Nobody needs to be told that January has been one hell of a month. However, while the Capitol was under siege, and then-president Trump raging, there were some odd echoes of our national divisiveness at play here on Maui, a split being fomented by Mayor Michael Victorino.
I’m referring to Maui’s ongoing pandemic crisis, with vaccine shortages, infection numbers high, vigorous community pushback against some of the County’s policies, and ongoing confusion about what those policies are, exactly.
It started after Maui County Council Member Kelly King held a Town Hall online meeting on January 11th to provide a forum where public questions about COVID-19 could be raised with a panel of informed representatives. Managing Director Sandy Baz attended on the mayor’s behalf, along with Maui Health Chief Medical Director Michael Shea, State Representative Tina Wildberger, and Kaua’i resident Steve O’Neal, a former United Nations disaster response team leader. Appearing to discuss their specific communities’ needs and concerns were council members Gabe Johnson (Lana’i), Shane Sinenci (Hana), Keani Rawlins-Fernandez (Moloka’i) and Maui advocate for the homeless, Lisa Darcy.
The two-plus hour event produced about 500 questions and comments from more than 300 viewers, according to King’s staff. Although O’Neal initially made some pointed comments about tourism seeding the increase in Maui’s numbers, he quickly amended his remarks after Baz pointed out that non-tourism-related clusters on Lana’i and at the Harbor Lights complex in Kahului had contributed to those increases.
It was an informative, benign town hall meeting full of facts and figures, questions and answers.
“You are not going to take over this County without a fight”
Apparently, the event infuriated the Mayor. He didn’t attend the public online forum, but found time the next day to appear at a Hawaii Tourism Authority-sponsored event. There, according to a report from Maui Now reporter Cammy Clark, he told those gathered, “If you watched [the Town Hall] last night there is a group called the County Council, and Kelly King is leading the charge. You go tell her…’You are not going to take over this County without a fight from the mayor and the people. I will guarantee you that.’”
His comments were hostile and disturbing. They eerily paralleled the “We’re taking back our country” mentality that jolted the nation on January 6 as it watched an angry mob overrun the U.S. Capitol. The resulting mayhem cost lives and briefly brought the nation’s business to a standstill.
Victorino’s inflammatory remarks again raise questions about his temperament. During last fall’s hearing to remove County Prosecuting Attorney Don Guzman for anger issues, Victorino acknowledged that he also needed to “do better” in reining in his temper. Like many New Year’s resolutions, that seems to have fallen by the wayside.
Mayoral spokesman Brian Perry was asked several times to clarify the Mayor’s remarks about fighting a County Council takeover, requests that were ignored. However, Victorino’s comments did produce a reaction from some members of the County Council.
Council Member Mike Molina said the mayor’s statement “surprised” him. Chair Alice Lee said she had “no idea what the Mayor meant. I know people need more interactive discussions about COVID-19 and about county concerns in general. Town Hall meetings are one way to reach out.”
Lee added, “It appears our residents want more communication. The Council tries to provide as much access as possible and I encourage all Council Members to work closely with their communities to answer their questions and concerns”.
Council Member King, named by Victorino in his latest outburst, said her first reaction was to laugh. “It seemed ludicrous to me that the Mayor would make such outrageous statements when some of the folks in that audience had also attended the town hall webinar.”
She added, “I received nothing but positive comments about the event and actually thought it was the beginning of a collaborative approach where we could all be in the discussion with the public and people could get their questions answered directly.”
King also found the timing of Victorino’s remarks to be troubling, “right after we had this riotous mob at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. spurred by the President’s speech. I mean, the Mayor’s using those same words. He’s acting like there’s some kind of attack on him or threat to the County, which definitely did not happen at our meeting.”
King said she got good feedback on her event from Managing Director Baz and other panelists, “but the Mayor seems to have some other agenda. What’s scary is that what he said is a lie. And that’s how we saw Trump starting–with a lie that incited the violent riot at the Capitol. So that kind of talk should not be taken lightly.
“We need more informed, honest, collaborative and transparent leaders who can help the public understand what’s going on without politicizing the situation and creating the division that is stoked by this kind of language.”
No collaboration between Mayor, Council
Certainly it would be beneficial for the community to have the Mayor and the Council working together during this time of crisis. That doesn’t appear to be happening. Several council members told me that, although the administration has informed the County Council about how it is spending federal CARES Act money—which it is required to do–council suggestions for addressing the crisis have been ignored.
So limelight-loving is the mayor, that when Lieutenant Governor Josh Green came to the island earlier this month for a quick visit, council members were neither notified nor asked to attend any of the events with Green. Instead, Victorino’s staff put out a glowing press release about the visit, with the self-congratulatory, grammatically awkward headline: “Lt. Gov. Josh Green credits Maui County leadership in [sic] limiting spread of COVID-19.”
Mike Molina reflected, “With the effects of the pandemic on people’s lives and the need for our country to heal itself, elected officials need to set a good example for our citizens by working together and being civil towards one another if there are disagreements.”
Trump’s bullying, grandstanding, and non-collaboration was rewarded with a one-term presidency. If Michael Victorino wants another term as mayor, that’s a bad example to follow.
Saddened but not surprised here.
Mike Victorino has been dismissive of so many of the suggestions that professional members of our community have been trying to contribute since this all began.
Victorino’s arrogance and ignorance mirror Donald Trump’s, even to the point of him now calling anyone speaking out “Childish” and that we should not be listened to.
That’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Instead what Mike is delivering is a series of lies to this community, from the timing of his knowledge of the Temptation Island shoot, to telling the community that the Million dollars of CARES Act funded Turkeys and food vouchers were: “a gift from the Mayor”, to claiming mask-wearing participation on Maui is at 95%.
These are all lies that Mike is dodging, calling us childish for pointing them out and holding him accountable for his negligence.
And just like trump, mike needs to leave the swamp along with ige
I heard a tone in the Mayor’s voice on KITV today that seemed to legitimize what is indicated in this post eg.the schism between himself and the Council. The Mayor stated he was going to wait out this 65% spike increase in cases on Maui before making any changes in his current ordinance. That does not seem to be the wisest approach according to Councilwoman King. I would agree. It is when the cases are at their highest that tightening and enforcement of restrictions like mask wearing needs to take place. The number of non-symptomatic carriers are apt to be at their highest during this spike in cases.
Shame on Mike Victorino!!!!!