I don't think it's that.
I lived there for thirty years. The corruption in Hawaii government at all levels is unbelievable if you haven't seen it first hand.
Born and raised there. Lived there until I was age 38. I still have family there.. The mentality is to accept and not fight back. Its a live and let live attitude. That attitude does not allow investigation into corruption which is endemic in Hawaii. Local news does not investigate ( except for civil beat) . I applaud the residents of Lahaina who got mainland attorneys ( over the protest of government officials) to fight their case, because I think local attorneys are suspect. That is why no one bothered to protest in 2018 when Lahaina almost burned down. Whats really ridiculous is people posting on social media they lost their job and rental house, but have not bothered to do anything about their current situation. Living in a hotel the government is paying for, getting a monthly stipend from FEMA and not doing anything. Lahaina is going to take many years to come back, and its going to be a community for the rich. No one middle income or lower is going to be able to live there. Those jobs and homes are gone, take the money and leave while you are still getting money from the government. Start over in a new town.But, they are staying in hotels they will eventually get kicked out of, the stipends will go away and they will be homeless. My friends left 5 days after the fire, knew it was a lost cause. Its a laid back attitude that winds up costing them.