I have always been a little skeptical of Hawaii government but now I am downright terrified. The rhetoric of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and more recently Gov. Josh Green, concerning the statewide housing shortage and particularly Maui County for those displaced by the fires, is alarming.

Forcing property owners to rent to certain people and under dictated terms is government overreach, to say the least. People who own short-term rentals or long-term rentals are free to rent to anyone they wish, or no one at all. This is another example of a ham-fisted policy that could do more harm than good.

As well as demonizing the folks that own short-term rentals, offering crazy rent subsidies will have the affect of driving up rent for everyone and likely will lead to unscrupulous landlords finding ways to get rid of long-term renters so they can cash in.

This is not China, and these socialist policies need to be nipped in the bud. I am confident the courts will do just that.

Steve Alumbaugh

Wailuku

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