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Both Gov. Josh Green and President Joe Biden promised the Maui rebuild will be for residents, while rumors spread that resort hotel developers are eager to buy destroyed properties.
The governor invited tourists back to supply desperately needed dollars to support the rebuild, but there’s no guarantee these tourist dollars will stay inside Maui and not go to internationally owned chains and absentee landlords.
Why not impose a special “tourist rebuild” tax on all hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals and dedicate it to rebuilding affordable housing, health care facilities, local schools and libraries, and meeting other needs of the thousands of displaced residents?
Peter Guerrero
Port Townsend, Wash.
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