Mark Sheehan Archives - The Maui Independent

Hawai’i Will Become First State in USA to Ban Toxic Pesticide Chlorpyrifos Robust People-Powered Effort Pressures Lawmakers to Pass Historic Pesticide Bill That Includes Buffer Zones & Disclosure

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - April 30, 2018

In a victory for people power, Hawai’i is about to become the first state in the nation to ban the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. The ban is part of a historic new pesticide regulation bill that had already passed the House, and on Friday, April 27, passed the Senate Conference Committee. The bill, after enormous opposition from

Massive A&B Corporate Water Theft Faces Public Comment In Maui The aqueduct system and corporate water giveaway are rooted in century-old plantation-era water contracts

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - February 23, 2017

On February 22 and 23, 2017, Maui citizens will have a chance to speak out against a 30-year extension of a rigged plantation-era water system that for more than a century has diverted the majority of all the water from vibrant streams on the island to benefit the Alexander & Baldwin Corporation for less than

Passage of Amendment 12 Scores Historic Win for Maui Water Rights For years plantation owner Alexander & Baldwin paid almost nothing to use majority of island’s water

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - March 28, 2023

With the historic November 2022 passage of Charter Amendment 12, establishing the East Maui Community Water Authority, there is hope, for the first time in 145 years, that the people of Maui will finally gain control over the island’s largest public water source. “The water leases are up for grabs, and the DLNR (Department of Land

Endorsement: Yes on 12 & ‘Onipa‘a 2022 Candidates Vote to stop development money from buying control of Maui's County Council

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - October 28, 2022

View the Maui Independent’s video endorsement, narrated by Alika Atay, or read the text version of the commentary below. Corporate America has a vision for Maui’s future. It is the same vision they have had for 130 years. It is a vision of ruthlessly exploiting our island’s bountiful environment and hard working people for their

Betrayers of Maui Democracy Ask Voters to Re-Elect Them This November Arakawa, Victorino, Crivello, and Hokama Enabled Monsanto’s Historic Theft of Voter-Approved GMO Moratorium

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - October 25, 2018

The public initiative system is a unique and magnificent tool for grassroots democracy. Four years ago, Maui’s GMO Moratorium made history in a number of significant ways. First, it made local history by becoming the first public initiative effort in Maui history to get on the ballot. It did this through the hard work of

Hawai’i Will Become First State in USA to Ban Toxic Pesticide Chlorpyrifos Robust People-Powered Effort Pressures Lawmakers to Pass Historic Pesticide Bill That Includes Buffer Zones & Disclosure

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - April 30, 2018

In a victory for people power, Hawai’i is about to become the first state in the nation to ban the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. The ban is part of a historic new pesticide regulation bill that had already passed the House, and on Friday, April 27, passed the Senate Conference Committee. The bill, after enormous opposition from

Landmark Case Puts Cancer Risk of Monsanto’s Roundup on Trial For The First Time in US Courtroom, Renowned Health Experts Link Popular Pesticide to Cancer

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - March 14, 2018

The most heavily used chemical weed killer in human history has been declared carcinogenic by a team of health experts testifying last week in San Francisco’s U.S. District Court. While government agencies have declared Roundup safe, based on corrupt science and flawed analysis (often drawing from Monsanto-funded studies), a lawsuit on behalf of farm workers

Maui County Council’s Proposed 2018 Budget Supports Tourism, Stiffs Locals Testify This Week or Call Budget Chair Hokama at 270-7768 to Express Yourself

Posted by Mark Sheehan - April 26, 2017

There was a character in a William Faulkner novel who learned early in life “that words go up in the air in a column of thin smoke, but doing goes along the ground.” The Maui County Council’s old guard talks about issues affecting residents: affordable housing and “solving the workforce housing crisis”, homelessness, water quality

‘Onipa’a 2022 Candidates Unite Against Pro-Development Millions Flooding Council Election Johnson, Paltin, Rawlins-Fernandez, Sinenci, Ahia, Boone, Hocker, and Knox fight to preserve Maui’s five person progressive majority

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - October 17, 2022

As Maui’s electorate prepares to vote for County Council candidates a clear choice has emerged. Eight progressive candidates have united as ‘Onipa’a 2022 on a platform of protecting our island’s fragile resources are facing off against a group of corporation-friendly candidates seeking to turn back the clock to the days when developers and agrochemical companies

A Tribute to Maui’s Dedicated Activist Mark Sheehan Mark Was a Guiding Force and Tireless Fundraiser Behind Many Environmental Efforts

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - September 15, 2022

Mark Sheehan, a champion for Maui’s environment and progressive causes, passed away on September 9 in Haiku at the age of 87. He had contracted glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. “It was pretty brave,” reports his son Michael Scott. “He knew after the diagnosis that he was facing his end, and he didn’t

Maui’s People-Powered Candidates Poised to Take Majority in 2018 County’s Monsanto-Boosting Old Guard Establishment May Lose its Majority Stranglehold in Historic Election

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - July 26, 2018

The upcoming 2018 Maui election offers an extraordinary, historic opportunity to change the power structure that has limited progressive change on our island. The Maui Ohana wing of the County Council – Elle Cochran, Alika Atay and Kelly King – is poised to be joined by another wave of reformist candidates seeking to take Maui

GMO Crops Have Become the Hot Potato of Maui Politics Under Pressure, A&B Attempts to Mislead Maui County Council and Public About Their Plans For Former Sugar Plantation Land

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - September 15, 2017

In April at the Maui Energy Conference, Rick Volner, the general manager of diversified agriculture for Alexander & Baldwin, gave a presentation on how Maui’s thousands of acres of former sugar cane land could be utilized in the future. “We have the significant opportunity to alter that landscape,” he said. “Our lands are uniquely positioned

Activate Locally: Empowerment is the Answer to Despair We can’t just let unconscious people acting on behalf of oligarchs and polluting corporations crush our way of life, whether they work in Washington or Kahului

Posted by Mark Sheehan - March 26, 2017

Now that President Donald Trump and his Goebbels-like propaganda boss Steve Bannon have taken control of Washington, it feels as though fascism is back in fashion. But so is activism. As a fertile springtime begins, we are watching an exciting new form of activism evolve that is inclusive, robust, and growing more muscular by the

Mike White Misleads Maui Public In Desperate Attempt To Acquire Control Of County Council

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - December 31, 2016

Facing a political hailstorm in response to naming himself the powerful Chairman of Maui’s County Council through an illegally rigged secret pre-election, Mike White yesterday issued a statement on the Council’s public website defending his actions. White’s response doubles down on his dishonesty. He is now using the taxpayer funded website to both deflect public

Will an Illegal Backroom County Government Control Maui’s Future?

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - December 28, 2016

On November 11, just three days after Maui’s political establishment suffered unexpected Election Day losses to the Maui Ohana (family) slate of reformist candidates, Mike White, the Chair of the County Council, made a shocking announcement. In clear violation of the Maui County Charter (Section 3.5 here) which states that the vote for the Council

Hawaii State Government Wakes Up To It’s Pesticide Problem

Posted by Jon Woodhouse - December 17, 2016

The state is finally taking some first steps to address concerns about pesticide drift from large agri-chemical company operations in Hawaii. In a joint press statement, the Hawaii Departments of Health and Agriculture described several initiatives recommended by the state/county sponsored Joint Fact Finding Group Report. Plans include a $500,000 surface water quality study (by

Maui Models Eco-Future by Electing Native Hawaiian Water Protector in Stunning Upset

Posted by Jonathan Greenberg - January 1, 2017

As Native Americans protest to protect their ancestral waters in North Dakota and are met with tear gas and militaristic suppression, water protectors in Maui have taken to the ballot box to elect Alika Atay, the island’s leading Native Hawaiian earth justice advocate, to their County Council. An organic farmer and the grassroots leader of

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