Did the ING THING make Kihei History?

Was this a first for Kihei and South Maui? If not unique, it has not happened in a very long time in our recollection. Last evening (9/5/13) at the Kihei Charter Middle School, our State representative for District 11, which encompasses most of South Maui, Kaniela Ing organized “Lawmakers Listen,” an assembly of six other State House Representatives, including four from Oahu to form a panel of seven to answer questions from an audience that swelled to over one hundred. The process was for those having questions to write them on index cards to be offered to the panel with no limit on number of cards or questions. We quickly lost count of cards submitted, but even doubling and tripling up the questions into more complex ones to expedite, it became impossible to keep pace with the submissions. However a worthy attempt was certainly offered by the Representatives.

Ing hosted Speaker Joe Souki and Vice Speaker John Mizundo, Majority Leader Scott Saiki , as well as Representatives Sylvia Luke, Karen Awana, who acted as moderator, and East Maui’s Mele Carroll. For a comprehensive report on the meeting, look for a report in the next issue of Maui Weekly, as well as video on Akaku, Maui Community Television.