Last Wednesday, a day after the wildfires, the county asked visitors to leave Lahaina and the island as a whole as soon as possible.
Officials soon urged people to avoid the island entirely, except for essential travel. “In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate,” the Hawaii Tourism Authority said.
Many travellers heeded the advice. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, some 46,000 people left the island.
But thousands did not. Some ignored requests to leave Maui immediately, while others flew in after the fire - decisions that have angered some.
“If this was happening to your hometown, would you want us to come?” said resident Chuck Enomoto. “We need to take care of our own first.”
Let’s see … chose rebuilding an important historical and cultural center of Native Hawaiians - and provide temporary shelter, food and money until the rebuild is complete - vs cater to rich assholes who own most of Hawaii or just want to visit, even tho 106 are confirmed dead with only 27% of the disaster area searched?
Choose people over economy every gd time.