Airport expansion would continue trend

At the recent Kula Community Association Candidate Forum, state House District 12 Rep. Kyle Yamashita was asked the following by challenger Tiare Lawrence: “Would you agree that we have more important issues to address rather than expansion of Kahului Airport, especially considering that we do not have adequate infrastructure to support more growth on our island?”

Kyle’s response was puzzling. “If we don’t expand, and demand from outside to visit our island is still there, it will start to increase costs of airfare for us, and all of us have to travel to Oahu for something, and it will just make it more expensive because it will be a demand thing.”

According to the Hawaii Department of Transportation, interisland flights have been decreasing as overseas flights into Kahului increase. Yamashita’s airport expansion would continue this trend. Competition for fewer interisland flights will cause airfares to rise. This is the effect of supply and demand.

His analysis was wrong and is what happens when you focus on tourism as the most important economic driver in the state, you lose sight of reality and don’t see other opportunities. More visitors to Maui is not the answer to our current situation.

Kyle’s answer also ignored Tiare’s question regarding infrastructure. Maui’s people already pay a high price for tourism in terms of overburdened roads, parks and beaches. Tiare Lawrence is right. We don’t need to expand the airport. We don’t need to become any more like Oahu.

Vote for Tiare Lawrence, and keep Maui no ka oi.

Darren Rabago Haliimaile