OCCUPATION: Owns Kahalawai Coffee Cart at the Mahana Resort
RUNNING FOR: Maui County Council seat representing West Maui
MAUI TIME WEEKLY: Why should people vote for you?
DEIDRE ROCKETT: Because I’m
28 and I’ll be the voice of the next generation. I would like to
address the concerns of my generation, including affordable housing and
preserving the open space around Maui.
What’s the single biggest problem facing your district?
I definitely believe it’s a lack of affordable housing for the
hardworking families of Maui. Traffic is another, but that’s in the
hands of the state representatives.
What do you intend to do about this?
I would suggest that any proposed community plans need to include at
least 40 percent affordable housing. I’d like to see 50 to 60 percent,
but that might not be realistic. I’d also like to see the affordable
homes in any project be developed before the market priced homes. And
we need more transitional housing for the homeless.
You’ve expressed a need for more
affordable housing. But might we need a moratorium on building until
Maui’s infrastructure is upgraded?
Yes, I think we do. But the affordable housing does need to be
addressed, and if developers want to address the infrastructure before
building, that should be explored.
What are your feelings on Hawaiian Sovereignty?
I think that as a non-Hawaiian, it’s a pretty touchy subject. They
deserve democracy and should have the right to vote themselves. The
majority should be allowed to vote for either the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs or sovereignty and be given whatever the majority votes on.
What do you think of the proposed Superferry?
We need more discussion and research.
How about George W. Bush?
Bad leadership.
What’s the most difficult thing that ever happened to you?
I don’t really tend to remember the bad things in life. Little
things come up, but nothing that’s that difficult. Maybe just the
day-to-day struggle of making ends meet on Maui.
Where will Maui get its water in 10 years?
I’m hoping from alternative sources we’ve yet to explore. I don’t
think we should be moving water around the island from one area to
another. The big island has deep ocean wells. We need to explore
similar options before just moving water around. There are many things
being done out there that we could be doing on Maui.
What’s the last book you read?
Choke, by Chuck Palahniuk. Very strange!
And what’s your favorite thing about Maui?
The way of life that I grew up living. I live here because I love Maui, not because I want to make money off Maui. MTW
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