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We often talk about how left-wing policies are not only dangerous but also deadly. Look no further than misguided programs like “Defund the Police,” the ghastly “bail reform” program, or the cult-like belief in climate change. All of these programs, among others, have led to death and destruction across the country. Sadly, the tragic consequences of these policies became painfully clear in Maui, where a deadly and devastating fire tore through the island, destroying nearly everything in its path. While there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the fires and a multitude of theories, one thing we know for certain is that a climate change zealot and Hawaii official named M. Kaleo Manuel refused to release so-called “sacred” water, a decision that contributed to the deaths of over 106 people.

Manuel, who was recognized by the Obama Foundation as an Asian Pacific “Leader”, delayed the release of the water that could have helped landowners save their property due to his Marxist belief in “equity” and perhaps also due to his weird left-wing pagan views about not using water because it is “sacred” as seen in the above video. According to the Obama Foundation website, Manuel believes that “ancient wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge of native peoples will help save the Earth” and he is “passionate about elevating native and indigenous ways of knowing in all spheres of discourse and dialogue.”

Obama Foundation website bio — you can’t make this up.

It’s been widely reported that locals tried to hose down their homes with water to protect them by the fire, but their water was shut off. By time the water was finally released, it was way too late.

Honalulu Civil Beat:

With wildfires ravaging West Maui on Aug. 8, a state water official delayed the release of water that landowners wanted to help protect their property from fires. The water standoff played out over much of the day and the water didn’t come until too late.

The dispute involved the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ water resource management division and West Maui Land Co., which manages agricultural and residential subdivisions in West Maui as well as Launiupoko Irrigation Co., Launiupoko Water Co., Olowalu Water Co. and Ha’iku Town Water Association.

DLNR delayed releasing water requested by West Maui Land Co. to help prevent the spread of fire, sources familiar with the situation said.

Mr. Manuel “balked” at the requests. The Civil Beat continues:

Specifically, according to accounts of four people with knowledge of the situation, M. Kaleo Manuel, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and DLNR’s deputy director for water resource management, initially balked at West Maui Land Co.’s requests for additional water to help prevent the fire from spreading to properties managed by the company.

According to the sources, Manuel wanted West Maui Land to get permission from a taro, or kalo, farm located downstream from the company’s property. Manuel eventually released water but not until after the fire had spread. It was not clear on Monday how much damage the fire did in the interim or whether homes were damaged.

Manuel declined to be interviewed for this story. DLNR’s communications office said in an email that it was supporting the state’s emergency communications response and “unable to facilitate your inquiry at this time.”

The governor, Josh Green, hinted that the horrible decisions of Manuel, and perhaps other local officials, might even be criminal. The state attorney general is getting involved. Check out his comments as reported in the Civil Beat:

“One thing that people need to understand especially those from far away is that there’s been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years,” Green said. “It’s important that we’re honest about this. People have been fighting against the release of water to fight fires. I’ll leave that to you to explore.”

“We have a difficult time on Maui and other rural areas getting enough water for houses, for our people, for any response,” Green added. “But it’s important we start being honest. There are currently people still fighting in our state giving us water access to fight and prepare for fires even as more storms arise.”

Green said the state is in the midst of a “comprehensive review” by Attorney General Anne Lopez of decisions made before and during the firefighting efforts.

“There will be multiple reviews at every level,” he said.

State legislators knew this was a serious issue for West Maui and failed to act.

In 2022, two Maui senators, Gil Keith-Agaran and Lynne DeCoite, introduced a measure to push DLNR to allow fresh water to be used to fight fires and pointed to West Maui as being particularly vulnerable.

The bill noted that “in 2019, West Maui suffered from an active fire season in which wildfires scorched twenty-five thousand acres of land.” It would have required DLNR to “cooperate with the counties and reservoir owners to develop protocols and agreements for the use of reservoir waters for fire safety purposes.”

Specifically, the measure said, “The protocols and agreements shall address the emergency use of reservoir waters for prevention, control, and extinguishment of fires while taking into account the various competing uses of reservoir waters.”

The bill died without a hearing.

In this case, it turns out that “elevating native and indigenous ways of knowing” turned out to be a huge disaster. The “ancient wisdom and traditional ecological knowledge of native peoples” apparently involves not using water to stop the spread of deadly wildfires. The blatant and profound malice and negligence arising from ideological stupidity in this situation is so severe that it must be considered criminal. Officials like Mr. Manuel should be sitting in jail, reflecting on how their radical left-wing beliefs contributed to the devastation and loss of so many innocent lives.

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