Please LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE… It Really Helps Our Channel.
Up Close & Personal 2010 – Jason Schwartz with PAUL LAUB, candidate for West Maui residency seat of the Maui County Council. Paul explores his plans and ideas for Maui’s future.
Summary & Transcript Below…
[00:09 → 02:41]
Introduction and Call to Action: Unlocking Hope
The opening segment is a poetic, inspirational call to action emphasizing the urgent need for change. It centers on the concept of “unlocking hope” that resides within every individual, with an urging for collective responsibility. The speaker frames this hope as a divine vision that empowers people to heal and improve their communities. The repeated refrain stresses that progress and a better life are contingent upon unlocking this hope, signaling that change is both necessary and inevitable once people commit to action.
Introducing Paul Laub: Candidate Profile and Community Engagement
Paul Laub, a candidate from West Maui running for council, is introduced. His campaign activity includes extensive grassroots outreach, such as attending festivals like the Pineapple Festival on Lanai and conducting door-to-door canvassing. He connects with diverse communities, including Molokai, emphasizing the at-large voting system that allows residents to support candidates beyond their immediate districts. Paul’s presence on television and in the community helps bridge gaps for those unable to attend candidate events, increasing his visibility and engagement with voters.
[05:33 → 08:14]
Paul’s Business and Personal Background: Recycling Bikes and Community Values
Outside politics, Paul operates a recycled bicycle shop, the only one of its kind in the state, which refurbishes bikes to provide affordable and sustainable transportation. This business model supports local residents and visitors alike, promoting alternatives to car dependency especially in Lahaina, where bike use is prevalent. Paul’s focus on physical work and community service reflects his hands-on approach and commitment to practical solutions. His business philosophy connects directly to his political platform, emphasizing resourcefulness and community benefit.
[08:14 → 13:22]
Barriers to Home-Based Business and Economic Impact
Paul highlights a major local issue: restrictive county regulations that prohibit working from home, including his own experience where his garage-based bike repair was shut down as illegal. This policy, fined at $1,000 per day, undermines small entrepreneurs and home-based businesses, critical during economic downturns when jobs are scarce. The closure of his home operation forced layoffs, including a homeless veteran employee, illustrating the human cost of such restrictions. Paul argues that these regulations stifle economic recovery and contradict the American tradition of self-employment and home enterprise.
[13:22 → 17:37]
Transit Vacation Rentals (TVRs) and Community Impact
Paul discusses the controversy around Transit Vacation Rentals, which allow families to gather outside of traditional hotel settings. He notes that shutting down TVRs would have significant economic consequences, citing a $300 million estimated cost according to an independent Hawaiian Institute study. He describes TVRs as vital for family cohesion, multi-generational gatherings, and community vibrancy. Paul advocates for balanced regulation like the successful bed and breakfast ordinance, which protects neighborhoods without crippling small business opportunities. His role on the Malama Vacation Rental Association board informs his nuanced perspective on sustainable tourism.
[17:37 → 24:14]
Planning Department Challenges and the Need for Streamlining
A major focus of Paul’s platform is reforming the county’s planning department, which he describes as a “black hole” causing excessive delays and bureaucratic frustrations. He gives examples of simple repairs and permits taking months or years, burdening homeowners and businesses. Layers of legislation have created complexity beyond the capacity of staff, leading to inefficiency and lost opportunities. Paul proposes simplifying the permitting process, such as creating express lanes for projects approved by certified professionals, reducing unnecessary reviews and speeding approvals. He stresses that good leadership and a business-oriented mindset are essential to untangle the regulatory maze.
[24:14 → 29:23]
County Infrastructure, Development, and Protecting Community Interests
Paul stresses the importance of prioritizing infrastructure development to support community needs before approving new projects. He points out West Maui’s severe traffic and sewage problems as symptoms of development outpacing infrastructure. His guiding principle is that development should serve and not harm local residents. He advocates for projects like the Puamana to Pali (P2P) bypass to improve traffic flow and convert old roads to beach access, enhancing safety and community enjoyment. A new West Maui hospital and memorial park—especially for veterans—are also key components of his vision for balanced growth and community care.
[29:23 → 36:03]
Water Issues and County Bureaucracy Impeding Repairs and Sales
Water management is a critical county-wide concern. Paul notes that while there is enough water, distribution and infrastructure lag behind demand. He cites a specific example in Kihei where homes lack required backflow preventers, leading the county water department to block home repairs and sales. The county’s insistence on costly upgrades, including unnecessary fire hydrant backflow preventers, creates financial burdens that homeowners cannot meet, effectively trapping them in unserviceable properties. Paul characterizes this as an absurd and unjust situation, requiring decisive political intervention to hold agencies accountable and protect residents’ rights.
[36:03 → 39:45]
Community Unity, Veterans’ Leadership, and Collaborative Problem Solving
[39:45 → 46:05]
Experience with Modular Homes and Affordable Housing Solutions
Paul draws on his extensive business experience, including manufactured and modular housing sales on the mainland, to propose affordable housing strategies for Maui. He explains how modular homes, built in sections in factories, reduce costs significantly while allowing customization. In other regions, such homes sell for as low as $275,000 with full amenities—far below current Maui prices. However, he acknowledges local regulatory resistance to such innovations. Paul advocates for leveraging modular and prefabricated construction to address the housing shortage and affordability crisis.
[46:05 → 50:41]
Sustainable and Green Building Practices Using Local Materials
Paul highlights environmentally friendly building techniques such as cob homes (using hay bales and plaster for insulation) and bamboo construction, which offer superior insulation and sustainability without cutting trees. He references local pioneers in bamboo housing and stresses that imagination and innovation can overcome material limitations. These green building methods align with home-based occupations and small business development, offering both economic and ecological benefits. Encouraging such practices supports sustainability while creating new job opportunities.
[50:41 → 56:18]
Challenges of Rising Housing Costs and Employment Stability
The conversation returns to the economic realities of Maui residents, focusing on the disconnect between skyrocketing housing prices and stagnant wages. Paul recounts his own early experiences purchasing affordable housing decades ago, contrasting that with today’s prohibitive costs. He discusses underemployment and job insecurity, noting that many workers face reduced hours and layoffs, requiring supplemental income through home-based businesses. Paul argues the county should actively support entrepreneurial efforts and reduce barriers to help residents sustain themselves despite economic challenges.
[56:18 → 01:03:00]
Policy Priorities: Jobs, Home Occupations, and Government Efficiency
Paul critiques the county’s slow response to pressing issues like home occupation bills and short-term rental regulations, which have significant potential to generate revenue and create jobs. He urges focusing on immediate economic recovery and housing affordability before long-term planning initiatives. His priority is to streamline government processes, reduce red tape, and foster a business-friendly climate that encourages growth and self-sufficiency. This pragmatic approach aims to tackle urgent community needs while laying a foundation for sustainable development.
[01:03:00 → 01:04:30]
Closing Appeal and Vision Statement
In closing, Paul reaffirms his straightforward, family-oriented philosophy: he is here to help and be positive, supporting small businesses, agriculture, tourism, and sustainability with practical solutions. He emphasizes accountability, inviting voters to “fire him” if he fails to deliver. His platform is grounded in experience, passion, and a commitment to making Maui a better place for current and future generations. He invites community engagement through his website and personal interactions, offering transparency and accessibility.
[01:04:30 → 01:01:46 (reverse timestamp segment)]
Reprise of the Inspirational Call to Unlock Hope
The interview ends by returning to the initial theme of hope and change, reinforcing the message that unlocking the collective potential within the community is essential for progress. The repeated call to action serves as a motivational bookend, encouraging listeners to participate actively in shaping Maui’s future by supporting leaders like Paul who are committed to positive transformation.
Overall Summary:
Paul Laub’s interview presents a comprehensive, grassroots-driven platform addressing Maui’s economic, regulatory, and infrastructural challenges. His core message centers on unlocking hope through practical reforms that streamline government processes, support home-based businesses, and foster affordable housing solutions. He critiques overly complex regulations that hinder job creation and property maintenance, emphasizing the need for leadership that understands business realities. Paul’s vision integrates sustainable development, community unity, and respect for local culture and environment. His candidacy is characterized by extensive local involvement, veteran leadership, and a commitment to pragmatic problem-solving aimed at revitalizing Maui’s economy and quality of life.
Transcript
00:09
The time has come to make a change The time has come to unlock a hope that lives In each and every one of us And we must do our part
00:28
We hold the visions God dreams of Our hands can heal the ones we love Let’s gather round and let us make a stand For you and me
00:45
Unlock the hope and there’s a better life Unlock the hope, there’ll be no turning back But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope The time has come to make a change
01:13
The time has come to unlock the hope that lives In each and every one of us And we must do our part We hold the visions God dreams of Our hands can heal the ones we love Let’s gather round and let us make a stand
01:42
For you and me Unlock the hope and there’s a better life Unlock the hope, there’ll be no turning back But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope
02:12
but nothing changes Unless we unlock the hole Unless we unlock the hole Aloha!
02:41
Welcome to another Up Close and Personal 2010. You know, here we are. We’re still in the primary season, but there are lots of candidates. And one really good candidate from West Maui is Paul Lobb. Aloha. Welcome to the show. Thank you very kindly. You know, everywhere I go, I see your signs. So you’ve been out there on the trail. Have you been over to Molokai and Lanai at all? Well,
03:11
Yeah, we were in Lanai for the Pineapple Festival. You guys on Lanai and Molokai, please realize this is a West Maui residency seat, but you vote for all nine candidates because we have at-large voting at the moment. So if you like Paul Up, you can vote for him. So just remember that as we go. So you were over at the Pineapple Festival? In Lanai, yeah.
03:39
It was a great time. It was a lot of fun. You got to meet a lot of people. Met a lot of people. Walked around, actually went campaigning door to door. So we had fun. It was a good time. You know, I find that sometimes people forget that the television media gets to every nook and cranny. I have people that tell me, you know, I really didn’t get a chance to come out
04:07
I meet the candidates, but they saw on this show, and I got a chance to speak. So we’re glad that you came and showed up. So you know you have, you were mentioning that you also have ties in Molokai? Yeah, actually I have a lot of ties in Molokai. And I used to stay in Mauna Loa. And I learned how to lay net there. I learned how to throw a net in Kauai, but that doesn’t count. We used to lay net there, and…
04:36
A lot of friends there, especially veterans. So what do you do here in Maui when you’re not running for council? Well, we operate recycled bikes and boards, which is the only, to my knowledge, the only recycled bicycle shop in the state. We take old bicycles, instead of them going to the landfill, and we fix them up.
05:04
And then we sell them cheap, and we guarantee them, and we get people out of cars. And see, in Lahaina, bicycling’s a big deal. And you don’t
Casual meeting featuring Hawaiian attire and friendly discussion.
really need a car most of the time. And so there needed to be some way for people to come, whether they were Malahini or Kamaina, and get around without having to buy a car. So that’s our job.
05:33
is to provide bicycles to everybody. Even the visitors that just come in for a day or a week, so we rent them out and the way we do it is we sell them and we buy it back. Oh. And so we like to sell a bike for a hundred bucks and if the bike comes back, it comes back. And if it doesn’t come back, you know, that’s it. It’s okay. And we get lots of bikes and
06:02
We just have fun doing it, and I’m the kind of guy who really likes to be doing something physical. So we do that. What drove you to want to run for council? Really, the thing is, is during the economic downturn, of which nationally we don’t have much effect on, and we cannot effect that ourselves,
06:32
damaging the ability of the Maui people to earn a living and creating substantial job loss as well as loss of homes and this was very very clear to me. The county themselves? The county itself and not that you know not that some of it was meant to
06:53
Some of it was absolutely meant to, but in some cases it was just layer upon layer of legislation, old legislation, which made it impossible for people to be able to work. Examples of that is a home-based business. Now, my bicycle shop was in my garage. And I’d open it. You know, this is not open when open, closed when closed. That seems to happen. And if I want to work,
07:21
push my garage door come open, I’d bring out a chair and then I’d work on my bikes and whatever. Never before swimming. I’d always try to go swimming first in the morning. And I’d sell it to whoever came by and repair bikes or do whatever. And they came by, the accountant came by and says, oh, you can’t do that, you’re in a residential area.
07:48
And I said, you can’t do any work here, huh? He said, no, you can’t do any work from your home. It’s illegal in this county. And so they shut us down. And to me, it was a great travesty. Because our country was made up of people working out of their homes, out of their garages, out of their kitchen table.
08:14
So how do you, you now have a shop? Now we have a shop. Has it impacted your prices? Yes, it does. It absolutely impacts the price. I got here in 88 and I was in the graphics business and I wanted to help small businesses improve what was going on. And there was one other company on the other side and people would always say to me, where’s your shop? Where’s your place? And I said,
08:41
I don’t have a place. It’s an extra expense that’s unnecessary. Because I had no place, people found me suspect. So when I tried to, I’m just giving you my input on that. I found that people here that just in this old phase of they needed to see a physical place. But I couldn’t operate my business from home. I didn’t need a business at home. There are a lot of businesses that
09:09
could operate if you put down technically that it’s happening at home. I guess you’re not allowed in there too, huh? You cannot do any work from your home. It is
09:23
It’s finable by $1,000 a day. If you work from your home, it costs you $1,000 a day. So on this day of wanting to create jobs, that seems like a pretty significant issue. Well, it meant that I had to fire a homeless veteran who was working for me. So, you know, I mean, what could I do? I had to let him go. And when I opened up a shop, then I hired him back. But it’s just…
09:54
It is so anti-people and anti-productive. Another one was TVRs. You know what TVRs are, right? Transit Vacation Rentals. And in the Transit Vacation Rentals, the Hawaiian Institute, the real estate agents of Maui hired the Hawaiian Institute to do an analysis. They’re out of Oahu.
10:20
on what it would cost the county if they shut down the TBI. And the Hawaiian Institute, which is an independent institute, determined that it was going to cost $300 million. Wow. So, let me give you an example. I had, actually we’re sitting in, what was a transit vacation rental. And in 2000, and we’d been doing this since 1989, when I was, work on the mainland, come back, work and come back, work and come back.
10:50
And so, we had gotten, we had made an application to become legal in 2003. However, the planning
11:06
department, which is another complete, another problem, never saw within their scope that they should actually deal with that. And as a result, by 2007, 2008, nothing had been done by the planning department, even though they’d been in there for years. Five years? Yeah.
11:30
Oh, you know, that’s, you know, it’s astounding, but that’s how it is. So we still, we pay taxes. We pay TAT and GE taxes. And to give you an example, in 2007, which was the last year in which we operated, we paid $7,000 in TAT and GE taxes. Wow. But we spent $42,000 to local people
11:57
for keeping the house clean, keeping it painted, keeping everything sharp, having the gardening done. Anything that needed anything was done
Two middle-aged men sit on a floral sofa, engaged in a serious conversation inside a cozy living room.
because it’s a house that’s on the ocean. It’s an old house, 80-year-old house. And it’s small. It’s only 1,100 square feet. It’s not a big place. But if people are going to pay to have a nice place,
12:23
They want to have it really look sharp. And so you might have to paint this thing six, eight times a year inside. I mean, you know, touch up, whatever. You know, people put, you know, things get scraped. Furniture gets affected. So you have to have everything looking good or it’s looking bad. $42,000. So when…
12:52
I had to tell the people, you know, I’m sorry, the county shut us down, as they shut everyone down. We’re talking about people that I had been dealing, doing business with for years. Tears in their eyes. Tears in their eyes. I mean, we’re talking their car payments. We’re talking their payments for putting their kids, you know, through school, et cetera. I mean, these were people who relied on it. And the county couldn’t care less.
13:22
couldn’t care less. And I understand that there are areas that might have affected neighborhoods, but there are other areas that didn’t affect neighborhoods and that were really extremely important to the areas. And there’s a lot of people who really like TBRs, and it often would be
13:47
parents, grandparents, and grandkids getting together where they may not be all living together. Now they can come over, stay in one place, and have a nice family affair. Another situation was two brothers and their families, who happened to live, you know, large distances from each other, came to Maui to get together, and their families melded for the period of time. I mean, there’s a lot of people who don’t want to stay in hotels.
14:16
who want to have the family thing, the outdoor barbecue, the swimming, whatever. Grandparents may be sitting and reading, and the kids run around yelling and screaming.
14:27
It’s a home thing. It’s a home experience as opposed to a hotel experience. So you feel that your role on council, you’d be able to help shape that policy? Well, I am on the board of directors of the Malign Vacation Rental Association. I participated in the establishment of the bed and breakfast ordinance, which works well. I mean, you know, it works well. And it’s easy to do. And the key thing is
14:56
Don’t disturb your neighbors. It don’t have a negative effect on the neighborhood. I mean, this is easy. So I’m trying to get an idea. So that you did because you were on the TVR association board. So as council, I’m just trying to understand your role on council.
15:18
your main thrust when you get on council? Some people get on council and realize that they could have done more in private sector. So, I always wonder, because I remember I used to be running for council and I thought, when I go there, here’s what I want to do. So that’s why I’m asking. What I want to do is, I want to improve the whole attitude.
15:42
of the county towards business. The key thing is this. If you have good businesses, you have plenty of jobs. If you have no business, you have no jobs. It’s that simple. And we were talking to the planning department where you put something in and it never comes out. You know, it’s like the black hole of the county. You have a situation where it used to be.
16:09
A guy, a regular guy, you know, just a regular guy could go into the planning department, fill out their paperwork, have the stuff done, get his permit, and go do it. You can’t do that. You can’t do that because it is so complicated that you have to hire professionals. Let me give you an example, a couple examples. Right across the street, a friend of mine is a veteran, Marine Corps veteran, Vietnam veteran, who’s…
16:38
The condo next to his burnt. And his condo got water damage and smoke damage. No biggie, but he needed to get a permit to get it rectified. Six months to get a permit for smoke damage and water damage. We’re not talking anything structural. We’re not talking a big deal. This is something he should have been able to walk in here and say, you know, we’re going to sheetrock this, we’re going to paint that. Boom, here you’re out of here. What took so long?
17:08
them. The disaster is called the planning department. You know, I’ve heard this planning department thing. You’ve heard it too. This is the ninth election season I’m doing these interviews. They’re the favorite target of every council and everyone. What can we do? I mean, why is it taking so long to change these? Well, there’s a couple of problems. Now, the people in the planning department
17:37
maybe really want to work hard and really want to get the things out. But there are so many layers of legislation that cause them to do this, do that, or require this, or require that. Now, it gets to the point where it becomes beyond their skill level with which to deal. They need simplicity, they need an ease of operation, and they need good leadership. And let me give you an example. Let’s say you had
18:07
a simple plan. You wanted to do a driveway or a wall or something like that. And you came in and here’s your plot plan and your TMK number and your drawing of whatever it’s going to be. And let’s say you have a professional do it and it’s stamped by a civil engineer. You ought to be able to walk up to a desk or make an appointment for that express desk.
18:31
walk up there, they take a look at it, and they see, okay, they check your TMK, and say, yeah, you’re entitled to a wall, and your setbacks are right, and it’s stamped by a civil engineer. That means they don’t have to do the calcs. Civil engineer’s done the calcs. Here you are, you’re out of there in ten minutes. Go build your wall. I mean, it’s absurd here, but that’s what happens in the rest of the world. Well, that’s what I’d say.
18:57
What’s taken so long? When you sit on council, can you make some change from there? Absolutely, absolutely. Why hasn’t it happened before this? Because I don’t think that most of the people have a business perspective. I’ve been in business since 1965, except for 67 through 69 when I was in the Army.
19:22
And my experience in different areas has taught me a great deal. And one of the things that it’s taught me is that some counties really want to help you. We’re here to help. What can we do for you? How are we going to help you do whatever you’re going to do? And it’s the approach. Some people
19:43
gets so jammed up they don’t know what to do, they’re just all jammed up. Other people address their issues, right now, it’s done, it’s off my desk. Bam, it’s off my desk. Bam, it’s off my desk, it’s out of here. Other people, they get so jammed up, let me see what am I supposed to do, and oh, the phone’s ringing, and okay, I’ll answer the phone, and they just get, you know. So, what can the council do? The council can mandate. The council makes the laws.
20:12
He can say, you have 30 days. You have 30 days to get a project through. Let’s say single family dwelling. Especially one that has been stamped by a civil engineer.
20:29
Everything’s done. If it meets the height, and it meets the size, and it meets all the requirements that it needs, it’s stamped by a civil engineer. He’s the responsible party. The county’s no longer the responsible party. He’s the responsible party. This could be done in a couple of days. Thirty days is a long time. So you’re saying that right now, these building inspector…
20:50
the department is going over all the things that were already brought to it by professionals that spent a lot of time, effort, and energy, and that this process could be streamlined much. I’ve heard those words before. That’s why I’m asking it this way. I’ve heard those words by people from non-elections. Everyone likes the building department and picks on them. So you think you can actually… Well, that’s not the building department.
21:17
And that’s a good point, and I’m glad you brought that up, because I was talking to the planning department. And the planning department and the building department are separate because the building department is part of public works. And it seems like they don’t talk to each other. I mean, I’m really serious. Now, we’re talking 11 agencies are required to process this stuff. It’s absurd. In most places,
21:40
You have a couple agencies, three agencies, or four. You might have health to check out your septic system or your sewer system depending on where you are, building department, planning department, fire department. Here we have 11 agencies.
22:00
By the time something goes through all this stuff, it’s lost, and the water department is going to hold it up regardless. It’s their duty. It is their sworn duty, it seems like to me. Their sworn duty to reach a hold it up. And it’s sad because it doesn’t have to be like that. And let me tell you, I told you this house is 80 years old, right? Didn’t need a permit. All the buildings in Makawao,
22:28
didn’t need permits. You didn’t need a permit to build a house until 1957. I believe that’s correct. So if you owned a piece of land and you wanted to build a house, you built a house. And if the house was a good house, it was a good house. Well, why would you want to build a good house?
22:48
Well, heck, your family’s living there, and you want to have a nice home for, you know, a long time. As a result, you build a nice house, and this was a nice house. Eighty years later, here we are, right? Didn’t even permit. So what happened? The government feels, well, we need to have a permit process because people might not build, you know, good houses. Well, the bad houses are gone.
23:14
If somebody built a bad house, it’s gone. It doesn’t last. There’s no value to building a bad house. There’s value to doing well. The people in the planning department want to do well. They really do. They would like to say, yo, I work for the planning department. I do a great job. Everyone is proud of me. I can keep my head high. Yo, you work for the planning department. That’s great, man. You guys get that stuff out of there, nothing flat. Wow. How do you do it?
23:45
That’s what everyone wants to hear. Everyone wants to feel good about what they do in life. And they’re held up by the leaders of legislation. Right? So you find people who really want to do well being held back. So I think that you’re basically saying to me that this is going to be a matter of looking at the laws as they are and simplifying and condensing. It sounds like a full-time job.
24:14
It’s a full-time job. But you know what? Here’s a… Look, I’m not a kid anymore. I’m 66. And I would rather get out and go do the job that I have to do than sit back and have it done unto me. Good. And so that’s where it’s at. And so knowing how to solve these problems and seeing the solutions, dealing in other areas where the people want to help you, the people want to do right,
24:44
and have the opportunity to do that and do well, you know, we can bring that here. And that works across the board in our government. We need to make it leaner and more streamlined. All right. When I hear that, I’m thinking, you know, it would be a pleasure to see some of that stuff change, because I’ve been hearing talk about that for as long as I can remember.
25:14
And it’s good. I’m glad it’s your passion. So you guys are going to remember that. And you can go to Paul and he’ll help you get things through and get it all streamlined, right? That’s, hey, that I feel is my duty. If you guys hire me, which is basically what it is, you’re hiring me to do this job. If you hire me to do the job, I’m going to do the job the best I can. I rely on it. You’ve been around, I see your signs everywhere.
25:43
You’ve been, obviously, to lots of families. What do you see are the issues that people bring up to you? What do they want? They want jobs. They want jobs. And that’s part of this problem. We’ll just use the planning department. It’s not all planning departments. Sure. All right. You have, I’ll give you an example, a couple of doors down. A friend of mine has another house. It’s about 80 years old. Needs work to get done. He put an application in to do the work.
26:12
And after spending thousands of dollars with professionals to do all the plans and everything they asked, after two years, the planning department came back to him and said, well, we’re also going to need this. Two years later, when the guy’s in his mid-70s, he says, you know what? I’m in my mid-70s. I don’t need this.
26:31
You know what I mean? I don’t either. I ain’t doing it. So here’s a bunch of work that’s not going to happen. It’s not happening. There’s a lot of jobs out there. I’m not talking about major subdivisions. I’m talking about small jobs. Fix this house. Fix that house. You know, do whatever we want to do here. You know, just as regular people. That could be done. There’s a lot of jobs out there. They’re available. And they’re held up by our government.
26:58
And the government doesn’t want to hold up the jobs for the most part. I mean, they want to see a prosperous county. But having put layers and layers and layers and layers of restrictions, this is what it’s come to. And so we need to un-layer the restrictions. We need to make things look… When we were younger, we had more liberties. We just did.
27:27
Liberties are being steadily taken away. Give me an example. The beaches are now closed from certain hours to certain hours. What is this? You can no longer, I don’t care, you’re an honest citizen, you pay your taxes, you know, you’ve done everything right, you can’t go to the beach. Why? Well, because we have problems with them getting enough personnel to handle these problems.
27:56
But to stop an entire citizenry of the county and all the visitors from going to the beach? Are you kidding me? Not really. And so, what’s the next one they’re going to take away? That’s what I mean. You know, it’s like one after another. You need to say, no, you don’t take away our liberties. We fought for those liberties. You know, us veterans? No. No. You don’t take away the people’s liberties.
28:24
And you don’t stop them from making an honest living. No, it doesn’t happen. Now, what’s going to happen? We’re going to do something about it. If you hire me and people like me, then we’ll do something about it. If you don’t, then the liberties are going to be taken away. It’s going to be a different world from what we knew. Gotcha. Now, you’re a representative for West Maui, so I imagine you have a laundry list of West Maui priorities.
28:53
yet you handle all over the county. What kind of West Maui priorities do you see right now? Well, you came here to West Maui. How was the traffic? How was the traffic? How was the traffic? You came over today. How was the traffic? Was it good? Was it easy? Was it easy for you to flow through? Pretty easy. All right. You’re one of the few. Came at the right time. Well, that’s because I came early. Yeah. Came at the right time. Well, you came in between time. Traffic’s terrible here. Sewage stench is terrible here.
29:23
The infrastructure has gotten behind the development, which is the wrong way. You do the infrastructure first. You take care of the needs. Here’s the key thing. It’s this taking care of the people. You have to take care of the people first, last, and always. Now, if you take care of the needs of the people, and it’s not going to disturb them in a negative way to do a
29:53
some sort of development, and it is a positive addition, then you do the development. But you don’t do developments that are going to negatively impact the people who are here. So you talked about jobs. You got any job plans for West Maui? Finish the highway. Oh, yeah. Well, I don’t know. You know, one of my dreams is the P2P, you know, the Puamana to Pali’s bypass.
30:23
We’re going to, you know, have the whole highway moved so that the old highway becomes beach access. That’s all. That entire stretch, all the way.
30:38
except for right there in Oluwatu, will be all beach access. Where people just take off from the main highway, which would be Mauka, go down there and you do your surfing, you do your fishing, you do whatever you’re gonna do and enjoy it. And like right now, if you try to go down there and people are trying to cross the road, they’re trying to park on the side, go surfing in the surf areas, it’s dangerous. And it’s just not the way to play the game. So that’s one of the giant things
31:07
that I’m big on. I want to have that happen. We want to… Excuse me. Tickle in my throat. And we want to have the West Maui Hospital. And that’s supposed to be happening, I believe, in May of 11. We shall see what we shall see, hopefully. We’re going to have, hopefully, in the Kahn-Napali 2020 plan,
31:33
We’re going to have a 15-acre new memorial park. So part of that will be for veterans, a veterans park, because we’re running out of space up in Makalau. And part of it will be for just non-veterans. And so we’ll have that. We’ll have hopefully a whole little community, medical community up around the hospital, servicing the hospital.
32:01
Right now, that’s one of the major problems is something happens over here. I mean, you know what it’s like. We have our fires and our accidents. Roads shut down for hours and hours and hours. And somebody’s in a medical emergency, their only option, of course, is a helicopter. And so, you know, it’s really important that we…
32:26
address the basic needs, the core issues for the local people right here on the west side, as well as the rest of the county. What about other issues for other places? Because I’m sure all you guys are wondering who are living in different spots. Well, I’ll give you an example. I’ll give you a couple examples. All right, water is a major deal. And
32:51
I spend a lot of time up country talking to people about water, and it’s pretty clear talking to everybody. There is plenty of water. It’s just harnessing it and getting it from point A to point B. So they’re talking about reservoirs. They were talking initially about one large 300 million gallon reservoir. Now they’re talking about two or three that comprise a total of 300 million. And piping it. Anyway, that’s all kept.
33:21
and talking about piping it to the places. There’s a lot of issues. There’s issues that are created by the county that can be unwound. I’ll give you an example. I was in Kihei and
33:43
And walking down the street, and a gentleman from Kihei Kaohali Mani, which is an old development. And when they built that, they didn’t have backflow preventers. And the county signed off on the project. I saw that. I saw where Hannibal Tavares signed off. A backflow preventer.
34:08
Right. That means when water comes in that it cannot go back into the master system. So it can go but it can’t come back in case there’s a pressure change. And so it was signed off and because if it wasn’t signed off they couldn’t get the financing. So the county says this is signed off. It’s all good. So
34:38
Then time passed, and people wanted to do repairs on their houses, termite repairs, whatever kinds of repairs. And the water department decided, wait, you don’t have a backflow preventer, therefore you can’t do any repairs. We’re not going to approve anything. I don’t care if it doesn’t have to do with water. Water’s not even involved. We’re not going to let you do anything.
35:08
So if you want to repair part of your siding because there’s termites, you can’t do it. You can’t do anything. They cannot repair their homes. They cannot sell their homes. Why can’t they sell their homes? Who wants to buy a home where you can’t repair it? You can’t do anything with it. Now, what do they need to do? Well, the community needs to get back-flow preventers. They’re willing to do that.
35:36
However, the water department says, well, also you’re going to have to put backflow preventers on the fire hydrants. Wait a second. The fire hydrants aren’t connected to anything in the community. Well, we don’t care. We want you to pay for it. Well, they can’t afford to pay for it. What a crazy stuff. This is getting out crazy. It’s absurd. It’s absurd, I tell you. And we need somebody to get in there and say, yo, you know what? No.
36:03
No. I’m going to do this right. I’m going to take care of the people. Sounds like all roads go back to building and planning, and these guys are… all the questions go back there. I think we just have to have an extraction. It does. You need to kind of step back and take a look at the picture, right? Because, obviously, to somebody in the water department, they think this is okay.
36:30
They think, it’s okay. You can stop all those people who live in there, and you can stop them from selling their houses, and you can stop them from repairing their houses, and you can, and it doesn’t, you know what? Don’t matter to me. I can sleep at night. That’s their attitude. They shouldn’t be able to sleep at night. No. They shouldn’t be able to sleep at night. They need to be held accountable. That’s a good question. Who else shouldn’t be able to sleep at night? I mean, there’s enough problems, I’m sure we know.
36:56
Everyone should be able to sleep at night. Everyone. And if your neighbor can’t sleep at night, that affects you. That affects me. That affects us. We’re all in this together. We look around you. All these people that you see, this is our ohana. These are the people that we’re here to live our lives with. I have three boys. And they’re all eligible. And
37:33
in-laws. I have no idea. But I always look around and say, that person there might be my in-law. You never know. So these are the people that we live with. And these are the people that we need to share and take care of. And we all do our part. We all pull on the rope. And everything happens. And we can’t say, well,
38:00
I can’t worry about them because they’re Hana. I can’t worry about that because they’re Republican or they’re Democrat. I can’t worry about, you know, no, no, that’s over. No, we’re in this together. I’m president of the Maui County Veterans Council. And trust me, there are differences of opinions amongst veterans. You’re going to have to believe me. Really? Yeah. More than with the Hawaiians? They have different opinions. We’ve got Hawaiian veterans. We’ve got Hawaiian veterans.
38:30
got every flavor, right? Now, the key thing is, and here’s my big secret, is find the things that we agree on and start working with those together. You’ve written my mail. That’s how I feel. If we look at the things that we agree on, we can move forward. And then the other thing, somehow,
38:53
fall away, and somehow everything was off. Exactly, and you’re doing it, and you’re working together and saying, hey, we got this other problem popped up, what do you think? And now we’re working from a team effort, okay, what do you think of that? What do you think of that? And, you know, and I’m not married to any particular solution, right? I’m not. If somebody else has a better idea, it’s a better idea.
39:15
Well, thank you. All right, let’s try that. That’s a good idea. That’s another thing I’d like to say. Being open to ideas as a council person. Sometimes what I’ve seen is some of these people have their own ideas and aren’t really open. So you’re very open to listening to ideas and getting the best of it and putting it out there. That’s the key. That’s why they, that’s why. See, the Veterans Council is the umbrella.
39:45
organization over all the different veterans groups. Veterans of foreign wars, legion, whatever group. It happens to be Vietnam veterans, Korean veterans, even the 442nd guys who are our greatest heroes yet. So they chose me.
40:04
to work together with everybody to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish. So that’s what I’m about. I’m here to help. And if I can’t help, fire me. Really, fire me. Toss me out. If I can’t do the job, toss me out, please. It sounds like you’ve been involved way before now in all kinds of stuff. You’ve been here since when?
40:34
Early 80s. Early 80s. And I’ve gone back and forth to mainland to work. And one of the things I did is I
40:42
I’m a dealer in manufactured housing and modular homes. So I could put, and I’d only do this in Northern California. Well, I did some in other places, but mostly Northern California. Not a big deal. Onesies and twosies, we’re talking. But the thing is, is that the counties want to work with you. They say, please, Mr. Lyle, do something up in our counties.
41:09
Right? Well, when you’re working with a community that wants you to do something, I can’t tell you how easy it is. They’re there, well listen, maybe if you do it like that we can get it through. Maybe, you know, let me show you a way to get this done. You know, this is what we’re after. We’re after a community that wants to do something progressive. As a result,
41:30
for a three-bedroom, two-bath house, 1,600 square feet or thereabouts, with carpet, with air conditioner, with heater, with a stove, with a refrigerator, everything, fee simple, everything, you own this thing, $275,000. That’s it. That’s how much houses should cost here. And it could. I wouldn’t do that here. To go up against the Planning Commission?
41:55
and the planning department, and the, for, you know, are you kidding? But it’s so easy. It is so easy to do. I take a look at these big, empty buildings in Kailua, and I say, you know what? Man, that would make a really nice factory for, you know, a modular home or for a manufactured home. Now, what’s a modular home? A modular home can be any home built in sections. It just, like building blocks.
42:25
You build your home out of hollow tiles, they’re just small building blocks. Well, now, when you build a modular home, you’re building the whole home in these kind of big building blocks. So, it’s less expensive because all your materials are in one spot. Everything is done. You have your whole stack of kitchen stuff right over here. You have your whole stack of roofing stuff over here.
42:53
The house literally moves along and is putting up walls. Boom, boom. Wirings already in the walls. I mean, it’s astounding. You’ve got to see it. So we have obviously some resistance to that here. I’ve seen prefab, but sometimes people feel they want to have it built custom. So these can be custom, just prefab, right?
43:19
Exactly. Here’s what happens. You’ve got two codes. You’ve got the universal building code, and then you have the HUD code, which is the federal code. And the HUD codes sometimes matter than the UBC. UBC says, okay, two by fours. HUD code might say two by sixes. Make it smaller. So the thing is, is that you can take any home
43:44
once it’s approved by an engineer, and make that into a modular home. And people do that a lot in, like, Maine, for example, where you have a real short building season. Well, they build these homes in pieces elsewhere so that when the building season opens up, you bring in these modules and you set them up, and here you have a custom home with modules. That’s all. Have you seen many homes being built with local materials? Meaning, I remember…
44:12
when I first came over here, there was a company that would be able to take sugar cane, and instead of burning it, create new walls. Things like that? There’s a thing called cob homes, and you can actually take bales of hay. We could grow, for example, hay. Make it into bales. Plaster, cover it with plaster. You have… You have…
44:42
Three-foot, four-foot insulation on your walls? Cool homes. These are real green homes, if you’re into green things. Green’s where it’s at. And you’re not cutting trees? Not cutting trees? That’s what I mean. Yeah, you’re not, you know, it’s fast. How about bamboo?
45:05
Right? I mean, you know, Real Solutions Now, number four, we had, which is coming out, we have David Sharp, I believe his name is, who’s doing bamboo homes. They’re gorgeous. We’re only limited… I’ll tell you what. I have some friends up in Makwa doing bamboo homes. Like David Sands and… David Sands. I’m sorry. Oh, is that your name? David Sands. Yeah, yeah.
45:35
It’s been doing it a long time, and it’s really a good thing. They grow a home, and it’s a good thing. They could actually create the bamboo here, even. Why not? It grows, and you know, David Sands was so sharp, that’s how I got him. But the beauty is, we’re only limited by our imaginations. If you have the imagination, you can do it. And that’s the critical thing on home-based occupation bills.
46:05
is that if somebody has the imagination to come up with something. Like when I was a kid, for an example, peg pants were in. This was a long time ago. Peg pants were in. You guys know what peg pants are? That’s where you take your pants and they’re tight, you know. And then later they got to be bell bottoms. You know, this keeps on switching back and forth.
46:24
There are gals in high school, you bring your pants, they’ll take them home and they’ll, you know, for five bucks, next day you’d have your pants paid. And these gals were making money. These weren’t just high school, you know, high school girls from home economics classes and their sewing machines making some money at home. This is the deal.
46:46
People can make a lot of money if they’re given the opportunity. If they’re not just slapped down every time. Well, you know, I was thinking about slap. Well, what about slap? Forget it. Who wants to do that? Especially in these times where jobs are critical.
47:03
And then out of that problem comes other problems, like what are we going to do about the cost of housing? What are we going to do about people that don’t have, that have lost their houses, that need housing? And there’s all kinds of issues. I remember when I first spoke to Alan Arakawa, way back when he was first starting, and he told me that he would never sleep. He was reading all the stuff. There’s so much going on there.
47:33
So you’ve got quite a job there on council. Have you arranged it with your wife to have a light at night so you can be reading? Well, I work hard. I mean, you’ve got to do everything in moderation. If you don’t, you burn yourself out.
47:50
The only thing I’ve been missing is I’ve been missing some kayaking, I’ve been missing some swimming, you know, missing some surfing, missing some bike riding. That’s going to change, folks. I’m going to get back into that and those programs. You know, you have to give it everything it’s due. When I’m working toward the election, I’m working toward the election. That’s what I’m doing. Well, you’ve been out there in force. I mean, it seems everywhere I look, when I’m out there, there you are.
48:15
You’re on top of a lot of things in a lot of places. It’s my job. That’s what I do. If I’m not going to do that job, I’ll fire myself. Yeah, I’m serious. Either you’re going to do something or you’re not going to do something. What are the things when you’re out there? I mean, jobs are an issue for people. What are the things? Do you hear people talking about that? Well, frankly, the main thing is jobs and jobs and jobs and jobs. Jobs and jobs. Well, I mean, take a look at the situation. I tell you, I have three boys.
48:45
Only one of them is here right now. What’s my big fear? My big fear is if he doesn’t find something really good to do here for himself, he’s going to do it somewhere else. What’s going to happen? He’s going to marry someone he needs somewhere else. What’s going to happen? Where are my grandkids going to be? I want my grandkids here with me by my side. This is what we look forward to as we get older. It’s our family. Our family is everything.
49:13
I have my grandkids. I see them once a year, or once every two years if they’re really far away. No thanks. No. I want to make sure that there are plenty of jobs, that there’s inexpensive housing, because guys are starting out. They can’t afford expensive places. They need inexpensive places that they can build upon, and build their life upon, and their families upon. When I was a kid,
49:43
Houses cost $9,000, $11,000, right? I mean, and that’s a lot of money. I remember the first place I bought was actually a run-down five-unit middle place. I lived in one, fixed up the others, cost $33,400, and I didn’t have quite enough money. And the salesman had the…
50:12
loan me his commission to close the deal. And I, you know, I’d pay him off. And, you know, I’d fix up the places. That’s five units for $33,400. It was achievable. Houses for, like I say, $15,000, $10,000, you know. No, they weren’t the best houses. Yeah, they needed a lot of work, but, you know, a young man needed plenty of elbow grease. What the heck, you know? You could do that.
50:41
How are you going to do that at $500,000, $600,000? How are you going to do that? How are you going to do that? And the issue is, as much as houses have gone up like this, job wages haven’t gone like this. That’s right. Job wages are still going up. If you get it, if you got that job, if they didn’t lay you off. What if they lay you off just part of the time? Maybe he’s got a good job at a good hotel or a good whatever, and he’s going to be laid off.
51:09
Only 10 hours a week, only 25% of his time. Okay, how’s he making that up? He can make that up at home if he has some talents. Maybe he can make boxes that he can sell, or he can paint, or whatever he can do, he can do it. Washing windows. Maybe he’s going to start a little window washing job out of his house.
51:32
Whatever he’s going to do, he needs to have that opportunity, and the county should be there to help and should say, how can we help you get your business rolling? Give me an example. When I had to move my little shop to another place, it took 30 days to go through 11 agencies to get a certificate of bankruptcy. Well, wait a second. Most businesses…
51:57
go out of business in a year. I was going to say. In a year. And the first 30 days, the county says, you get to pay all the costs, you don’t get to sell a dollar. So they almost guarantee you to fail. The county’s here to help you fail. So you can probably hear that Paul has lots of ideas and he’s got a lot of energy to try to make it a better climate here, to create more jobs, whether you want to be self-employed or work for someone else.
52:25
And you’d like to make rules that kind of work for the people. And you don’t want to be, you’re reducing restrictions so that we can have more flourishing. We also need to have the council focus. And for an example, right now they’re spending a lot of time on the Maui Island plan, which is really important. It’s a 10-year plan, right, from the GPAC, which is a 20-year plan. Okay, this is important, folks. It’s really important.
52:56
However, let’s get through today. Let’s set this aside and address home occupation bill today so we’ll get people back to work. Let’s address the planning department’s thing today so we can get back to work. When we get everybody working and nobody’s losing their houses and everything is going good, let’s address this other plan. But to talk about things that are going to happen in 10 years when these people are losing their houses tomorrow, I don’t think so. I mean, let’s put it in priority.
53:26
And this is really important. Last two years. They did the B&B two years ago, B&B ordinance. They haven’t picked it up. They haven’t touched it in two years because they’re talking about Maui Island Plan. Right now, that would have put millions of dollars on the table. Would have brought in millions of dollars to our people if they had done this in the last two years. And you know what? Everyone was ready for that TBR ordinance.
53:54
They did the B&B, let’s go to the TBR, let’s go to the TBR. But it got changed, and they haven’t touched it. So we need to focus and say, okay, what we’re going to do first, jobs. First, jobs. Homes, prices, keep everything in line so our people can prosper and not suffer. Then we’re going to address the overall issues.
54:23
Well, you know, we can keep going on here. I think I should give Paul a couple of minutes to kind of talk to you directly and make his appeal directly to you. Why don’t you wrap it up and talk to those guys, like that guy right there. Well, you know, I really don’t have a lot more to say. I’m a really basic kind of guy. I’m here to help. If it’s not helping, it’s wrong.
54:47
I mean, you know, it’s like, remember our moms used to say, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all? Well, my attitude is, if I can’t be of help, and I can’t be positive, then I shouldn’t be part of the group. And that’s it. I’m here to be positive. I’m here to help small businesses. I want to get…
55:12
everything working well. Take care of our industries. I have an address to agriculture.
55:20
I haven’t addressed tourism. These are really important things to address. I haven’t addressed sustainability. I am the guy who’s been pushing for the pay system for the fall of the tax. You’ll see that on Real Solutions Now, to where the county floats bonds, pays for the system, and we pay it back through our savings and through property taxes. Ag needs to be addressed.
55:48
There are a lot of things that can be done, but they can’t be done in the same old ways. And we need to get marketing co-ops for the ag so that people can make money, actually make money. If they’re making money, they can grow. Now, understand, I understand agriculture. When I was a kid, I farmed potatoes. I’ve actually literally plowed with a horse. I’ve had a lot of experience in farms that came in.
56:18
Here we are again. You know, I wanted to give Paul more chance to talk, so we got another tape here because we were a little bit heavy on the front end and talking conversation. We can go on talking a long time, and I know you have a lot. Probably you want to maybe give him a quick laundry list and the things that are important to you, and then we’ll wrap it up. Because I know when you see Paul on the street, come up and say hello. I know that he can share with you in great detail.
56:48
You also have a website, don’t you? Yes, I do, and it’s paullaub.com. L-A-U-B. Correct. And I want to talk just a couple of seconds about the sustainability in the ag. And there’s a big market out there, especially in Wahoo.
57:07
that could really use our products right now. What we have to do is get the products to them in the cheapest possible way. Sustainability is the critical issue, but we have some good answers for that, and let me give you some.
57:22
Right now, they’re flaring gases over at the landfill that would produce from one to three megawatts of power. Right now, we could institute an H-powered system where we burn the combustibles from the landfill, which would reduce the landfill by 90%. Right now, we could institute a separation system. I tried it myself. I contacted the landfill, and it says, I’ll buy your bikes. Just set them aside. No, we don’t want to do it.
57:51
Can you imagine that? I’m saying, I’ll buy them. Here’s money. No, we don’t want to do it. Now, our government here, our county government, sent people to Monterey County to look at their system. And they have a place called Last Chance Mercantile. And they separate out all the stuff that is usable, because people send over stuff that is usable. And when I had my little bicycle shop up the street, people would come by and just lean stuff. Here, sell this. Sell these tables. Sell these chairs.
58:20
We don’t want them, we don’t want to take them to the landfill. And I do that. I sell chairs for five bucks each. Good chairs. I’m going to cut them off and get them back to the ending, because we’re wrapping, because we’re running out of time. Okay. Because these are the kind of subjects that, obviously, you can look at your website, and you can also, when you see Paul, talk to him. But I just want to give you a chance to do a summation, because otherwise…
58:43
Believe it or not, this is what we want. Someone with enough passion that we run out of time because you’ve got a lot of stuff you want to talk about, which is good. Well, thank you very much. Listen, you’ve basically heard me. This is the kind of guy I am. I’m a basic family guy. And if you think that I’m the best guy for the job, to get the job actually done because of my skills and abilities…
59:09
There I am. Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to listen to me. Aloha. And thank you for coming by once again and getting up close and personal here in 2010. 2010! Boy, the years keep running by. I never thought I’d make it. Thank you for joining us. Aloha. Aloha.
59:43
the time has come to make a change the time has come to unlock the hope that lives in each and every one of us and we must do our part
01:00:01
We hold the visions God dreams of Our hands can heal the ones we love Let’s gather round and let us make a stand For you and me
01:00:19
Unlock the hope and there’s a better life Unlock the hope, there’ll be no turning back But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope The time has come to make a change
01:00:47
The time has come to unlock the hope that lives In each and every one of us And we must do our part We hold the visions God dreams of Our hands can heal the ones we love Let’s gather round and let us make a stand
01:01:16
for you and me unlock the hope and there’s a better life unlock the hope there’ll be no turning back but nothing changes unless we unlock the hope but nothing changes unless we unlock the hope
01:01:46
But nothing changes Unless we unlock the hole Unless we unlock the hole
