43:27

You know, like they put a bid in, and then someone came above them. And so they never was able to get a house. Well, isn’t it realistic to say the supply doesn’t meet the demand? And so the prices are up, up, up, up, up. And now they’re up, and there’s tremendous demand, but these people aren’t ready to go. And so now they’re getting squeezed.

43:53

By not having the money to do what we just said, and now the prices are going down, down, down, down, down. Until what? Until it slows and then it goes this way. It’s like this. But it’s still, by the time that, you and I will be dead. Yep.

44:09

We could be dead. Our kids could be dead. I cannot see it going down. So how do you live a life on an island like that? Yeah. That’s why we need our own. That’s why I’m so big on the idea of a local, not a coin that we sell and get dollars from a tourist for a Maui coin. What the hell is that? Yeah. That’s not barter and trade.

44:34

Anyway, to be continued. See, I lived a long life. I was president of a trade telephone company when they first deregulated telephone. So I know from trade, we dealt with large trade companies. We found out their scams and how they do it and how they… So…

44:56

We don’t really know. Some of us, there are a lot of people that know. But I’ve been here, I feel like I keep meeting jewels, like you’re a jewel. Why? Because even though you’re not supposed to say, what you say is meaningful and from the heart and local, and your voice does matter.

45:21

You know, like that’s why I saw Tasha Kammer. But are you thinking about running again? You think you’re too old for that? Oh, I’m too old. Yeah? What if you had a staff of… It’s not the same. You know, when you have… I look at them now and I’m like, oh, you can tell who’s going to vote what and who’s going to vote what. Yeah? When you know something’s coming up. You know if it’s going to pass and it’s not. Some of them did disappoint us.

45:51

You know, yeah, that was sad. Some disappointed us. Well, they’re not disappointed. You always wonder, where is influence coming from? Oh, I know. I know politics, yeah. Where did it come from? I cannot tell. laughter

46:07

But you know. See, that’s what’s nice. Because it isn’t always what you say. It’s what you don’t say. See, that’s the fun of this. Because it’s the truth. I cannot do it on. No, I wouldn’t. I can tell you afterwards, okay? No, but even if you were to tell me.

46:29

I mean, have you ever watched Netflix? There’s a show called Blacklist. It was on for 12 years. And if you watch that, you will see scenarios that you think are very far-fetched until you look around at what’s going on nationally and internationally now and you…

46:47

We are living in a script of things that a lot of these shows are based on, sadly, reality. Yeah, totally. That aren’t set on media because that creates problems. You know, that’s exactly why we have what we have. But here locally, we have a really fortunate thing. We have a 3,000-mile moat.

47:13

If we work together, we who hold hands float. We who don’t sink. So that’s why I, like with this show, if we all share this and we all share together, at this show where I have 400, 500 shows up there, I dare you, put in the words affordable housing and see in 1992 we were talking about it.

47:37

In 94, I was talking about alternative plans with Tom Giussani, president of Maui Electric. I booked the cultural center for New Year’s Eve. Pundi called me. I never met him, but so I was doing.

47:53

You know, that’s the thing, because politics jumps in and all the stuff that we… Let me do this. We can’t speak about that stuff. That was supposed to mean what one understands as an alternative power structure that controls…

48:14

the powers that we think are running this place. For example, the council, etc. That the influences, however they are, whether you’re in construction and someone gives you an extra fee, whether you’re in this or that, or they like your thing that your children are doing. It’s a sad world in that we aren’t

48:37

I think everybody’s, like, so busy just trying to survive. To survive that they have, you know, I realize that a lot of us that come from here, we have huge families, you know. So we cannot show up for everything that they have to, like, testify. Because when I watch it on Akaku, I, you know, it’s…

49:02

A lot of families cannot make it. Yeah, it’s during work time and stuff like that. But I have, I got to tell you, I got 101 first cousins. Wow. Is that crazy? First cousins? First cousins. But, okay, a lot of them died already. But it’s, that’s what the families are of this land, yeah? They all, I tell everybody, go look how much first cousins you have. You know, because then you know where you connected and stuff, but

49:32

You’re always going to a gathering or you’re always going to funerals and stuff like that. So our lives actually is busy. And plus, I got all those babies that I’m… But…

49:49

We only have seven minutes. Now, see, every time we do this, we’re going to come back. God, we talked, didn’t we? We did, but no, what did we really talk about? We talked about that 15 years have gone by. I’ve seen you here and there occasionally. Yes. A hug in Costco. Yes. You know me when you go to Costco. Yes. I’m so glad you found me there. I was there, obviously, because I’m…

50:13

I believe what they said was correct and I was there. But I was there to videotape, to deliver media. When I put it up on Facebook, I put like 15, 18, nothing inflammatory. Before it was up, they screened my video.

50:29

So they found it was a video of a demonstration, and they looked at it and decided it could pass through. It’s like when you use AI and say, could you put her in a bikini? No, we can’t do that. I live in Hawaii. I need someone on the beach in a bikini. I’m sorry, we can’t do that.

50:46

Oh, wow. So someone’s screening. They’re screening. Everything we’re doing. Everything you’re doing. They’re recording me, you, everything. I know because I posted the time of the rally on the top of Instagram, and then it shows on Facebook, and it’s there only 24 hours, you know? It disappeared. Yeah, and I did it again. Yeah, I’m waiting for ICE to come get me. What the hell?

51:15

Speaking of ice, I saw a commercial for football yesterday where the goalposts, and they fill up the center with Bacardi rum and some orange juice or something. So it looked like a giant commercial. Or Arby’s roast beef. And now we put you to our football little…

51:35

The world is filled with ads. You know, there was great signs out there. But Oahu had a sign, and I thought it was the best. This guy, and I kept looking for it because I wanted to post it. Shave ice. Get it? Isn’t that good? Yeah, you have to be from here to understand that one, yeah? You guys understand. And if you don’t, come on down. We’ll tell you what it’s about.

52:02

I thought that was a great sign. Now, when I look out in here, I used to just see people from here. What is that you’re looking at? That’s the camera. Do you see your camera right there? That’s your camera. God. Yeah, okay. So if you want to make a point, you speak to the… Because I see that as what it can be, which means people all over the world

52:26

People all over the world, people all over Maui, people with a heart, people who want to share an idea. Whose time has come? You came to the right place. We’re in the neutral zone. We’re not neutral. We’re not neutral. You’re not neutral. But we can talk here. And if we didn’t agree, we could talk about it. And if there’s reasons, and we talk about it, and I know what you feel and why, and you know what I feel and why. Yeah.

52:54

We’re going to search to find an answer that’s going to work for us both, right? Yep. Nah, I’m too tired. I’m older. I’m done. It’s like… No, you’re not. You’re the kingpin. You’re the queenpin of your family, right? Yes. You have older ones than you in your family?

53:19

No, I… Oh, no. My husband and me, and then there’s the kids. Below you, yeah. I’m the old… In my family, I’m the oldest. And so… Oh, you mean our brothers and sisters. They haven’t been here and talked… They’ve been here once. Two of the people in my family had their honeymoons here, and I didn’t know about it until this year. My cousin just died, my younger cousin, Robin.

53:48

And her brother said, oh, I had my honeymoon in Maui. When I got here, 88, 89, I was here. They didn’t see me. And now, years ago, my brother. So, if I can’t attract them here. So, I’m here. Maui is my home. Yeah, I think so. My family is. Yeah. This is my family. Yeah. And I’ve been here trying to make it better for a long time.

54:13

And I really believe if we all see that now and look at what we all have that we can do with each other, I’ll be able to have my house with my own water and my swimming pool if I want. No, I said no pool. But what if I create my own water? I’m telling you. I sincerely mean this. Yes. The technologies exist right now.

54:37

You better hurry up because you’re old already. Well, it’s not me, you see. Oh, okay. The future. Oh, yeah. Look, what if I take my real estate commission and I put it in and have music shows, art shows? These aren’t free. They’re going to be less money. We’re going to have people from all over coming. We’re going to help the businesses. We’re going to help pay for the musicians, for the artists, the culture. We’re supplementing and building our island. They’ll say, hey.

55:03

We’ve got to make sure we’re going through the Hawaiian Islands at least. We’re going to Maui because Maui’s got this thing going on. Their people, they’re making this place light up to show their culture and they’re helping themselves. Let’s be part of that.

55:20

Can you give your money to Kula Kaipuni? It’s the immersion. Why not? Yeah, because they’re in Paia, Kalama, and Keikoliki. So you can see what I’m saying. I know. If we work together, all of this…

55:40

Happens because when we say money, what does money means we place to live and food It’s like we’re on an island We have opportunity that a mainland doesn’t have because we have control of these elements and we have solutions, right? Yes, we gotta wait. We got places to go see and do but that doesn’t cost a penny, right? Yeah, that’s the advantage and we live here and we can be self-sustainable Yes

56:07

Our own water, our own power. Yeah, but I don’t want to farm anymore. I’m old. Well, you know, but that’s you. But you asked about wanting to keep a family here and live a beautiful life and not feel trapped by this job and mortgage. So we need more inventory of houses. We’ve got 20 seconds. Leona Bach Nomura, we are over for the day. It’s been a blessing having you. I hope you’ll come again. Look at that.

56:33

Holy mackerel. That’s the closing music for the show. Thank you, Leona. Aloha, everybody. Tony, hit the switch. There’s no automate button here. Thank you, everybody.