Deborah Caulfield Rybak, Author at

Nothing Is Dead in the Land of the Zombies: The twisted legislative saga of the “Corporate Water Theft” Bill

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak April 19, 2019Politics

The passage of HB1326, the so-called “Corporate Water Theft Bill” that affects the future use of East Maui’s water, has morphed from a civics lesson into an episode of “The…

State Democratic Party Opposes ‘Corporate Water Theft’ Bill: Letter tells lawmakers to “halt this bill immediately”

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak March 27, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[A version of this story was previously posted online. It has since been updated. This is the version that appears in the 3/28 print issue of MauiTime.] The increasingly unpopular…

State Democratic Party Opposes ‘Corporate Water Theft’ Bill

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak March 25, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[This story has been updated since its first posting. See the updated version by clicking here.] The increasingly unpopular HB1326 – the so-called “Corporate Water Theft” bill, currently languishing in…

Mahi Pono Plants! Crop plan shows plans for 2019-2020

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak March 15, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[In November 2018, MauiTime broke the story of the $262-million sale of 56,000 acres of Alexander & Baldwin sugarcane land and watershed to Mahi Pono, a joint venture between California-based…

Farm Plan or Lobbying Tool? A Mahi Pono “Farm Plan Narrative” outlines planting scenarios – with and without water. Is it accurate?

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak March 6, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[In November 2018, MauiTime broke the story of the $262-million sale of 56,000 acres of Alexander & Baldwin sugarcane land and watershed to Mahi Pono, a joint venture between California-based…

The Man With the Plan: Mahi Pono’s new general manager Larry Nixon wants more bees and bugs and less corporate hierarchy as he rehabilitates and replants Central Maui’s cropland

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak February 27, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[In November 2018, MauiTime broke the story of the $262-million sale of 56,000 acres of Alexander & Baldwin sugarcane land and watershed to Mahi Pono, a joint venture between California-based…

Stand Aside and Let the Big Dog Slurp: ‘Corporate Water Theft’ bill sailing through the Hawai‘i Legislature

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak February 20, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[MauiTime first broke the story of the sale of Alexander & Baldwin’s old sugarcane lands in November 2018. Our ongoing Changing Maui: Mahi Pono series investigates the new owners of…

‘I’m Still Tiare’: Tiare Lawrence plans to keep fighting for her community – only now she’ll do so as Mahi Pono’s new Community Relations Director

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak February 9, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

Tiare Lawrence strolled into MauiTime’s offices last Friday precisely on time for a noon interview. Wearing cut-off jeans, a red plaid shirt, and long hair wound into a loose bun, she…

Coffee, Cattle and Citrus, Oh My!!! Mahi Pono makes public its crop plans (and a bit of confusion) to Maui community association leaders

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak January 31, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

[MauiTime first broke the story of the sale of Alexander & Baldwin’s old sugarcane lands in November 2018. Our ongoing Changing Maui: Mahi Pono series investigates the new owners of…

It’s the Water, Stupid: Mahi Pono hasn’t told the public what it plans to plant, but demands the water to do it anyway

By Deborah Caulfield Rybak January 30, 2019Mahi Pono, Politics

Editor’s note: This post has been updated since its original posting for clarity and to include comments from Sean Lester and Tiare Lawrence. [MauiTime first broke the story of the…