In California for example, certain businesses encourage people to get involved, although they may not necessarily tell these individuals the facts behind the proposed initiatives or their intentions for rallying support. However, there are times when corporations can get involved in the initiative process and skew measures to benefit just them.

I think the citizens initiative process is a good concept that allows for public input. Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizens initiative process. I believe the Republican Party has to do better in engaging with the community and finding candidates that people can rely on so they can vote them into office.Īs far as transparency goes, I think that regardless of what political party legislators identify with, they should always be able to sit down, work together, compromise as necessary and find solutions for what’s good for the community – not what’s good for just their specific party.ĥ. How would you ensure there is an open exchange of ideas, transparency and accountability for decisions? What do you see as the consequences of one-party control, and how would you address that?

Hawaii has the most lopsided Legislature in the country, with only one Republican in the Senate and only four in the House. I believe we should identify and build partnerships with interested mainland-based businesses that are willing to invest in putting up the infrastructure, as well as educate, train and hire local people to do the specific type of work their companies require, so our residents can get professionally trained and paid fair wages.Ĥ. As a former union leader, I have seen companies come to Hawaii and pay our local workers less than what they would pay people on the mainland for similar, comparable jobs, and I think this is unfair. One of my campaign priorities is job creation. What ideas do you have to help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here? An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by, a problem that reaches far beyond low income and into the middle class, which is disappearing. I also think we should focus more on providing opportunities for the creative media and film production industries to thrive in our state.ģ. It can even help ensure that we have a safe food source in case of any food shortages that may occur. If fully developed and supported through funding and framework, I think it can be a very sustainable industry. Agriculture has been here for many years, dating back to when Native Hawaiians began producing and cultivating taro plants on various parts of the islands. I believe we should focus more on reviving Hawaii’s agriculture industry to diversify our economy. Our state’s lawmakers need to have more meaningful discussions with tourism industry professionals to identify solutions that both support our economy and address the issues brought up by the local community. Our islands draw in visitors every year because of their beauty and resources that are not found anywhere else, and our current systems are built to accommodate and economically benefit from tourism. It’s challenging to limit tourism because we cannot completely stop the influx of people coming into Hawaii. What, if anything, should be done differently about tourism and the economy?

Many people have talked about diversifying the local economy for many years now, and yet Hawaii is still heavily reliant on tourism. The people who live in our district understand the need for more homes and businesses to be built they just want to mitigate the traffic issue.Ģ. If elected into office, I will work with my colleagues in the state House, as well as other decision-makers within both the state and city and county, to ensure that proper infrastructures are put in place to alleviate my community’s concerns. Throughout the years, we’ve witnessed the increasing amount of traffic on and around this road due to new homes and businesses being established in the area. In my district, there’s only one main road that goes in and out of the area – Fort Weaver. Before more homes or businesses are built within the community, we have to address this major concern for most people since it directly affects our daily lives and schedules. What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?įrom speaking with various members of our community as well as my own experiences from being born and raised in my district, I believe one of our biggest issues is traffic.

Past president, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 996 former head coach, Campbell High School junior varsity baseball team former staff/HGEA member, Hawaii Department of Education.ġ.

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