Inspired by Dolly Parton's My People Fund, Oprah and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson have founded the People's Fund of Maui to provide $1,200 a month for as long as possible to everyone in Maui who has been displaced from their homes by the fires. This is incredible news and in one way can be seen as a victory for this petition in that people who lost their homes will begin receiving monthly income without strings to help them recover and rebuild. But we also can't just keep depending on celebrities to provide the assistance that the federal government should be providing. There are also more people impacted on Maui than only those who lost their homes, who do not qualify for the $1200/mo, and also those who should qualify who likely won't get the money due to being unable to provide the necessary proof.
The tourism industry that the entire island of Maui relies upon for 70% of its economy has been devastated, with tourism now at 25% of what it was before the fires, which has already caused the permanent closing of businesses. Unemployment in Maui has skyrocketed from pre-disaster levels. This isn't only about those who lost their homes, but also about those losing their jobs, and those keeping their jobs but seeing smaller paychecks due to less tourism.
For Maui to fully and most quickly recover, the federal government should take this opportunity to do something unprecedented. It should provide monthly disaster relief payments universally to each and every resident of Maui for at least one year. Universal payments would ensure that no one in Maui goes without help, and the extra income would serve to boost the economy from the additional spending of locals instead of tourists. Businesses that would otherwise be forced to close their doors could keep them open, and would-be entrepreneurs in Maui could even open up new ones that would have local customers, creating new jobs in Maui instead of watching them disappear.
As climate-related disasters continue to accelerate and worsen, the federal government needs to recognize monthly basic income as one necessary component of not only recovering from disasters, but also escaping them and better preparing for them. There should always be an income level below which no one is allowed to fall, and now is the time to show just how effective that can be in protecting and rebuilding Maui, and in growing the resilience necessary to confront future disasters.
Every resident of Maui should be provided by the federal government a monthly basic income floor upon which to rebuild. For those with high incomes who don't need the money, they can opt out by not applying for it.
Please sign and share this petition today if you agree and show your support for the residents of Maui. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and please also consider a donation to the People's Fund of Maui.