Toni Marie Davis, 61, serves as the executive director of the Hawaii Activities and Attractions Association.
LAHINA – Of the 16 commercial permit holders for the Mala Boat Ramp, Theodore King commented on the ongoing struggle for registration.
King, active in the local commercial boating business since 1982, can be reached by phone in Costa Rica. He admitted that he holds three commercial use permits in Mala and has three additional permits in Kaanapali.
King said he was not included in the negotiations between community groups and most other Malla business permit holders.
He wasn’t as interested in talking about why the situation was so tense between commercial and non-commercial users as he was in a discussion “overturned” The condition of the property. commented, “If the two factions can work together, I can imagine a beautiful garden.”
he added, “Mala is a special place. There will be a day, and it is only a matter of time, that it will be as it should be.”
King pointed out that commercial users pay exorbitant fees to the state for the right to work, and they also create stable jobs for local residents.
He described the current ongoing feud as a “A pathetic attempt to divide us.”
King said he had his permit for many years and worked as a beach concession manager at several of Maui’s most popular resorts. He paid tribute to Ed Underwood, who chairs the Department of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), saying, “He’s doing an excellent job for the boating community.”
Also willing to comment for the record was Tony Marie Davis, 61, executive director of the Hawaii Activities and Attractions Association, a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit business advocacy group that represents several commercial boats. Davis said she has been in the business since 1997 and was previously a commercial stray and recreational fisherman.
She noted that despite assurances to the contrary, the ramp at Mala had always been designated for commercial and recreational use, saying that in the early 1990s – when the ports for smaller boats were transferred from the Ministry of Transport to DOBOR – both types of use were authorized at that time and what It is still authorized now.
Davis agreed that there might be a parking shortage, but said that the three times she visited for on-site inspections, including once on a weekend, she had no trouble finding a spot for her car.
Davis did not agree that commercial users were “drain” Slope, saying so “All commercial operators have an incentive to get in and out of the water as quickly as possible and also load and offload quickly. I’ve seen people move in and out in a practical and friendly way.” She said.
Like King, she points out that commercial users pay large fees to the state based on their gross revenue, and that their activities provide jobs for Maui residents.
Davis said she personally believes the ramp would be better operated and maintained if it was privately run. “Each of Maui’s small ports is uniquely different, and needs special care to run it in a way that makes money and ensures it lasts.”
She also said that the most likely reason why she didn’t talk about other commercial boats for publication was “Because a lawsuit is pending and threatened; and that they have been advised that it is in their interest not to comment.” Dubour: The sound of silence
All attempts to contact employees at DOBOR on Maui or on Oahu, in person, by phone, email, through the public information desk, or through their website, have been met with a blackout.
Sometimes the investigation was politely dismissed—sometimes rudely—and sometimes it was directed to a public relations representative who still hadn’t responded after several weeks.