SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

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Hawai’i’s affordable housing is very unique. 

I would lead with community engagement and education because involving them first, would ensure local needs are met. This is about the community, and to start, we need to listen to their needs and concerns so we know how to strategize. 

 

A suggestion that has come up from members of the community is revising zoning laws to allow for higher density and mixed developments. There is a concern for air bnb businesses and I personally feel that if it is a secondary unit on the same parcel, there should be no issue. A lot of locals rent out rooms, or secondary units of their home to help pay for their mortgage. I have also seen bakery stands in front of homes. Puna is located further away from most convenience, and little home shops aren’t just helping our people create income for their ohana, it brings convenience to our unique town.

 

Tax breaks is also something that I know the community would like to see. I would be supportive of eliminating the G.E. tax as well. I would advocate to streamline permits for affordable housing projects and foster public-private partnerships to leverage resources effectively.

 

I will support protecting tenants through rent control, and eviction regulations, and help to preserve the existing affordable units. I believe that being resourceful, and refurbishing abandoned buildings/houses, and turning them into affordable housing units would work well.

 

 

 

 

STRONG ECONOMY

 

In an article published by yahoo finance, in February of 2024, they listed Hawai’i as the 3rd most taxed state in America, with a tax burden percentage of 14.1% and we are in 2nd place for the Top 5 U.S. places with the highest cost of living. 

 

Personally, I think that we need to be more resourceful in our state spending, and learning from our past failures before solidifying any large projects. The New Aloha Stadium is decreasing their seating capacity from 50,000 to 25,000. I’m not familiar with all the logistics of this project but from the outside looking in, if we lower the capacity, in what areas will we see the return on investment or even make profit from this new stadium? I think we are missing common sense from a lot of the decision making happening in the legislature. I think the bids for contracts should go to the local people first, and it should be transparent and fair. If we utilize the talent here in Hawai’i, our people could prosper. Who better to help build Hawai’i up, than the people who experience how it is to live here?

 

I think that many awarded contracts are overpriced and I think we overspend. Anyone with money would not pay a ridiculous amount for projects.

 

I will support policies that regulate and enforce state contract bidding.

 

We can look into developing industries that would diversify our economy like technology, aquaculture, and agritourism.

 

We should also be supporting small businesses by having easier access to learning about how they can receive grants, low interest loans, and business development programs that can foster entrepreneurship and job creation.

 

 

 

 

SUPPORT FOR HEALTH CARE

 

Access and quality of healthcare are issues that many people in Hawai’i face daily.  Especially in rural areas, like Puna.

 

We need to be able to implement positive policies that will support our healthcare personnel, and offer attractive incentives that will draw quality doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to Hawai’i. That includes, dentists, and veterinarians.

 

 While I will support enhancing healthcare facilities, expanding telehealth services, investing in health information technology, and increasing access to healthcare providers, we need to first implement and encourage incentives. 

 

Loan forgiveness programs, scholarships, support for residency programs, higher pay, and less taxes will attract high quality medical professionals, and with the high taxes that Kama’aina pay, they deserve the best healthcare in the United States. 

 

We also need to bring more attention to behavioral health needs. Mental health is on the rise, and is one of the root causes for crime, suicides, substance abuse, and even homelessness. Which is a huge issue here in Hawai’i. There also needs to be focus and support for  preventative healthcare so that we can improve the overall health of our people, and reduce long term health care costs for areas like obesity, cancer, and diabetes. Which are amongst the top health issues in Hawai’i, and most times, patients need to fly to the continental U.S. to receive proper treatment. 

 

 

 

AGRICULTURE

 

Supporting agriculture in Hawai’i must involve various strategies that aim to address our unique challenges. We should acknowledge the practices & wisdom of local and Hawaiian farmers before integrating modern agricultural strategies. I will advocate for policies that produce tax incentives, fair trade practices, & regulations that actually support our farmers. I support opportunities like agritourism that will allow visitors to learn more about Hawai’i’s agriculture, and educate them about the importance of supporting our local farmers. 

 

Education is key for the future of Hawai’i to prosper. Supporting any opportunity that introduces education or training for Hawai’i’s farmers to adopt business management skills, sustainable practices and modern agricultural techniques will be a priority for me. 

 

Elevating existing programs, and businesses and/or developing new ways of facilitating access to local markets is a way we can also support our beautiful agricultural industry. But it will take the collaboration of our community to foster solid partnerships, gain trust in our government, and build positive policies that will help bring prosperity.

 

Our government should be partnering with farmers to learn how to build positive financial support options that will benefit our communities. Grants, low interest loans, or subsidies will help the agricultural industry here in Hawai’i. 

 

Hawai’i’s agriculture is unique and special. When we talk about diverse options for our economy, agriculture is one, if not, the top option to consider, and support.

 

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GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

 

1. Strong Open Records Laws: Strengthen and enforce laws that ensure public access to government records unless exempted by law.

2. Independent Oversight Bodies: Establish independent agencies to monitor and enforce transparency standards and investigate complaints.

3. Whistleblower Protections: Strengthen and enforce strong protections for whistleblowers reporting misconduct within government agencies.

4. Public Access to Meetings: Enforce government meetings are open to the public with clear agendas and accessible minutes and recordings.

5. Financial Transparency: Enforce transparent budgeting, expenditure reports, and audits accessible to the public.

6. Ethics and Disclosure: Strengthen laws requiring public disclosure of financial interests and conflicts of interest among officials.

7. Training and Education: Educate government employees and the public about transparency laws and practices.

8. Technology and Accessibility: Use technology to improve access to government information through user-friendly online portals.

9. Public Awareness and Engagement: Promote transparency through public awareness campaigns and encourage civic participation.

10. Legal Remedies: Establish and enforce legal consequences for non-compliance with transparency laws, including civil penalties.

11. Regular Audits: Conduct independent audits to assess compliance and publish findings to ensure accountability.

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ENHANCING HIGHWAY 130 AND ROUTE 137

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In short, it is not only an inconvenience for our fast growing community, it is a disaster waiting to happen. There have been "talks" about widening Keaau-Pahoa road and building another route, but we have yet to see action on it. Re-opening Route 137 is also a priority that must be expedited. I have been attending county meetings hosted by our current county council woman, and there are many, many concerns from the community that have been ignored by our current Representative. 

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I would consider these road enhancements an emergency. It's only a matter of time before the next natural disaster hits. There have been many warnings of potential wildfires to the State of Hawai'i, also the shaking of California lately has been alarming. In the case of a large tsunami, wildfire or lava flow, our community will suffer great tragedy if something is not done immediately. It is an overdue project, and I have already reached out to our current county council woman to talk about this. I will echo the voices of our community and make every effort needed to start work with the department of transportation and county immediately.