There is one thing we can all do to make a change during this pandemic, and that is vote. All it takes is the flick of a pen with this year’s mail in ballot. Before you get out your primary ballot, be sure to get to know your candidates. MauiTime asked each candidate about their key platforms and posted their candid answers here.
Maui County Council, (Makawao-Ha‘iku-Pa‘ia)
Mike Molina
Mikemolinamaui.com
Why are you running for office?
I possess a leadership style that reflects a calm, collaborative and level headed approach which is needed during these unprecedented times. My ability to be open to all ideas and work respectfully with everyone has resulted in effective legislation over the years which includes authoring such bills as the Plastic Bag Reduction Law, Outdoor Lighting Bill, Affordable Housing Fund and the First-Time Homebuyers Fund. My nearly twenty years of service on both the Legislative and Executive Branches of government, has given me a deep understanding of how to expeditiously process legislation that addresses community concerns. If re-elected, I will continue to be an advocate for open and responsive government. I currently serve as the Governance, Ethics & Transparency (GET) Chair and supported settling the high profile, Lahaina Injection Well case and the banning of single use plastics. In addition, I supported placing on the General Election Ballot, charter amendments to establish a County Manager, term limits for Councilmembers and Mayor, Bifurcation of the Department of Housing and Human Concerns and establishing a Maui County Department of Agriculture.
What do you think of the state and county responses to COVID 19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
The County is experiencing the highest unemployment in the State and Country, many businesses are closing permanently, unemployment benefits are about to run out and now we are experiencing a second wave and spike in cases. With that said, I believe more can be done by the State and County. I made a proposal to the Mayor on May 26, 2020 and again on July 13, 2020 to use Federal Cares Act monies to increase the benefit of the Hawaii Emergency Laulima Partnership (HELP Program) from $2 Million to $7 Million dollars to double the assistance for families in need. He recently raised the program to just $3 Million which has resulted in a minimal increase of just $100 dollars for a family of four. With our high cost of living, this amount will disappear in a blink of an eye. Another proposal I made to the Mayor using Federal Cares Act monies was to hire unemployed citizens for temporary County maintenance, clerical, construction and special project jobs to help our people get back to work. To date, he has not implemented this program. I would have not played “follow the leader” like the Mayor did. Because Maui County has needs that are different from our sister counties, we should focus on what is best for us first instead of waiting and then reacting to what the Governor and other counties are doing. I would have preferred extending restricted gatherings over 10 a little longer, allow opening of some businesses and hold them accountable to maintain strict social distancing guidelines, a holiday for real property taxes for residents and businesses using Federal Cares Acts monies to offset the loss of tax revenues. Visitors should be allowed only if they get tested first and that they come from states and countries that have the pandemic under control. As we prepare for the return of tourism, we need to seriously consider mandatory face covering to protect our citizens and minimize the spread of COVID 19.
Schools are opening in August and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers go into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I am a bit skeptical about the State’s proposed opening of our schools opening in early August. There are several unanswered questions which include:
- What are the protocols for students requesting an exemption to not have to
wear a face covering? - What happens to students and adults who test positive for COVID 19 while on
campus? - If schools are shut down due to COVID 19, how will these schools move
towards 100% virtual learning and have all teachers received sufficient training to handle this type of learning?
The safety of students and school staff should come first. Virtual learning should be considered before letting students and staff back on campus. Having classes held outdoors could reduce the risk of infection.
Regarding the timeline for tourism, I would again emphasize tourists be tested prior to boarding their flight to Hawaii and that they come from places that have the pandemic under control. The option to quarantine provides too much opportunity for abuse. I agree with the September timeline for tourism if these parameters are considered.
How should the County and State assist parents of schoolchildren with unsustainable workloads?
The County and State can continue to support numerous education and family programs using General Funds and/or Federal Cares Act monies for programs that address: Infant Care, Group & Family Counseling, Youth Activities and Child Abuse Programs.
County and State government can also do the following:
- Provide incentives for employers who maintain full salaries while reducing
hours for employees who need more time to address child care concerns. - Help develop guidelines for neighborhood day cares for young children.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
My staff posts to my social media and councilmember websites, however, I control and approve all content that is posted. Now more than ever, social media plays an important role in terms of outreach, communication and transparency to my constituency.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
In addition to the previous question responses, I respond to my constituents via emails, “slow” mail, phone calls, and keep them informed with press releases and quarterly newsletters.
Lastly, many local news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
In my opinion, local news outlets are still a vital mechanism for public outreach. Although the movement is towards virtual communication technology, a large segment of our population, including “old schoolers”, still find comfort with relying on print media for news and information.
Maui County Council, (Makawao-Ha‘iku-Pa‘ia)
Aja Eyre
AjaEyre.com
Why are you running for office?
This is the number one, most asked question for a new candidate, but I still struggle to answer it. I would never have guessed the equal amounts of courage and crazy that it took to finally turn in the candidacy papers. But, my journey started because I believe in civic involvement, and too many of our races are run uncontested. And I couldn’t continue to call my friends, family and neighbors to action without leaping to action myself.
Another significant reason I chose to run is because I am continually fighting, begging, and pushing against the County in order to help the well-meaning, hard-working non-profit organizations, youth groups, schools, small businesses, and environmental causes to be able to operate effectively and efficiently. This needs to change. Our county’s operations can and should be streamlined and brought to a more professional and resident-supporting level. I do not think long-term incumbents recognize the county-created roadblocks the common citizens deal with when it comes to running businesses, farming, or trying to improve our community. I could not sit back and let this continue, especially because it limits our ability to economically diversify, provide strong and meaningful services to our youth and kupuna, and be responsive to local problems.
But the biggest push to run came from that recognition that we need one more environment and water warrior on the council to make sure Maui County is on track to become environmentally resilient, responsible, and sustainable. Our environment is the most important asset we have, perhaps more here than anywhere else on earth. It is the basis for our culture, our economy, and our health. We need to practice righteous stewardship, and allow the fresh water, reefs, sea, land, soil, and air to heal from our abuse so that they can continue to provide. The county council needs a few more outspoken and steadfast members who will stand up to off-shore corporations and interests that want to continue to degrade our environment at our future’s expense. We are at a critical point, and we need to be seriously concerned about who is allowed right now to make the critical decisions that will affect our county for generations.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
First, we should have immediately set the precedent to have clear, data-driven, unified messaging. We should have advertised heavily with posters and online videos what social distancing and mask wearing looks like in real life. We should have asked businesses for their recommendations on our implemented policies, as each business and business type has a different situation to handle. We should also have sent a clearer message that social-emotional health is equally important and stopped putting unfounded rules in place that limited the locals’ ability to safely recreate and exercise, give their children outlets for exercise and safe social interaction, and feed their families. We also needed to have a clear plan according to the various future scenarios, as the back-and-forth, lack of any plans, and absence of good leadership has caused a lot of stress for us residents. And we need to recognize that Covid-19 may be around for a long time, so we need to find ways to get everyone safely back to work and school and reboot the economy as soon as possible, despite the existence of the virus, as the long term health effects of the high levels of unemployment, loss of businesses, and dire economic outlook are incredibly serious and seem to be overlooked by our leaders.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Part of the reason for the delay in extending the quarantine waver to September was to give schools time to reopen before tourists came back in larger numbers. Unfortunately, the DOE has not been able to accommodate the teachers’ requests to have more training in distance education, more time to set up their rooms, more funding to switch to blended learning models, and more say in what the first few weeks will look like at schools. So, we are going into the school year in a bit of a mess. This doesn’t have to do with tourism. This has to do with poor planning at state levels. And when tourism does begin to resume, our virus numbers will go up, so right now is as good as it is going to get until we are able to treat or prevent the virus at a significant level. We should have planned to be able to open school on time at a level that feels and is safe for students, their families, and teachers, and that also allows the needed social and emotional support children receive from their school community and provides the childcare that is needed for many families to reenter the economy. So, I think the timeline is fine, but the planning has been lacking.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
The County has had the opportunity for the last two decades to stem the overgrowth of tourism, but it has not. For too many years we have heard that we need to diversify the economy, and yet little has been done to increase support of agriculture, decrease the high costs of existence for small businesses, and allow more post-secondary education and job training. Affordable rental projects have been turned down, while hotels and timeshare companies are allowed to expand. Tourism has risen unchecked by any increase in tourism taxes or growth restrictions. These facets all need to change, and I want to join with our progressive councilmembers to finally see it come to pass.
I am not suggesting that we walk away from tourism or fail to recognize the benefits it can give to our community, but when we are given the opportunity to reboot tourism, it needs to be done in a way that keeps our community safe both from viruses and from overtourism. We need to demand that every resident realizes benefits from sharing their home with visitors. Our county has the third highest tourism rate in the world per capita, and yet we have some of the worst roads, parks, and amenities for local residents. Our schools are underfunded. We pay our essential workers too little. We overtax our small businesses and residents, but when compared with other tourism destinations, we seriously undertax tourism. In addition, most of the money spent by tourists lands in the pockets of off-shore corporations, not in the hands of local businesses owners and employers. Most dire, our environment suffers heavily with too little done to mitigate tourism’s effects. We can increase the quality of life for our residents and the quality of visits for our tourists if we finally get serious about mitigating tourism instead of bowing to tourism.
We have excellent opportunities here in our county to diversify and increase agriculture, and we will have to get creative and ambitious about making it more profitable to farm. Our agricultural land is caught up in the whirlpool of real estate inflation and speculation, and we may have to legislate to help change the way we treat arable, open land. The water rights need to be addressed immediately as well, so that the water is shared justly in a diversified agricultural landscape. We also have room in the county for a more education-based economy, and I would support streamlining the process for “destination” trade, healthcare, environmental, and technology schools to establish campuses in our county. With all of this, we especially need to increase access to affordable rentals for working families so they are not priced off the island. Our local families are the ones who are best able to support and grow a diversified economy.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
Affordable rentals would help working parents tremendously, and we need to look at rezoning some of our vacant commercial areas to be mixed-use so that we can have more affordable housing without developing out into open land, which should be preserved at almost all costs as it is the key to both our tourism and our agriculture economies. Instead of continuing to just talk about affordable housing, like has been done by some council members for almost two decades now, the county needs to get creative and effective when it comes to seeing this through.
The state currently provides heavily subsidized preschool options for low-income parents, but I would like to see some more cost-benefit analyses on universal preschool options to also assist those who do not qualify for full-subsidy, often because they work so many jobs to make ends meet, yet see a large portion of their paychecks spent for childcare. I hope that the pandemic has also helped employers recognize how much their employees rely on school and childcare to allow them to be present and productive at work, and that they will find ways to bridge the gaps between what is available to their employees and what would truly lighten the load of their multiple responsibilities. I also hope that our collective training in working from home during the pandemic will encourage employers to let their employees continue to do so when appropriate.
On a personal level, as a working parent with five children, I know we can do more as a county and state to support families. I work with non-profits who try to provide sports and cultural opportunities to youth, but the County is very difficult to work with. I would like to help the county open up their amenities to our children, youth, and families. We have an underdeveloped arts, cultural, and recreation framework in our county. The County safeguards its physical assets so that our children suffer. We need to encourage high quality programs, businesses, and talented professionals to reach out and teach, mentor, and gather our children so that we help them build life skills, talent, emotional resilience, and forward thinking. Working parents need more access to affordable enrichment programs for their children, and the County can do better to facilitate those programs.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes, I do. Hilariously, I answered two similar questions last week with similar answers, and some of the commenters thought I was a bot. But, I’m not a bot (at least, I don’t think I am). I am a real person trying to maintain connection with potential constituents through the internet. But, I’m not going to lie: I would love some help. I just don’t know if I could subject one of the members of my campaign committee to the barrage of comments, compliments, questions, complaints, and totally outrageous trolls that a public candidate gets on social media.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
This is a great question! I honestly respect and admire some of our current councilmembers who seem to be everywhere. They are at community meetings, festivals, school meetings, events, school plays, and sports championships, and they are willing to take time to talk with the community members about their concerns. They answer emails. The return phone calls. They do interviews with the news media. They keep their websites updates, and they are open and forthcoming about how they vote in council and why. I appreciate those efforts so much, and I plan to emulate them.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news has really been hit hard by the loud and unending bombardment of national news into our homes and on our screens. We become so wrapped up in what is happening thousands of miles away, that we fail to focus on what really affects our daily lives, our businesses, and our future on our islands. Many of my friends and family know more about what tweets come from the President, then they do about Maui County’s unresolved water rights issues, for example. We are so distracted by the outside worlds’ drama that we have let our state make some very bad decisions. Instead of a resilient economy, our county is staring at the possibility of 50% of businesses never recovering after the pandemic wiped out tourism. We are riled up when it comes to national issues, but complacent when it comes to local ones, and the consequences are looking dire.
Local news has so many challenges to overcome in order to maintain service and great staff, especially financially as advertising revenue dips and the move from print to online distribution forces them to compete with a world wide platform of available entertainment and news sources. We as community members need to turn our focus and our support to our local news, our local issues, and our own problems that need to be solved here at home.
Maui County Council, (Makawao-Ha‘iku-Pa‘ia)
Laurent Zahnd
Why are you running for office?
I’m not running for a career, I’m running to be able to protect our freedoms before they disappear. I am running to offer solutions so we stop wasting our Government money and put it where people really need it! I’m running to shine light on the game of pretend our politicians are playing; only taking our most pressing issues at heart to turn them into juicy contracts for their friends, and not even trying to solve root causes, because that would mean offering less juicy contracts! We can’t afford to play these games anymore. Believe me, we are going towards a much bigger crisis and we need a stronger local Government, we can’t afford to simply pass down orders without thinking about the implications for our people. We need politicians that are solution-oriented, blazing fast at innovating and not attached to the rotten status quo. The people who know me all over the Island know that I am exactly that.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Instead of doing like Mayor Victorino, who’s only concern was the sanitation of golf carts and golf courses in his emergency proclamation, I would have made sure that workers in hospitals and senior facilities would be equipped with mandatory respiratory protection that is certified against airborne viruses. And instead of shutting down all businesses to kill our economy, I would have given businesses the strictest safety guidelines if they wanted to remain open. I would also have authorized people to sit and lay on the beach if following physical distancing, and I wouldn’t have parked all the homeless next to the water treatment plan, this is disgusting and degrading, and definitely not helping them at all. Go there and see how you feel, the smell is horrible and the conditions are degrading. I see it as yet another attempt from our local Government to hide the misery of our Community instead of addressing it.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Do you really still believe in that show? They’ve been saying that every month and I’m sure they will be pushing it back once more. How much are you willing to bet on that? The new normal is about bringing old structures down, it’s not really about the virus. You gotta understand how much some people on top profit from that crisis. Your safety is not really their concern, more a way to keep us all distracted and thinking it’s bad luck. I do not agree with the narratives and the brainwash around this ‘plandemic’. I agree that seniors and people who are at risk should quarantine and that businesses and places where people interact should ensure their protocols are 100% safe. Then it should be what people brag about so much: a free country, the home of the brave, not the home of fearful pussies! Remember that people died before all that, yes, remember? You also knew a friend’s relative who passed last year and you didn’t care that much. It’s important to remember that 150’000 people die in the World, each day. Yes, every single day, 150’000 people die. Did you care before all that (?!), because that’s been the regular average for years; 55 million deaths per year, divided by 365; equals 150’000 per day. So the Covid numbers are just ridiculously low and I won’t let myself be brainwashed by the media and the divisive fascist war raging all over Facebook feeds. Flu always killed and it always will. Now people want to be safe? So be it, but let’s work on real safety because these cloth masks aren’t protecting anyone, in case a real virus shows up we’re literally all dead.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Tourism will not come back like it was, at least most of it, and it is crucial we push for a new tourism strategy with testing visitors prior to boarding planes to Maui Nui. In my opinion, our best bet is to redefine our tourism strategy around a “Safe Luxury” branding. We need ‘sealed’ tourist districts, with a dedicated quarantine hotel secured by the national guard. No rental cars allowed, and no way for tourists to move around. Tours and activities allowed on private land if no contact with locals. We need to revamp marketing, make it look sexy and super luxury; “the covid free island; safe contactless holidays with guaranteed physical distancing”.
For our diversification efforts; new revenues can be generated from smartly investing in startup incubators for the following industries having great potential for growth: organic & regenerative agriculture, specifically aquaponics operations because they save 90% water-use, production of ag derived packaged goods for local & export markets, e-commerce transition, online coaching practitioners, construction materials, health & wellness, and in my opinion, by far the biggest economic opportunity for diversification and good use of the land would be the legalization of recreational marijuana. We literally have the best climate in the World for that crop, and Maui Wowie is already World famous!
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
There should be a daily teacher check-in with each student. It can be asynchronous, both teacher and student record their message on video for 1-3 min per student. It is crucial to get back in a rhythm, and follow up with each student so they feel like their progress truly matters. There is also a real need to make school and learning more fun and more interactive, especially if we can’t ‘force’ our kids to get to work. To support the parents there should be help available to setup a healthy mix of screen time between educational apps and entertainment, especially with tech support for setting up parental controls on devices (as kids are now the smarter techies!). There’s an urgent need for field programs that enable exercising, education, and physical distancing without becoming a heavier trauma for the kids (like seeing their previous school environment transformed). Outdoor activities are the best for the kids’ stability and new programs guaranteeing kids and staff’s safety should be created, especially if this ‘plandemic’ lasts forever, we need activities that can keep going.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes, I do everything.
But, thanks for reminding me I should definitely find a motivated volunteer for that.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I look at them in the eye, breathe Aloha with them, and share a nice cup of tea while listening to their concerns and suggestions.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news plays an enormous role in the Community, and it is crucial that it survives this crisis. I believe the best bet is to accomplish the full transition online and adapt business models to create new revenue streams in order to diversify its income from advertising, to gain both more financial stability and more freedom of speech.
Maui County Council, Kahului
Carol Lee Kamekona
Votekamekona.com
Why are you running for office?
I believe now is the time for Maui to become more economically self-sufficient. With this pandemic itʻs obvious to see tourism is paralyzing our islands in so many ways. We need to reshape tourism so it benefits the ʻĀina and its people while providing an adventure for all who come to see it. I envision Maui as a thriving Community and believe I can contribute to that vision.
What do you think of the state and County response to COVID19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Stricter regulations and enforcement needed to have been implemented. I would have isolated all Trans pacific flights to one Wing and had a testing site set up for passengers after they deplaned along with other logistics to be completed. ALL passengers and crew would then have been shuttled to a Central quarantine location until such time when results were in. Upon receipt of negative results and quarantine completion they were free to visit our Islands. To accommodate meals if the hotel didnʻt have a restaurant, I would have had food trucks staged in the hotel parking lot along with farmers selling their produce and vegetables. For basic necessities, I would have a “shopette” set up in the hotel lobby or a daily Costco run. All expenses would be incurred by travellers and charged to their rooms.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
No! I do not agree with this timeline nor do I think enough thought and reason has gone into the safety and health of our keiki and school personnel. We all learn differently. Some through one on one, some through distance learning, some through reading. This needs to be taken into effect and assessed as to how we can accommodate and provide a meaningful education to our keiki. As for tourism, as much as I feel for those who have lost their jobs, I am not comfortable with opening our Islands to all visitors. We should look at where COVID has been at a steady decline or standstill for a specific determination of time (say one month) and open to those areas. Any states, countries where COVID is Still rampant, I would ban them from coming.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Yes, I totally believe we need to diversify our economy. We can build on agriculture and reforestation. This would help our food security and provide building materials for affordable housing depending on what is grown. We could also expand our vocational and higher education opportunities into fields that would help our ʻĀina like ethnobotany, Wastewater treatment etc.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
Promote teleworking as much as possible and allow scattered work hours. Extending work deadlines outside of the normal business hours.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes with some help.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
Whatever is most comfortable for them. I am open to all means of communication. I like the interpersonal connection of a face to face meet. Iʻm somewhat savvy with emailing and thanks to COVID, learning this videoconferencing thing.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news plays an important part in keeping residents abreast of what is happening in our Community or what is affecting our Community. I thank our local journalists, editors and all staff for the hard work and time they put in to providing us with up-to-date happenings within our communities and around our Islands.
Maui County Council, Kahului
Deb Kaiwi
Debkaiwi.com
Why are you running for office?
I am a candidate for the Maui County Council Kahului seat and running to create win/win solutions in the following areas:
Homelessness
Affordable Housing
Wastewater treatment systems
Sustainable energy
Diverse economy
We MUST collaborate with:
Those working in the system, and our Maui State House of Representatives and Senators to discover how systemic institutional changes can make our government serve our community more efficiently. Choose common sense solutions through inclusive participation, transparency, accountability, and democracy.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Collectively our statistics reflect that our leadership has done a stupendous job when compared to the rest of the nation. However, our community deserves an enforceable visitor plan. Allowing visitors and residents to arrive from their travels and mandating them to quarantine in the comforts of their lodging destination on their honor system is irresponsible.
Exempting airline personnel who have been exposed to hundreds of people in the confines of an airplane for an average of five hours from quarantine is irresponsible. As a degreed social worker, I would have chosen a more humane approach when working with our homeless population. At the very beginning of this pandemic period, our mayor seemed to have been adhering to the CDC guidelines and stated that the homeless will not be moved and will remain in place. When in actuality, they were moved and harassed more than once and banned from the use of park restroom facilities during this pandemic period. I would have collaborated with a spokesperson for the homeless, the people, community agencies, and faith based organizations who have been working with the homeless and create a plan where all homeless would be “housed” in an agreed upon area that would offer shelter or an outdoor area with relief and sanitary stations, bedding, towels, and meals.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I understand the economic need that our government has to open our floodgates to travelers and our schools. However, we need a viable safety PLAN! Currently, we are faced with a community plagued by fear. We all want to dodge the COVID-19 bullet. Many of us co-exist in multi-generational homes where we care for our elderly and do not wish to bring the pandemic home.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Absolutely! I support sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, cottage industries, and the creation of an infrastructure that would support remote workers.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads? Childcare is a foreseeable need as parents return to work and are unable to support the new school schedule for their children. I see double trouble for families who have children in elementary, middle, and high school. The DOE placed the responsibility on each principal to develop a schedule for their students leaving the care providers the burden to “juggle” these schedules which may involve a combination of remote and classroom learning. The schedules may not align well for each family. Therefore, if the state and county can support their employees with a flexible work schedule and offer remote working when possible.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
I personally run my FaceBook account and have someone manage my web page and Instagram account.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I would utilize all means of communication to interact with my constituents. Social media seems to have a lot of traction among most voters. I would also create a community association or a neighborhood within my community and hold regular meetings to provide my constituents a venue to address their needs and offer solutions for community concerns.
I also plan to continue my open door policy where I would welcome individuals and/or groups to meet in my office. I will also return emails and phone calls personally.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news plays a critical role in our community as it allows for each individual to be their own critical thinker.
Maui County Council, Kahului
Tasha Kama
Kama4council.org
Why are you running for office?
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
When I first heard of COVID 19 and the amount of deaths that it has caused in such a short period of time I was highly concerned because it sounded like the history of the kanaka maoli was doomed to be repeated. After Western contact the population of kanaka maoli went from 1 million in 1778 to 71.000 in 1853 due to a series of epidemics of measles, influenza, diarrhea, whooping cough and venereal diseases. The 1900 census counted 39,656 full or part Hawaiians. I believe that quarantining the entire state had to be done, but we were unprepared, ill-equipped and uncertain as to what to do, so we listened to the experts from the Center for Disease Control their nationwide instructions. I know that I would have quarantined the county to protect our residents from the devastation expected, out of the abundance of caution. One thing I would have done differently would have been to close the county for a time certain, so people, businesses, non-profit agencies, retail outlets, restaurants and others could prepare their responses to COVID 19 in a timely and efficient manner so as to create the least amount of disruption for their employees.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
It really doesn’t matter what I think because the schools are the responsibility of the state and I have no influence to make them do otherwise. It does matter what parents think of their children entering school and whether or not they feel safe about their child(ren) being in school. And if they have strong feelings against sending their children to school they have power to make change, either by offering alternative solutions, home-schooling children or volunteering to cross teach with other parents.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
I believe that many of us knew this day would come because who puts all their eggs in one basket? Thus, we knew diversification was eminent and so we looked to technology, ecology and science. With one third of our county unemployed we must now look to retraining, education and innovation for future employment opportunities in agriculture, ranching, healthcare, construction, film, transportation and tourism.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
The state and county have childcare subsidies, Good Beginnings and Child Care Connections for those families with pre-school age children at the lower income levels.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
I have a team of people who collaborate on a variety of issues on social media and on various social media accounts.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I communicate and interact with my constituents by telephone, email, snail mail, virtual platforms, social media and in person.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local people look forward to hearing, seeing and knowing what is happening in their communities. Without local news mediums such as MauiTime, Akaku and Maui Now, the community would not be aware of the most recent events taking place in real time. Local people appreciate local news and look forward to their Weekly and Daily newspapers.
Maui County Council, West Maui
Rick Nava
Why are you running for office?
Maui County Council – West Maui
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I believe the State and the County did well in handling the spread of coronavirus. Unfortunately, the State did not do a very good job in handling the unemployment. If banks and post offices can remain open, I do not see why unemployment offices can’t. Further the archaic system created a lot of anxieties to those who became unemployed. Four months later, and we’re still having problems and thousands of unemployed people of Hawaii are very frustrated.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Because we do not have any clear guidelines for the parents and students on how things will be handled in the school, I do not believe it is a good idea to open next month. It will be very tough to ask kids in K-3 to social distance. I want our children and their families to be safe from coronavirus. As for tourism, we need to bring back our visitors now. Unfortunately, because of the continued increase of COVID-19 cases, and being that safety is first and foremost, I do not see our visitors returning to Hawaii anytime soon.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Before we look into diversifying our economy, we need to be sure our economy is healthy. Our small businesses are our economic engine. However, in order for the small businesses to move, the visitors will need to be back on Maui. We need our tourist industry to healthy for tourism is the fuel that will move our economic engine. Without tourism, small businesses will have a very tough time to succeed. And, if our small businesses are failing it will be very tough to focus on diversifying our economy.
If we are to diversify our economy, I want to see our state be a lot more business friendly. We need to encourage entrepreneurship. We need to provide tax incentives as well as grants and loans for anyone who wants to start a new business in Hawaii.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads? I want to see the state and the county support tutoring programs and after school activities. It is very important that while the parents are working, our youths are still learning and are engaged. As a tutor for the Lahaina After School Tutor Program, I know first hand how we change the lives of the kids that we tutor.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
No
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
If elected, I will definitely have a bigger presence in social media. Further, I plan to hold a quarterly meeting in Lahaina to listen and address the concerns of the people of West Maui.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news plays a very big role in our community. I believe in “think globally – act locally”.With this in mind, it is very important that citizens of Maui County of the State of Hawaii are well informed of important news, events and activities accurately and in a timely manner and the only way we will have all this information is through our local news.
Maui County Council, West Maui
Tamara Paltin
Tamarapaltin.com
Why are you running for office?
I am running to represent West Maui on the County Council because I love Maui County and all of our residents, and I want to continue to seek out county level solutions. I am excited and look forward to a second term in office to continue to put the wisdom and experiences I have gained throughout my county career and during my first term into more actions that will help the people of Maui County. I am a voting member on all committees and I have had the honor and privilege to chair the Planning and Sustainable Land Use committee. There was a steep learning curve in the beginning, and I have made it through that phase and I am now confident in my role. Because of my openness, I am able to approach controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner, which is critically important when working with eight other members and representing such a diverse county.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Hindsight is always 20/20 and so while Maui County and the State did get a lot right (with no substantive Federal support), as evidenced by our low numbers in comparison to the rest of the continent, there is always room for improvement. It is understandable, to some extent, that in real time the administrations had a lot of unknowns and were dealing with many emergency functions. I am disappointed with the lack of a comprehensive plan for our unsheltered and where we all go from here. The proven roadmap has been intensive testing, tracing, isolation, and wear your mask policies. Focus should be aimed at dense populations, group and multi-generational housing, low-income residents, travelers and others at high risk of contracting and spreading the virus. Contact tracing is key and technology can be a big help. I would reach out to other areas that have developed apps to help with contact tracing like Rhode Island’s CRUSH COVID RI app where, if you opt in and test positive, you can directly send the needed contact tracer information. Specifically for Hawaii and Maui County, isolation upon entry plans need to be comprehensive and free of loopholes. COVID is a virus – it doesn’t matter if you are in the military a returning resident or an essential worker you may be infected or a carrier – and so we need to work together with public-private partnerships to keep Maui County COVID free with designated areas that all arrivals can isolate until it can be confirmed they are COVID free. With a robust testing program before and after arrival to lessen the duration of isolation, staying in touch on a daily basis during isolation, pinging the app, checking in on how you feel and what you may need, I believe we can re-open much safer.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
As a parent of elementary school aged children, I don’t feel comfortable that the DOE is ready to open at the beginning of August. I have concerns about physical distancing on the buses and in classrooms, as well as our keiki wearing/not wearing masks all day, during lunchtime and during recess. I’m also concerned about school cleaning procedures and especially children being sent to school when sick. I know they need an education, they need to socialize and many parents also need to return to work. But, I don’t feel the DOE is ready. In the meantime, I await the final announcement a couple days from now, on July 23. Teachers need ample time to set up classrooms, learn health and safety protocols, meet with students and families (virtual or in person) to explain health protocols, conduct wellness checks, basic needs assessments, evaluate tech needs and build a school community. Then, they can begin instruction based on student and teacher needs. It’s deeply concerning to know that one positive COVID case can shutdown a school for a minimum of two weeks, especially when plan B hasn’t been clearly established or communicated. I am grateful that the quarantine waiver for travelers has been pushed back and I will request the respective administrations continue to prudently monitor and only lift the waiver based on specific benchmarks. I believe DOE, during these uncertain times should pivot to focus more on ʻāina-based education and do more outdoor learning activities as other states are. Although we know resilience, food security, agriculture and protecting natural and cultural resources are important, it seems we are missing out on this opportunity to put those values into action with our keiki.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Both 9/11 and the financial crisis of 2008 both showed our island’s reliance on tourism, and each time in the re-building of the economy, instead of diversifying we became more reliant on tourism. We need to diversify the economy. Agriculture and food security are top industries that the County has invested in this budget cycle. I also voted to put the possibility of a Department of Agriculture on the ballot to vote on, to help grow agriculture opportunities in Maui County. There are many fields that Maui County is in need of; so, we need to tap into recovery funds to retrain our workforce in fields such as agricultural production/processing, healthcare, elder care, child care, education (ʻāina-based/outdoor), leadership, engineering, community-based policing, and other innovative technological solutions .
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
The sudden shutdown of in-person schooling, sports and afterschool/summer programs has been a huge burden on working families and especially single parents. Maui County Council passed a resolution for a Feminist Recovery Plan, which includes ideas such as free, publicly funded child care for all essential workers. I would also like to see the State and County coordinate with various agencies that provide childcare and use some of the CARES Act funding to offer free training for those on unemployment to become licensed child care workers (among other needed professions), then facilitate the creation of ohana child care “bubbles” with only 3-4 families per child care group.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Mahalo for the question! I have three facebook social media accounts: Council Member Tamara Paltin, Tamara Paltin for Maui Council and Tamara Paltin. Tamara Paltin is my personal account and only I have access to that account. Tamara Paltin for Maui Council is my campaign account and while I have a small team of supporters that have access to that account I am the primary person running the account. My Council Member Tamara Paltin account was created after I got into office and was originally primarily handled by one of my former staff members, Jen Mather, with input from me. Since Jen Mather has moved away, I share the role of posting updates with my staff – Krystal Cabiles and Michele Blair also has editing capabilities. On instagram, I am the only one with access to my Tamara4MauiNui account. My cmpaltin account was started and run by my former staffer Jen Mather and since she has moved, I will take over the account.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I communicate and interact with my constituents in a variety of ways. Constituents can call my office at 270-5504 to schedule meetings via teleconference, telephone or in person depending on the circumstances. I often stop to talk story about current council happenings when running into folks at the grocery store, in the bank, in the surf, at the beach or other events I often stop to talk story about current council happenings. I do my best to respond to all email inquiries. When I cannot respond due to other commitments or responsibilities, I will ask my staff to follow up on my behalf. I try to get the word out about information or actions being taken by my office, or the council as a whole, through social media, press releases and through my Councilmember page at http://mauicounty.us/paltin/. I’m proud to share the success of a Facebook post. One of the local families in West Maui actually saw a post I made about the First Time Home Buyerʻs Down Payment Assistance Program. They applied and received help from this program, so they could purchase their first home here in West Maui!
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
The role of local news in our community is multi-faceted. It helps residents to know what is going on specifically in their own areas. It can engage a community on controversial issues by providing differing perspectives; it can inform residents of events to attend and support, give athletes a boost, and provide an outlet for readers to give feedback. As a truly unbiased source, local news plays a critical role as an additional check and balance on government and other entities, so that any actions (positive or negative) can be exposed and those involved can be held accountable. According to Civil Beat, “Studies have shown that when local journalism disappears, government financing costs go up, fewer people run for public office, elected officials become less responsive to their constituents, and voter turnout decreases.” I agree. However, with or without local news, I am committed to remaining responsive to constituents.
Maui County Council, West Maui
Sne Patel
Joinpatel.com
Why are you running for office?
I am running because I want to give back to the Westside and Maui Nui on a greater level. I have had boots on the ground in the small business community and have been actively engaged with community matters for the last 18 years, and feel that I understand the delicate balance needed right now to ensure all of Maui can come out of these difficult times more resilient and prosperous. As a father of 3 small kids, I feel the urge to help ensure all of our keiki have a bright future ahead of them.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I think weʻre all trying to do the best we can with the hand weʻve been dealt by this unprecedented situation. On a county level our cases have been very low, so I think the county health department and administration have done a great job. On a state level I feel we could have done more testing. Rather than giving incoming travelers (both residents and visitors) the option to quarantine, we should have had mandated testing and designated quarantine sites for them while they waited for their test results. An unoccupied hotel could have served as a quarantine site, which could have helped to limit community spread. The CARES Act money that both the state and county received could have been used for these initiatives.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Having kids of my own in the school system, I am facing many of the same questions that parents across the county are when trying to assess how we can best keep everyone safe and healthy. I feel that increased testing countywide, including mandated testing for all arrivals (residents + visitors), as well as designated quarantine sites will help to keep our case level low and reduce community spread. I think testing school age children is particularly important as the data is indicating that children may be asymptomatic carriers, working to unintentionally increase community spread. This will require funding, but I feel itʻs the most effective way to reopen and begin to help stabilize our economy and reduce our high unemployment, which is tremendously important. New testing technology continues to come on the market, and could greatly help us–there is now a test that can show a positive/negative result in 30 minutes or less, is quite affordable and 90% accurate. We need to partner with the best testing options available so that we are serving our community in the highest capacity. CARES Act money can be utilized for increased testing.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Economic recovery and diversification is a top priority for me. Diversification will help us be more resilient in the face of global forces, such as the current pandemic we are experiencing. I think by strategically investing in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, education, clean energy and IT we can have meaningful, high wage, high skill jobs for our community. To do this we must invest in education, training and infrastructure, including broadband technology. We must also continue to invest in entrepreneurship, for we know that small business is essential to a strong economy. We can also help our current displaced workers transition to new careers with workforce development, training and certification efforts in areas like the trades and technology, for instance. We must ensure that our diversification efforts reflect the values and priorities of our community. For example, increased local, small business agriculture will add to our food security, provide more nutritious food, give meaningful work and help take care of our lands. I think tourism will always play a role in our economy, so we should work to make it more balanced and sustainable for our community and natural resources. I think to accomplish this, we need to bring all stakeholders to the table, especially our indigenous community, to help create healthy diversification.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads? As a parent who has held multiple jobs at the same time, I understand the difficulties of trying to balance work, distance learning and family life during this hard time. The state and county can work to help subsidize youth programs and childcare options to ensure that families who need help have a safe, affordable and healthy option for their small and school age children. When school starts in fall, educational support programs such as the A+ Program could be expanded to accommodate more children and perhaps additionally be offered off-site at a library, for example, during limited school hours by registration for children who are on their distance learning day and not in attendance at school. With state and county support we can find innovative ways to support our families while ensuring CDC health protocols.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes. I, along with my wife, run all of the social channels.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I would help ensure that we maintain a Westside office to work from and make it easier for our residents to have their voice heard and be served by the council. I will maintain an open door policy where people can schedule appointments to speak with me about their concerns and needs. Also my wife and I are in development of a mobile, remote video testimony application called Kūkā that hopes to ensure all of Hawaii is able to lend their voice to critical issues going before our state and county legislative bodies. We are currently working with Code for Hawaii to develop an MVP that will be tested in the coming weeks.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
I think this has been a great disservice to communities everywhere. Local journalism that is based on standards of integrity and truth is essential to keeping our community informed and engaged in matters that impact us greatly. Local journalism provides the necessary sunlight, which is said to be the best of disinfectants. Additionally, the reduction in local news is combined with an increase in consumption of social media news, which can be riddled with falsehoods, inaccuracies and biases, further disserving our communities.
Maui County Council, South Maui
Kelly King
Kellyking.org
Why are you running for office?
I am running for re-election to continue the work I’ve been doing on the County Council. I’ve accomplished a lot in my first two terms while bringing more transparency and collaboration to county governance. There is still more to do to turn the tide of cronyism, corruption and back-door dealings, and I am willing to dedicate myself for another two years if Mauians so choose.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
No, we need much more funding to make schools safe before opening and a more solid plan for testing and tracing tourists before we open. Hawaii has done a great job of keeping our positive cases down, but letting in visitors from irresponsible states that have frightening spikes in COVID cases and deaths is a huge mistake. Instead, we should be focusing on diversifying and pivoting to a circular economy.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Yes, we need to create a circular economy using the Aina Aloha Economic Futures model that focuses on stewardship, abundance and regeneration. Agriculture should be a first focus and the Council has shown our commitment in the current budget. Other industries that present good opportunities include the health sector, film industry, technology development, renewable energy and environmental solutions, to name a few. Tourism is important, but should not be first and foremost, and it needs to become integrated with environmental and infrastructure concerns to lessen the impact on residents.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
We should be spending a large portion of our CARES Act funding (over $66 million for Maui County) on subsidizing childcare for working parents and helping childcare facilities retool for safety! We have organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs, Youth Centers, and other non-profits we could be supporting in this effort.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
I have help, but also post items personally when I have time.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
Phone calls, emails, texts, on-line meetings (since the pandemic). I try to connect directly with constituents who have concerns that are within the purview of the county council, but also have staff who are very informed, intelligent and compassionate who also return messages. We have accommodated organizations who like to schedule regular meetings such as the Kihei Community Assn, Maalaea Village Assn, Realtors Assn of Maui, Maui Tomorrow, etc. and also meet with developers about proposed projects. We have a quarterly newsletter and I have also started hosting a monthly webinar to inform and instruct folks on solutions to challenges like food security and self-sufficiency. My plan for the September webinar is to focus on civic engagement and explain (with Q&A) the proposed charter amendments so voters will understand the November ballot initiatives. I would love media attendance for this one!
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
With my background in journalism, it pains me greatly to see the media disparaged and disrespected by our President. On a national level, the media is largely polarized, with FOX being the epitome of “fake news” and it hurts our country and our democracy that our commander-in-chief is so aligned with them.
I am saddened to see that, due to social media, the role of local news outlets has diminished. I try to utilize Facebook and other social media to educate and inform rather than engage in endless argumentative exchanges, and I still have a great appreciation and respect for journalism and reporting that goes beyond links and cut/paste insertions. Local news can play a huge role in our community if it is fair and balanced, but The Maui News has become a political tool and utilizes shameless smear tactics. We need to elevate true news entities that report objectively and do real investigative reporting!
Maui County Council, East Maui
Shane Sinenci
Votesinenci.today
Why are you running for office?
I ran for office on a progressive campaign to promote Aloha ‘Aina values. Those values support a sustainable environment, affordable housing, and protecting cultural resources.
My first major action in office was to create a county archeologist position. I knew we needed to immediately address the ongoing destruction of cultural and burial sites and create a system to protect cultural resources. The best and most comprehensive way to do this was through the creation of a new position of County Archeologist right in the County government. This idea had wide support and the Council successfully provided funding during the 2019 budget process. Last month the County hired Dr. Janet Six as our very first County archeologist. I am still amazed by the impact she will have. We were very lucky to get her. This is an area that I will continue to work hard on as we will soon begin working on a cultural overlay bill. One of my top priorities has been to provide affordable housing for our people. In the last 10 years, we’ve seen the housing crisis explode, with average home costs starting at $750,000 and 1 in 3 homes being bought up by outside investors and turned into transient vacation rentals. We have a shortfall of 14,000 much needed affordable homes. My work on the Council has been supporting a 1% increase to the Affordable Housing Fund, focusing on helping the most vulnerable residents with incomes at 80% AMI and below and working to add a 30 year and beyond affordability clause to keep them affordable as long as possible and prevent them from being flipped to market rates. There is still much more work to do, including streamlining the permitting process for affordable homes’ projects, creating policies and programs to create more affordable rentals, and looking into alternative mixed-use housing projects within light industrial areas and direct partnerships with HUD.
Another one of my goals was to address the use of single use plastic products. We are stewards of our environment. Plastics have become a major danger to humans, marine animals, and bird populations and damage our ecosystem. Plastics slowly break down into small and microscopic fragments that persist for decades and migrate into our ocean. Microplastics cause significant harm to marine life, all animals and humans and contribute the climate change. My committee inherited a single use restrictions bill from the previous Council. We updated it significantly and held several committee meetings to get it as effective and workable as possible. The full Council passed our bill restricting the use of single-use plastic products. I also worked hard to urge the administration to settle the injection well lawsuit and address the pollution on the west side entering the ocean and harming the ecosystem.
What do you think of the state and county response to Covid-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Our residents’ safety is primary, and we should not compromise public health for economic gain. With 30,000 residents unemployed, we need to find a safe compromise for everyone. In
addition to supplying the Maui Memorial Hospital with the necessary PPE and ventilators, I also support expanding smaller clinics and Urgent Care centers throughout the county to assist remote communities and our houseless populations, should cases increase. I support the continued mandate to quarantine incoming travelers, pre-testing prior to travelling and temperature checks at airports. I think more work can be done prior to opening up more businesses and accommodations like plexiglass barriers and directing traffic flow at stores, encourage outdoor dining at restaurants to promote social distancing, and implementing a more standardized and better monitored quarantine system as well as better contact tracing done for all visitors.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I think the Department of Education needs to provide more safeguards prior to opening school, so I support a mid-August opening date. The main concern is how the DOE will handle any potential Covid-19 cases, should there be any. I would support transitioning high school upperclassmen to online courses since they are near high school completion. I am in support of a hybrid model for elementary students, possibly alternate days of attending school. I think we have a great opportunity to take middle school students outside into the environment and have the ‘aina be their living laboratory. I believe every teacher and parent concern should be addressed prior to re-opening school.
Covid-19 has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed 2 important flaws in our local system: 1) We are not food secure should the food chain break with mainland scarcities and/or shipping disruption and 2) We are over-reliant on tourism as the sole economic driver. I believe we should diversify our economy away from only tourism and that is why I am proposing a County level Department of Agriculture. Maui County needs to put more effort into supporting agriculture and food security. It was disheartening that it took a global crisis to expose our island’s vulnerability. We’ve learned the hard way that being overly reliant on tourism doesn’t promote resiliency. The proposal for a new department of agriculture aims to promote food security, biosecurity and diversifying and strengthening Maui County’s economy, as COVID-19 has driven unemployment to an alarming 37%. The charter amendment creates a Department designed to support agriculture and to greatly increase federal, state and private agriculture grant funding coming into our county. It also streamlines current permitting requirements by having agricultural inspectors perform farm inspections and department experts provide assistance to farmers struggling with the myriad of county, state, and federal regulations.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable workloads?
Due to the global pandemic, the County has received Federal Cares’ Act funding to assist families during these critical times. I support the quickest and easiest route to get these funds directly to struggling families. I supported increasing funding to the County’s HELP program, which helps residents with essential needs such as food, personal hygiene, medicine, rent, mortgage, utility services, phone or internet services, car payments, and other necessities.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
As the current Councilmember, our office receives email and phone calls to our office. We also receive testimony during our online committee meetings and at the full council meetings. Our County office has a Facebook page to receive correspondence, and I have personal Facebook and Instagram accounts. I also made it a point when I started office, prior to the COVID pandemic, to serve East Maui constituents by working regularly out of the Hana office, holding quarterly meetings in Hana, and being regularly present and approachable in my community. Shane.sinenci@mauicounty.us, phone #270-7246. 200 S. High Street Wailuku, HI 96793
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and /or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
During this pandemic, we have experienced the firsthand effects of misinformation. Now more than ever, residents need access to regular and updated news reporting each day. They need unbiased local reporting. By setting the agenda and shining a light on areas that need attention, local media serves an important role in keeping county government accountable. It also serves to counteract messaging by private special interests. Local media takes the perspective of the public interest, something missing in many policy debates. Local news creates better local policymaking by putting a face on local issues and providing accurate fact checked information based upon promoting the greater good of society.
Maui County Council, Lana‘i
Alberta de Jetley
Albertadejetley.com
Why are you running for office?
We have many exciting projects planned for Lanai that will help to diversify our economy beyond tourism. One of them is a $10 million hydroponic farm that is already employing more than 20 people. It will be able to feed our community, supply our resorts, restaurants, and stores, and provide produce to the rest of Hawaii when it is fully operational. I have a conceptual project to provide an assisted living complex with space for an infant care and toddler care facility, a preschool, an adult day care center for kupuna, and office spaces for non profit agencies that are presently leasing spaces around Lanai City’s core. As part of the business community, I want to be able to continue working on drawing more day visitors going to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary into our community to visit our retail shops and restaurants too. I had to close my business during the recession of the 1980s, I want to help bring our businesses back safely after Covid-19.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Lt. Gov. Green has been the voice of reason throughout this pandemic. Kauai’s mayor takes top honors though, on keeping the Kauai community together through a very difficult time. Maui County did step up to do testing, coordinated food drives throughout the three islands of our county, and I like their assistance program for families that can help with rent, utilities and food.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Like many others, I’m worried. I don’t want our children back in school until the State figures out how they can keep them, and our teachers and other staff, safe.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
There’s been a lot of talk about farming but farming isn’t something that can happen overnight. Additionally, speaking as a former farmer, I was a farmer for 13 years; farm laborers are not easy to find. Maui County can specialize in health care facilities, elder care is a growing market, and in technology-based industries. Think of us as being the piko, the center of the world, we can do business with countries located around the world.
Years ago, one of the visions for Lanai was for it to become a peace institute, a place where up-and-coming young leaders from all over the world could come to meet with others and to form life-long relationships with each other.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
What would you consider “unsustainable” work loads in Maui County families were already working two or three jobs to support their families? If you are asking me if the County should step in to provide child-care or after school services for working parents, there are already programs in place that are doing this. I think the County should support non-profit agencies already in place or provide subsidies for families needing financial help for childcare.
Do you personally run your social media accounts? My social media accounts are managed by my grandson’s fabulously talented wife, Amanda de Jetley. She was already managing other social media accounts for my businesses before I became a candidate and also has several other Lanai companies.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I am totally accessible. Call or text me at 808-649-0808. My family tease me that I am the only person they know who takes two or three hours to go from my home to the post office and back. Everyone is special to me, so yes, I always make time to stop to listen when anyone approaches me. Email is also good but it may take a bit longer for me to answer a constituent’s question or concern. As a councilmember, I plan to hold monthly community meetings, write a monthly newsletter and/or column for my old newspaper, Lanai Today, and also be available for private meetings with constituents by appointment in person, or via Zoom, on Lanai or Maui. I accept phone calls and text messages from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, including holidays and weekends.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
I was the publisher/editor of Lanai Today, a community newspaper I started in December 2008 and sold to Pulama Lanai in November 2019 so I could run for public office. Local news is a great way to keep people informed on what is happening in their community. If I am elected to be Lanai’s councilmember, I will definitely be doing a monthly column in the community newspaper and may also be sending out a direct mailer to Lanai constituents.
Maui County Council, Lana‘i
Gabe Johnson
Gabe4council.com
Why are you running for office?
I am running for my daughter’s sake and the youth of Maui County’s sake. For generations our youth were meant to do better than their parents. Are we honestly giving young people a fair shot these days? As many remember me from running in 2018, I feel with the number of votes I got, my message rang true to many Maui County residents.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have stopped the cruise ships from coming to Maui County sooner. I am happy that our state has kept Covid numbers down, however the pressure to reopen is intense. I understand it, but we must not forget how hard we worked in March and April.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I disagree. I want the teachers to be ready to teach. We cancelled schools in spring, we can delay them in the fall. Covid prevention is key. We don’t want to pay a heavy price to reopen the schools, then shut them down when Covid is surging in Oahu at the time of this writing.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Yes we need to diversify. I am an organic farmer and I believe agriculture is the perfect solution to our import-only economy. When we import 90% of our food local farmers have a wide lane to expand. One thing that the pandemic teaches us is that our health care industry needs a boost. The County can create partnerships with job finding groups to help us fill our empty healthcare positions while we can continue to invest in grants for our health clinics and hospitals.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
I am a single father. I raised Momoe on Lana‘i and the price of preschool was a huge bill for a single parent. Presently the County gives grants to the Lana’i preschool. We should look at models to make preschool cheaper for parents who work. Large employers such as the hotels may also find it very valuable to pay for preschool and childcare expenses in many ways. I would like to work hand in hand with unions, resorts, preschools, and concerned parents to help come up with well funded programs with community buy in that make it easy on our working parents.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes I do.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I plan to have quarterly meetings on the island of Lana‘i. One silver lining of the pandemic is that public meetings are often done remotely.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
I believe that journalism should be the 5th estate. It should question concentrations of power and expose abuses of that power. I miss the days of investigative journalism. That is where local independent news plays a crucial role. Readers yearn for trustworthy news and because local news has such a small market it makes it more merit based.
Maui County Council, Moloka‘i
Keani Rawlins-Fernandez
Votekeani.com
Why are you running for office?
I’m running for re-election because I believe each generation must ‘auamo kuleana that our kūpuna have prepared us for. I love my home, where I was born and raised, and I believe to protect our home, we must empower our community. This drives my advocacy for strengthening transparency and participation in government.
I’m currently the Council Member for the Molokai residency area. It has been an honor to serve as the Council Vice-Chair and Budget Committee Chair in my first term in office. As promised during the last election, I prioritized community accessibility to government participation and increased transparency by hosting monthly town hall meetings while broadcasting live on social media, which then replayed on Akaku, as well as, led the transition of council and committee meetings to online video conferencing, while accepting live public testimony from anywhere the testifier was located – making Maui County the first Council in the State to have made the conversion successful.
Simultaneously, I was equally focused on creating solutions for affordable housing and economic development. This term, I introduced and chaired a Temporary Investigative Group on Tax Reform, where I collaborated with my colleagues to implement a progressive tiered structure that provides tax relief for Maui County residents and small businesses, while also disincentivizing outside housing speculation from negatively impacting our limited residential inventory. In the coming months, I will unveil my legislation for a long-term rental exemption, which will incentivize long-term rental use for residents, rather than short-term rental use for tourists.
This budget session, we invested substantial funding toward diversified economic industries and local agriculture that will help keep our dollars circulating here at home while meeting our community’s needs. I am committed to continuing to explore ways to responsibly manage the tourism industry, while protecting the environment, natural resources, and quality of life for residents.
It’s been an honor to serve our community as your council member and to work diligently to deliver on my campaign promises. I’m the youngest sitting Councilmember, with my degree in Law and Master’s Degree in Business Administration. I’ve developed great working relationships with my colleagues on the Council, in the Administration, and at the State level that have proven to be beneficial for our county, as I collaborate with them on solution-oriented actions.
Our community deserves a voice they can trust and rely on in all decision making. I have proven to be that voice and am devoted to remaining a cornerstone for straightforward, hard-working reliable leadership worthy of your continued support. You can learn more about me at votekeani.com.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Of course, hindsight is 2020, and it’s easy to look back at how we would have done things a bit differently. For the most part, in unprecedented times like these, Hawai‘i is fortunate to have found the footing that we have. I would have, of course, liked us to have better access to testing for the public, and PPE’s for our health workers and emergency responders. I would have preferred we reopened a bit more cautiously and kept the 14 day quarantine in effect, while inner island flights and businesses started up for safety’s sake. Like most other parents, I wish more consideration, communication and planning went into how our children’s education will continue, while our community explores returning to work.
Since March, I have consistently advocated that we utilize this valuable time, money, and resources to help our unemployed workforce with free, or heavily subsidized, vocational training and education opportunities to explore stable career ventures, in industries that have lasting power through these uncertain times. I am still a huge proponent for this and would love to see our state and county step up to make this offer to families, while they are home wondering and worrying about their futures.
This is by no means the last we have seen of COVID, and I plan to push forward with these goals in mind. As a community, we need to continue to be mindful to take this virus serious, by continuing to wear masks, physically distance ourselves, and curbing out-of-state travel are still pertinent to avoid flare ups and the anticipated second wave projected for the fall.
I am happy to see that our local businesses are able to open their doors for our residents and begin the first steps toward a circular economy. I believe our state and county have the ability to more aggressively push this effort to the next level and help our local businesses thrive through promotional support, and our local consumers with ease of access to made in Maui County and made in Hawai‘i products. With appropriate efforts placed in all the right places, we could substantially decrease our unemployment and exponentially increase our self sufficiency, steering clear of our previous unhealthy reliance upon tourism, as our only source for economic survival. I believe strongly that we should place higher value on local businesses being able to remain open, and not risk them having to shutter once more due to the high-risk exposure that travelers will surely bring, triggering another devastating full closure.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
No, I don’t agree with the timeline. We are currently experiencing an increase in cases within Hawai‘i and throughout America, each day with record breaking numbers. I don’t think it’s the right time to open up to tourists, especially from places that have been unable to contain the virus themselves. Hawai‘i has yet to establish an implementable plan for tourism management, nor a working plan for opening schools safely. Our residents have sacrificed so much to help keep our community safe. It’s critical that these sacrifices for public safety were not made in vain.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Yes, there is no question that Hawai‘i needs to diversify its economy. It’s been a widely acknowledged fact that has been discussed at nauseum for years, without any actionable steps being made, especially each time that the tourism industry takes a hit and our economy is severely and negatively impacted. Then time passes, tourism starts to recover, revenues swell and we forget how dangerous it is to put all of our nest eggs into that same unreliable basket.
Public sentiment, however, has made it crystal clear: our state has let the unhealthy tourism reliance cycle persist for far too long. The industry is unstable, affected easily by uncontrollable external conditions. We saw this in 2001 after 9/11, again during the economic recession of 2008, and now a global pandemic, where Maui was hit hardest, with over 30% of our jobs being directly related to tourism.
By focusing our investments in consistent industry assets, such as healthcare, agriculture, technology, and skilled trades, the resulting benefit to the larger community will be independence and security during times of crisis. Establishing a strong local healthcare workforce would greatly reduce the likelihood of needing worker aid from the continental U.S. Successful expansion of local farming operations would provide food security, eliminating the collective anxiety that ensues when shipping is impacted during natural disasters.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
In the short-term, we must help our families using the Federal CARES Act funding. The State has allocated their CARES Act funding to help offset rent and childcare. County has allocated additional funding into the Hawai‘i Emergency Laulima Partnership program that provides financial assistance to Maui County residents with essential needs, such as food, personal hygiene, medicine.
In the long-term, I see this as an opportunity for us to reexamine, reprioritize, and improve all of our failing systems. Many families have been struggling for years, barely managing to get by, living paycheck to paycheck. We desperately need to stop talking, and finally implement: single- payer healthcare, a living wage; build and maintain a truly affordable and attainable housing supply, and help with subsidized higher education, so that both parents are not forced to work, especially multiple jobs.
For DOE, we have to pay our teachers appropriately for their essential jobs, fund classrooms, and return to a more balanced teacher-student ratio by building more schools. We have had a romantic relationship with the concept of family values, but have consistently undervalued them by way of funding. The pandemic has put a mirror up to our faces and shown us all that we have been falling short, it’s up to us now to correct our actions and our inactions swiftly and with purpose.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes. I have a Facebook page and instagram account for my campaign, a Facebook page for my council office, and a personal Facebook account.
I keep them intentionally separated and all have very specific purposes.
My campaign Facebook page is managed by myself and my campaign team. My council office page is managed by myself and my office staff. For each of these accounts, my campaign team and office staff will generally post press releases, articles, and public information pieces. For all other page content such as: personal correspondence, questions which require personal response, requests etc., I respond myself.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
In order to properly represent your community, I feel that communication is paramount for all public servants. Communication should be two-way, frequent, and use a variety of mediums to effectively reach as many people as possible, and as often as possible.
Face-to-face is the community’s preferred method of communication. Last year, I hosted an in- person town hall every month in my district, which was live on Facebook, and was later aired on Akaku. Throughout the pandemic, I have live-streamed important discussions with experts on Facebook, regarding the COVID drive-through screening and testing, with the National Guard, while they were on Molokai, and will be hosting a public talk-story to teach parents about homeschooling, as an alternative method of learning.
I believe it’s important to keep the public informed as well, which is why I post updates everyday on my council Facebook page and respond to constituents that comment. I write op-eds in the newspaper to inform and encourage people to engage. When the pandemic struck, I created a website to share resources and important updates, which also became a great way for me to share the intricacies of the budget process.
Communication is particularly important when developing legislation. I fervently believe that public involvement in the creation of legislation is crucial for quality laws that will support and uphold the community’s wishes without negative impacts, which is why I email organizations that specialize in or might have important insight for the legislation being explored and drafted. Recent examples include tax reform, affordable housing, agriculture, homelessness, and environmental protection.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news is imperative, as it reflects the voices of its community. A local press plays an integral part of the democratic process by informing the public of government actions, holding public officials and community leaders accountable, providing a public platform for government officials to speak to the community and the community to speak on issues that they want to bring attention to. It also helps to keep the community informed about one another, sports and soft news, because it’s important to keep a community connected and invested in caring for one another and those things that form an important “sense of community” to help us thrive as a compassionate society.
State Representative, Dist 08
Robert “Bobby” D. Hill III
Hillforhousemaui.com
Why are you running for office?
I am running because I believe I can start bringing balance to our legislature. I am a Democrat but not a liberal. I am a moderate thinker who will be receptive to all factions of the people, including the silent majority and vocal minority. This seat will be held by a democrat for the next two years. I believe even the republicans will be able to tolerate me, especially in the issues involving our rights under the second amendment of the US Constitution.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I believe we are overdoing it. We have experts in the field of pandemics. We could have and still can use a systematic approach to this and use the knowledge that we have. For example: We know that masks can slow the transfer of this flu-like bug as well as hand sanitizing, and not putting our hands in our noses, mouths and other places where we could transfer a virus. I relate the personal protective practices to driving a car. We know people die or get serious injuries in car crashes. That is why we wear our seatbelts, obey speed limits and don’t drive intoxicated. People need to understand that this is the new way of life. The systematic approach would entail a mindset and business model of NOT going to maximum capacity ever again. (We all saw how that worked). As a flight attendant I saw how airlines were using every seat every day. I saw the lines of aircraft holding short on tarmacs awaiting takeoff. We all saw what overtourism was doing to our natural resources. It took a hard whack like this plague to basically “hit the reset button” on our world. Now is the time to rethink everything and bring back our sustainable industries but NOT at overcapacity levels like before. Businesses need to redo their strategies to make profit with lower numbers. I relate this to managing your own finances. Live within the means of a smaller budget. I also believe that at some point the continued closure of our main industry is going to cost the working family. It appears the attitude is that we are going to get federal money and all will be better. I do not believe this. I suspect we will see “fees” sneaking into many of the things that are essential to the working citizen. I strongly recommend checking all receipts for everything from groceries to your car registrations. Ask for a breakdown and verify what has been raised and by whom!
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Children are smarter than adults. I believe they will control the virus better than we can. Protocols for the new way of social living should be put into practice and sanitation techniques must be done, done again and overdone to protect our students AND our teachers!
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
We should have seen this coming. We should have diversified a long time ago. Now we play catch up. We NEED tourism so we must get them back. But as we have seen we cannot depend solely on them. Farmers have stepped up, but due to costs, spoilage and market they cannot fully compete with chain stores, and cannot completely fill the giant hole caused by the temporary loss of tourism. Meantime instead of scratching our heads and thinking we need to move quickly. Pre-plague we had multitudes of our people flocking to Vegas. We know why they were going. We need to look into a State Lottery and also easily manageable things such as scratch off tickets. Many states have limited gambling that helps their economy and still do not have the need for giant casinos and gaming. We need to look seriously into opening this type of
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
I am not sure what this question means but I will swing my mighty axe. Parents with multiple jobs and kids who need to be back in the classroom? Have we not done this before? School buses, A+ programs, what we already have in place that works should be the first step.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Heck yeah! I have facebook and instagram accounts for this campaign and I monitor them all day long. I have a friend who has someone else running hers. I see people posting on HER timeline advertising for other candidates as if she were supporting them. I am constantly texting her to check her page to see if that is what she really wants represented. I don’t find it to be “censorship” by doing my own. It is simply responsible management of my campaign. If you ask my campaign manager though…she would want to censor me over and over again. Apparently doing a youtube video in a tank top that reads “please vote for me” on the front made her cringe. Yet, I have been living a full life here on Maui and in my representative district and have yet to see someone in a coat and tie. Again…a head scratcher. Do I portray the image that I am or that which is not real? Once elected and in session I will dress appropriately for the situations at hand.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
Social media is free and easy but it does not reach everybody. I will use a combination of printed and virtual communication. I believe there is a print shop at the Capitol and there are mailing services and budgets that legislators can use. Ironically, I have only seen newsletters or printed communications recently during campaign season. I would be more inclined to print a newsletter monthly during session then quarterly while not in session.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
With people out of work, more are relying on avenues of media to keep up with current events. People will seek information. They need accurate and real information. We cannot rely on just one source but we also cannot ignore others that we think may be becoming obsolete. For example, everybody was telling me that newspaper is out the door. Nobody reads the paper anymore. I disagree. My wife reads the headlines to me every morning! I took a chance and hurled a stone to put an ad in a local paper. Within 24 hours of delivery I got several calls and emails from friends wishing me luck and offering their support. News Media Works! We must save it in all forms!
State Representative, Dist 08
Kaʻapuni Aiwohi
Votekaapuni.com
Why are you running for office?
Our ‘Āina is being disrespected. Our kūpuna are being disrespected. As a DOE teacher, I’ve seen too many hopeless children. As a father, I see the community that I was born and raised in only getting worse. The cost of living is getting higher, school academic data is getting worse, and an approach to these problems from the typical political establishment is not going to serve the community as a whole but instead a select few. If we don’t change the way we do things then our children will have to work that much harder to catch up with the rest of the world.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
The State failed us, too little too late. We are on new spikes because the State couldn’t get it together and now our families and the economy are suffering. If we had tighter borders for at least 2 COVID cycles(about a month) we could open Hawaiʻi internally and have children return to schools. Lack of seriousness around this issue is our biggest threat and the current get along establishment is not doing enough to protect families
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
As a former DOE teacher for the Wailuku district, I am very disappointed with the lack of respect for our schools. The DOE was failing before COVID and now the State is expecting the DOE to open with all these extra liabilities on their hands with no extra support. This whole process is embarrassing and makes me feel shame for how our state leaders are treating our kids. The State still has not addressed many concerns. Opening up until before we are prepared is dangerous and reckless. The responsibility falls on all State leaders
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
We can start to diversify by putting a halt to the 10 hotel projects that are coming up. (Check out Save Wailuku Facebook page). I support the hemp industry, technology, and especially entrepreneurship. I’ve worked my summer vacations growing up in my father’s small business in Wailuku Millyard and what small businesses can do is keep local money on our local island instead of shareholders around the globe.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable workloads?
For one childcare expenses should be supported by the State. I am a parent that works from home so I know how difficult it is to teach children and work at the same time. The State needs to invest in how to do online schooling that is still engaging. Families need resources to keep the children of our society mentally strong for the future. Teachers are not prepared to return and the community is not safe to return either. This legislative session has not addressed any meaningful reform for education
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
My official social media manager is my stepdaughter Ka‘iulani but when I have some thoughts and feelings I need to get out then I will jump right on there. I respond quickly so if you have any questions you can reach out and I answer them personally.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
From outside of a six feet diameter. The focus on communication is frequency so as often as possible would be something I expect and something I would expect from a leader. Either social media or email is preferred to communicate but I would emphasize frequency to have our community keep up with what is going on and for them to know how I am voting.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news is the best way to get information because it is not as censored and sterilized. Local news consistently goes deeper into issues that have the biggest impact on our closest community. Local news is more concerned about the truth instead of what is popular so I am very thankful and feel a kuleana to speak up for local news.
State Representative, Dist 09
Kahala Jen Chrupalyk
Votekahala.com
Why are you running for office?
A multiracial resident from the Hawaiian diaspora, I know what it is like to be a part of each social crowd in my district. Able to see perceptions from multiple angles, allows me to easily define either conventional or non-conventional solutions to address District 9ʻs concerns.
My dedication toward the healthy sustainability of our familiesʻ future on an island, community connections and restorative practices, have brought me to a place where I feel as though I would be a brave and visible representative to my community.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have done just about everything differently, starting with my initial plans. The very first thing I would have done is to shut Hawaiʻi down from all out of state travel, keeping one hotel open near each airport for homecoming quarantines. Prevention and curve reduction are the number one priority.
Secondly, I would have invested in quick turnover agriculture to grow a food buffer. During this same time, I would have shut down non-essential businesses for a period of 4-6 weeks to allow whatever germs existing within the building, to die down. The environmental and road works requiring closing traffic, would have commenced during this time. All utility payments during this period would have been covered by state funds to allow people extra room to pay rent/mortgage. All property taxes would have frozen for people who have active TANF, SNAP, SSI or SSDI cases. In doing these things, our Covid journey would have started off a little smoother. It also would have helped to defund the military by 3% during this time, rather than launching missiles on March 19th. Defunding just 3% of the military would have been more than enough to sustain business as usual during this time.
Quarantine would have been an automatic 90 days, giving time for any potential viruses enough time to pass through and be dealt with. After 90 days and an assessment, internal economic industries would have had staggered openings according to Covid guidelines and tourism would remain closed to prevent any possibility of Covid becoming a pandemic here. All possible cases would have been housed in the same hotel location by the airport, paid for by estate-through the 3% saved from the military. Masks & sanitizer would have been required since day 1.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I do not agree. Tourism can remain closed and is identified as the number one factor in the spread of Covid in Hawaiʻi. School curriculum should be changed to outdoor and socially distant activities, of which I would have employed volunteers from various organizations to handle classes while school personnel handle safety measures. There are so many areas of enrichment that we could be utilizing right now, which would keep many more people safe while allowing the school faculties to focus on how to move forward for the long term.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Tourism only comprises 21% of the islandʻs revenues according to google search. Other industries who rely on tourism have a choice to internalize their businesses and could have done so through the small business grants and loan programs, which should not be charging more than 1% interest.
My first invested industry would have been agriculture because everything derives from a plant somehow. My second invested industry would have been small businesses. When I worked in the tourism industry, most tourists had wanted to know what the authentic Hawaiʻi was like. But they mainly saw the same businesses that they see at home. Internalizing our business sector to reflect the authentic Hawaiʻi could only be a positive thing for tourism when it opens back up because people will flock to spend directly into our communities = job retention, lower unemployment rates and happier residents = happy tourists. I think that right now, the corporate affairs in the state are only looking to meet corporate quotas on business sales. That system is degenerative and is the reason that we find ourselves in this position today.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
The state created the degenerative system that currently hinders its constituents. Many people who do vote, choose to vote the same people into office via name recognition and each election are disappointed from voting the same people in office but expecting a different result.
During all this time, not once were there district town meetings that included all levels of leadership per district, and separated by such. This would have been one of the first things I would have implemented. My second, would be to combine these districts on each governance level, to come up with attainable solutions within their
respective departments. Lastly, I would have repeated the first process for approval and execution of plans to sustain our communities.
What is hindering our families now, is the fact that the state is more focused on opening tourism and expanding militarism, rather than to focus on our family services and education. I would have taken care of our people first.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
I am a largely self-funded and self-operated campaign. Sometimes it can get personal or emotional because I always put my heart and soul into the community. To date, I have less than 10 personal donors and am using earned scholarships to pay for my campaign. I do not receive corporate endorsements, so that corporate interests do not compromise my values. Most of my fundraising goes directly to human service organizations because they are going to have to hold our families together and possibly expand their services to accommodate. However those same organizations are currently unable to carry on with their normal fundraising opportunities.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
If you go to my website, you will find that just about anywhere you click, there is interaction. Most people in Kahului were not previously aware that they had representation already. I,ontheotherhand,enjoy goingouttohearthe concerns of the community, assessing what I can do about it from my current position, then taking action. There are surveys for my community to voice their opinions, which also aims to take in account the voices of those who cannot vote, due to either immigrationorsovereigntystatus. However, if those people live in the district, they deserve to eat at the same table. In addition, I want to be the representative who can utter a name when an address is spoken. I really donʻt care how much I agree or not with someone, I want to perform the job that I am applying for, and that is to represent the residents in my district. My goal is to do a great job at it, to protect and multiply the quality of life in Kahului. My website is: www.votekahala.com. If you are interested in helping me build resources within the site, please contact me from the site, on the contact sections, or email me at kahala@votekahala.com
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
I would like to see Kahului have its own community paper that focuses on issues in Kahului and prepares people to be vocal about their concerns. Through the formation of that newsletter, I will be able to assure that I am truly practicing Interactive Governance and represent my community accurately. If the newsletter is unattainable, I would at least like to be able to create both physical and website interaction pages to assure that I am able to reach all the people in my district. Iʻm not applying for this position because I wanted to be a politician when I grew up, rather because I see needs in the community and am willing to be the microphone and activator of elevation for my community. I love the people around me and want to uplift them. I am conscious about global warming and sea level rise, and the fact that most of Kahului sits on water [cite: Mauʻoni & Kanahā – 183 acres of wetlands & fishponds].
State Representative, Dist 10
Angus McKelvey
Why are you running for office?
I am running for reelection to continue to build on the track record we have had before COVID-19 including saving Honolua Bay, moving Hawaii towards an environmentally responsible future, supporting our nascent industries. Additionally to help to continue to secure funding for important infrastructure like $9 million for the Villages of Leialii, $30 million for the continued extension of the Lahaina Bypass and several millions to make critical upgrades and improvements to Lahainaluna High School. During this pandemic I’ve use my seniority and experience to not only help my constituents to get benefits in this Covid crisis but also help push critical federal funding to Maui for benefits and infrastructure despite the looming budget shortfall. It’s because of my love of Lahaina and Maui Nui that I would like to continue to serve our community in this time of need to ensure that we can continue to invest in our community while riding out the storm
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
All things considered the response has been adequate. While this virus caught everyone by surprise in so far as having to adhere to new rules to pull down the federal money that was made available for the states by the CARES Act more needed to be done by both to extend the critical safety net to individuals and small businesses. One of the big things I would’ve done different to small business support, in particular supply chain subsidy plan . A good example would be while it was important to subsidize farmers to produce crops by not subsidizing the restaurants and others in the chain, so this ecosystem is there when the consumers return. This is something that could be replicated in many other areas to as a way to support all of our local businesses and ensure a strong economic ecosystem for a rebuild of the economy. Going forward I think the Governor Ige should borrow the maximum amount allocated by the state under the Municipal Loan Guarantee Fund in order to replace the additional money that is lost by a lapse of the CARES Act and fund the aforementioned. The cost of living in Maui and in particular Lahaina is very high and that additional money is critical to ensure that people can afford groceries and pay bills while waiting for the economy to reopen.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I was an early proponent of the blended option which would rotate half the kids into the schools while the other half would be engaged in long-distance learning. This will ensure the proper social distancing and other protocols could be put in the place while still being able to create some sense of normalcy and needed child support for parents. Because we have been vigilant in keeping Covid out of Maui with strong border controls I believe with continued controls Maui is in the best position to transition into a blended option in an eventual return to school. Any long-distance learning would have to come with increased accountability as the early efforts showed the breakdown in efficiency of remote learning was in this area.. As to tourism I think the window of opportunity for targeted travel bubble was a possibility to keep things open longer in March but that has come and gone. The reality is the COVID-19 has now turned into a proverbial raging forest fire on the Mainland, particularly in areas that service most of the direct routes to Maui and as such we are going to have to continue our aggressive posture to protect our community.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries? COVID-19 has shown us the state needs to move aggressively on diversifying our economy.
One area is agriculture and while we need to invest in sustainable food production, we also need to generate a cash crop economy in agriculture to help make up for the loss of diverse taxes that the visitor industry once provided and provide funding support for the sustainable food production side. One of the biggest opportunities for Hawaii in this cash crop area is hemp which could have a huge multiplier effect and generate both blue and white collar jobs and can provide a healthy export industry. Likewise the state needs to revisit some of the tax credits of the past like Act 221 to drive investment into businesses. Finally it is important we continue to support the legislative efforts for the Hawaii Manufacturing grant program and the Small Business Innovation Research Grants Program to steer even more dollars to help more local businesses that have continued to perform during the pandemic.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
As above, it’s yet another reason the Governor needs to maximize the authority given to him by the Legislature to borrow the money to help fund the nonprofits and other programs at the state level to assist parents with childcare options. It is critical the state ensure these services are made with as little cost as possible to the parents through the subsidies.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
It’s pretty much a family affair.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I personally communicate with constituents over various mediums including email and Facebook and although I like to use both to communicate I’d rather talk to people on the phone voice to voice or have safe in person meetings or conversations if possible.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news provides an essential vehicle for communicating issues and events that are important to the community but doesn’ garner much attention in the Oahu-centric media markets. Although state news outlets have tried to expand neighbor Island coverage they simply don’t have the resources, especially now, to dedicate coverage of the critical issues facing the people of Maui and their communities especially in issues and challenges that are particular to certain places like that of Lahaina or Kihei to name a few.
State Representative, Dist 10
Kanamu Balinbin
Why are you running for office?
I am running for office because I feel that I can make a difference in changing the way that we introduce legislature. I feel that legislation has been geared toward big business and not looking out for the normal hard-working individuals or parents who are trying to better their families’ situations. Every year we hear the same promises from the incumbents but no real solutions. I promise to do what is right for the people of Hawaii nei.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I believe that taking Lieutenant Governor Dr. Josh Green off the states Covid-19 task force was a critical error by Governor Ige. Also I feel that a simple app on your phone to detect and keep tabs on visitors and returning residents would help monitor individuals and have a reasonable means of tracking the spread of Covid-19 in the community.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Coming from a family that has many educators, I as well as many faculty members feel that the August 6, 2020 start of fall semester is way too early. Speaking with teachers who asked to be kept anonymous, they all agree that the opening should not happen now.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Diversifying our economy is of utmost priority to this state. Also being able to feed the people of our state is just as important. While traditional farming is great, too much time is needed to grow, harvest and pack your product. With vertical farming you use 90% less water, 75% less land, no pesticides or herbicides, and it takes 50% less time. Vertical farms have been sprouting up in cities all over the nation. Innovative farmers turn empty warehouses into booming vertical farms that are making money and also feeding their own cities. Also, aquaculture and raising cattle are viable necessities. While these industries get a bad rap because of waste issues, there are innovative products out there that handle waste on these levels, specifically the Ydro Process. Look it up, it’s fascinating.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
I feel that the state can implement a Help for Parents care system to assist with these situations. The state can help set up a parent share system where individuals can sign up to be caregivers on their days off from work to help ease difficulties brought on by Covid -19. The state can supply an environment that is safe for keiki to be while their parent(s) are working.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
While I’m kind of anti-social media, I do manage my own account.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I’m a person “OF” the community. I communicate with the people of our community by being hands on when in comes to fighting for beach access, feeding the homeless, coaching youth football and wrestling, sponsoring youth basketball and Younglife Youth Christian Group, being the Chairperson for our church and catholic school bazaar, speaking to at risk keiki about the hazards of using controlled substances. Being more of a doer and not a talker.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news is very important to our community. It wasn’t long ago that almost everyone read the Maui News, Maui Time, and Maui Bulletin. The older generation ate really adamant about getting up early, drink your coffee and read the morning paper. With the internet being as it is that daily routine is dying out. Sometimes technology can isn’t for everyone.
State Representative, Dist 11
Tina Wildberger
Tinawildberger.com
Why are you running for office?
I’m running for re-election to continue the work of bringing accountable and responsive government to the people of Hawaii. We have a unique opportunity this year to garner a significant contingent of progressive leaders in our state house. It is my hope to move the needle in the direction of transparency and people-focused governance. Our essential workers all deserve a living wage. I would like to continue to advocate for $15 minimum wage. I’d like to see The Hawaii Health Authority funded and get HMSA out of the extraction business and close the state coffers to insurance profiteers. I’d like to see cannabis realize unfettered commercial enterprise development and a social justice component making underserved the beneficiaries of such revenue opportunities.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I am loath to criticize any of the leaders who found themselves on the receiving end of something modern times has never experienced or endured. I was calling for early closure. I was critical of DoH’s first briefing on January 22nd, where epidemiologists were insisting flying was fine. A tighter quarantine program would have been a good idea. Putting people in the same verifiable place with meal provisions should have been established. We’ve left folks on their own to figure out how to provision. Returning Kama Aina on EBT, for instance, can’t get food delivered. We have cavernous gaps in the existing system, which has created community spread.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I’m concerned about schools opening. I worry about teachers at risk and students bringing home contagion to multigenerational households where Kūpuna live. It has been a long six months. Many people are pining for some semblance of normalcy and school is a big part of that. My suggestion is take it outside. Invest in tents and teach outside. This was done during the last pandemic. Hawaii’s climate is perfect to seize this opportunity. Community spread risk is virtually eliminated with open air class spaces. DoE has CARES funding. Let’s invest in tents. As long as we have a pre-testing program in place, I think it’s ok to welcome back tourists to our state. Science can save our economy if we take advantage of and invest in testing, contact tracing and isolation/quarantine protocol for positive test results.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
I wrote a bill last year to bring manufacturing of our recyclable materials to the state. We need to invest in food security, encourage more clean food production and make farming sexy for young people to get interested. We should implement GND programs for building retrofit for energy efficiency. We should invest in state-wide EV infrastructure and mandate rentals Convert their fleets to EV. I am working with County Council members to create a tourism management organization that will help reshape our visitor industry and bring the best and not necessarily the most to our islands.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
Part of this is getting schools back open. Child care is another missing component of supporting our essential workers. The state has just passed a robust child care program for preschool children not old enough to attend K-12.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes, I get some help from my staff, but we work together on content.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I work hard to be accessible. My emails contain my cell phone number. I send out regular newsletters and mail chimp communications. Pre-covid I would hold regular, in – person constituent outreach in conjunction with KCA meetings. I hold zoom meetings now and with my staff’s help respond to folks reaching out, even those who live outside the district.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
It is crucial. Local News holds local leaders accountable. We need more than one outlet. Especially, when the one is owned and managed off-shore. Our sister counties suffer from Oahu centric predisposition of leaders and media. Without on-the-ground local media representation, the status quo, good ole boy network thrives like its still plantation era and accountability is a farce.
State Representative, Dist 12
Simon S. Russell
Russell2020.org
Why are you running for office?
I love my home, Upcountry Maui and all of Hawaii. It is important that our community have a strong voice in Honolulu, and I plan to represent our community, be a strong voice for our working class, teachers, farmers and children. Equally as important to me is that the ‘Āina has a strong representative in the Legislature, as we must protect our public trust resources and pass on a healthy environment to our future generations. I took an oath to uphold, protect and defend our constitution when I signed my contract with the State of Hawaii to be a candidate for public office, and I intend to uphold that oath.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Generally, I am supportive of what the executive branch and legislature has done in response to the pandemic.
Hindsight is always 20/20, however I think that with the quarantine protocols and enforcement, allowing untested visitors to rent cars is a mistake. I think any persons arriving from out of state should be bussed to their place of residence and put under mandatory quarantine and monitored until negative test results for COVID 19 are produced and verified.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I agree with this approach to a gradual reopening of the visitor industry, but we will also need to take a wait and see approach, and have the capacity to test, monitor and contact trace new cases of COVID 19 as they emerge. We must not allow the outbreak to exceed our capacity to treat it, so that capacity to treat large amounts of cases should be built as soon as possible with adequate testing capabilities and personal protective equipment.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Maui and Hawaii must diversify away from the overdependence on the visitor and hospitality industries, there is now no doubt about that. We have to find a way to keep our dollars local and circulating in our economy and that is what I will do when I am elected.
Maui can grow a new low income housing community to house our workforce that has been so seriously impacted by the pandemic.
I plan to introduce and find support for policies to grow a new materials engineering industry based on bamboo and hemp, with manufacturing done by local people with modern mechanized industrial equipment. We can literally grow all the houses that we need, creating a regenerative and circular economy that keeps our money in Hawaii, and that puts people to work.
We can embark on a historic ecosystem restoration effort and secure long term watershed health and water security. I think that there is a huge opportunity in the restoration, monitoring and maintenance of all of Maui’s watersheds. Maui should have a modern-day civilian conservation corps making sure that adequate supplies of water will be available for generations to come, especially in the face of climate change and prolonged droughts which are being predicted now. Additionally, our antiquated water delivery systems desperately need to be modernized. With local, county, state and federal partners we can do that work, and I have plans to collaborate with our partners and make healthy watersheds and a sustainable water supply a reality our environment and our economy.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable workloads?
As a father of four children, I am very interested in working with leaders in government and the private sector solving this issue, and making safe and healthy daycare centers available, and affordable or free to parents in need, as long as schools are not fully open for physical classes.
With the reopening of schools, parents having the ability to do their jobs must be a high consideration for our community health and for our economic health. Having children at home most of the week will have very serious social and economic impact to our communities.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes, and I have help from my campaign team as well.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I am committed to regular and constant communication with my constituents through email, by phone, with social media and with the help of my office staff.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Local news is vital, and helps our community monitor the important factors that impact our society at the local level. The press is what keeps our society free and vibrant and holds leaders accountable through the transparency of the processes that control our lives.
Through a free press we can engage with the government as informed citizens and make decisions that will impact our lives in profound ways. We must support the press, and especially at the local level where all matters are most impactful on the day to day lives of our communities.
State Representative, Dist 13
Robin D. Vanderpool
Robinvanderpool.com
Why are you running for office?
The definition of totalitarianism is the creation of a one-party state. Currently the Hawaii State Legislature is made up of 46 Democrats and 5 Republicans. For years I have studied the works of astute senior legislators like Gene Ward, Lynne Decoite and Bob McDermott. I believe we need more fiscally conservative legislators in the State House to balance the legislative process. I have lived in Hawaii and my district for the last 47 years. If elected, I have strategies to address the many crucial issues that affect the people in my district, county and state and am committed to the common sense spending of our hard-earned tax dollars on the projects and programs that serve the needs of all citizens of the State of Hawaii.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I understand that the actions taken by the state were due to the initial fear spread by the CDC and the mainstream media. I would not have mandated any closures or quarantines. I would have voted to stay open like South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and the country of Sweden. They did not shut down their economies. They let the people decide their own fate. Those people chose to follow the sanitary guidelines of hand-washing and clean living advised for any influenza. They let their ‘covid-curves’ flattened naturally.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
Yes, I believe we should resume life as we knew it prior to 2020. We should remember the lessons we learned during this crisis and continue to live clean healthy lives. Those who choose to be more cautious are free to ‘social distance’ and wear masks if they so desire.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
I believe we should continue to beautify our islands and remain the World’s #1 island destination for weddings, conventions and vacationers. We have built our livelihoods around tourism and our very lives depend on it. I believe we should fully embrace tourism and continue to welcome people to our beautiful paradise. I also realize we need to diversify our economy by attracting some of the many tech businesses returning from China. By creating a better business atmosphere with lower taxes and fewer regulations we can attract companies to build here and provide thousands of much needed jobs for our people. We need to restructure our farm lease system to allow new local farmers to thrive and ‘green’ the valley in order to create farm work and provide healthy food for the people of the islands.
I would create public ‘think-tanks’ for people to come together to generate new ideas for moving us into a prosperous and sustainable future.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
Part of our job as legislators is to see that our hard-earned tax dollars are returned back to our islands and to write bills seeking for more state and federal monies for more teachers and higher pay. We need to fund more after-school programs to ease the burden on parents and protect our ‘latch-key’ children.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
It is my intention, if elected, to have monthly forums with the public, much like is done with the county council. I envision creating regular events to facilitate public testimony to air grievances, suggest changes and exchange good ideas to better our communities. I am dedicated to being transparent and being accessible to the people.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
I believe local news and media play a huge part in the shaping the narratives and mindsets of the 1,400,000 residents of the State of Hawaii. I miss the days of unbiased investigative journalism and full spectrum news reporting. I fear society has become too hypersensitive and divided along ethnic, social and partisan lines. I feel it is the duty of the media to present objective intelligent viewpoints that unite us as a people rather than sow division. I feel it is irresponsible to use general media for purely political reasons. I believe that ultimately we all work for the same goal of creating peace, freedom, security and abundance for all people in the State of Hawaii.
State Representative, Dist 13
Lynn DeCoite
Votelynndecoite.com
Why are you running for office?
I am running to continue to serve the people of district 13. I feel I have the ability to give a voice to those that can’t or are afraid to speak for themselves. I also feel that serving in the state legislature gives me an opportunity to make the needed changes that the state of Hawaii needs so that every resident can achieve the quality of life that they deserve.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I advocated for shutting down of non-essential/non-resident travel to East Maui, Molokai and Lanai early on with letters to the Governor on March 12th, March 17th and on March 21st. (letters posted to my Rep. Lynn DeCoite Facebook page). I was also able to talk directly with the Governor and General Hara about the inter-island quarantine to express community concerns and give input on the travel/quarantine requirements. During this pandemic, I worked with all levels of government, including our congressional delegation to get the proper information and services to my constituents. I would have liked to see better coordination between the County (Maui) and the State early on. I feel that communication is better now, not perfect, but better.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
No. For some it might work and for others it won’t. All schools do not have the same capacity and space. And not every household has broadband technology accessible. I have been checking in with the schools in my district to hear their plans and I have also been hearing concerns from families. The key to making this work will be proper communication.
As for tourism, we need it to come back in a responsible way, but we can’t rush if we don’t have the testing capabilities and proper tracking in place.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Yes, we should have diversified before all of this happened, but now our feet are to the fire. We need to look to Agriculture, look to see what can be grown here and use the expertise that is already here to train and educate new farmers and our workforce. The Agriculture community and HTA can then work together on each island plan to have quality tourism.
We also need to look at promoting the high paid trade jobs and promote job training to help our local residents qualify for these jobs.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
There are many organizations that are offering support and tools, the key is making sure families know who to contact and what is available. We can also work with employers to see how workloads and work schedules can be staggered so parents can find a balance to do their work and help their children with distance learning.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
I do personally post to my accounts and I have help! But I do clear all content that is posted.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I communicate with my constituents in person, by phone, email and social media. If it is someone asking for casework assistance, I do direct them to contact my office so we can ensure all the proper information is received and is secure as possible.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
In our islands (Maui, Molokai and Lanai) local news plays a huge role, because that information is targeted to us. Not just Honolulu or mainland issues. Local news has the pulse of our communities and helps get the important information out to who needs it most.
State Representative, Dist 13
Walter Ritte
Ritte.org
Why are you running for office?
Honestly, I listened to my na’au and realized that it’s time for me to run for office. I’ve been organizing and making progress outside of the system for over 40 years, both on Moloka‘i, Maui County and statewide issues. I’ve worked with people in the community and all levels of government, won many huge battles and I still feel like when we show up to the State Capital our voices are not really represented or heard like they should be. It’s time for me to work inside the system, to bring all of my experience, my partnerships, unity and Aloha ‘Aina to the capitol building.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I’m glad that leadership recognized the importance of keeping our people healthy, implemented quarantine measures and kept our numbers low. I am really frustrated with the handling of unemployment benefits, and angry that we have people who are still waiting for assistance. One we were able to implement quarantine measures, priority number one should have been quickly getting financial support to people. We can not ask our people to do things for the common good if we don’t support them in that. We could have quickly trained and employed an army of people to process claims and start cutting checks. That would be better for the mental well being of our residents, and would put money in the pockets of people to spend at local businesses, pay their rents, and keep our local economy moving.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
If we can not guarantee that our keiki can go to school safely, and that the teachers caring for them will be safe, we should not allow visitors back. The state has not shown that we can effectively monitor a quarantine system, or implement tight testing protocols with the plans they have currently. There are many ways to put effective systems in place, but until we do so Hawai’i should stay closed to visitors.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Being from Moloka‘i, I can tell you that Moloka‘i is not reliant on tourism, and that isn’t by accident. That’s by design. I have worked my whole life on building a subsistence economy, rehabilitating fish ponds to feed our people, teaching students about agriculture, and protecting the resources that allow us to be self reliant. I am actually grateful that more people suddenly see just how dangerous it is to be so reliant on an extractive industry such as tourism, and that there is finally the statewide political will to shift priorities to things like food production. We must curate our visitor industry, implement a conservation fee for visitors, and use that money to fund conservation jobs providing career paths for our youth in science, ecology and field work. We can build an entire circular economy in ecosystem rehabilitation, and indigenous responses to sea level rise such as rehabilitation of wetlands, sand dunes and fish ponds instead of seawalls. All of these career paths will pay for themselves in locally produced food, products for export, and will allow us to redirect funding from reactionary solutions to problems we’ve created, to long term solutions that actually make us more resilient and self-reliant.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
First of all, in general, we have to go easier on our keiki and their parents right now. We are in the middle of an unprecedented global crisis and we can not expect everyone to continue to perform like they did before. Everyone is faced with some impossible choices. Parents need more sick or personal days from work without fear of being penalized, and if that has to be mandated by the state, we should do that. We need to use our school system to make sure our keiki are emotionally ok, supported, and a member of a community, even if it’s over a computer, making emotional health a priority over meeting academic benchmarks.
Also like I said above, first priority should be getting assistance to people who are currently unemployed. The state should also put more resources into paying teachers better, and training them on how to keep children engaged through distance learning. If school children are able to really engage with a teacher a few hours a day, that gives some relief to parents working from home. While Maui County cases are low, we could have a COVID-friendly version of Summer Pals Program, small groups of kids, outside for a few hours, allowing parents to work or get things done while their kids are cared for.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
I have a personal Facebook account that is run by me, and my campaign team puts campaign notices out from my campaign Facebook and Instagram. I write and approve the content, but I’m not great with social media, so I leave it to the folks who are.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
My 40 years of community organizing has allowed me to build a network of people all over these islands. I almost always answer my phone, and before COVID I traveled all over Hawai‘i quite often to attend community meetings. Like everyone else, I’ve become a zoom expert so that will have to do for the time being, but my physical and zoom door is and always will be open, and I am always available by phone and email.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
The public needs and deserves to have all the information about an issue, no matter what the issue is. As a community organizer, I know how important it is to have media share your story. I also know how important it is to have a variety of news sources, as different outlets see things differently. I think one big reason Mauna Kea has been able to unite so many people, both Hawaiians and non-Hawaiian allies, is because local and global media shared our voices. Sometimes, media is like the 4th branch of government, because it is a check on government practices and can actually drive policy by amplifying problems and the voices of solutionaries.
U.S. Representative, Dist II
Brian Evans
Brianevansforhawaii.com
Why are you running for office?
I’m running for office because I believe the entire system is corrupt. Both parties. As you may recall, I ran for office in 2018 for the other side, but the truth is, it was because my own party wasn’t taking me serious when it came to making changes in our hospitals to protect people from medical errors, which claimed the life of my mother, Joan Rivers (I was her opening act) and my grandmother. The three most influential women in my life were taken away, and that set me off. According to a John Hopkins University Study, and many others, 250,000 to 440,000 Americans die a year due to medical errors. Do you know how many death certificates say, “Cause of Death: Medical Error. We’re sorry. We made a mistake.” The answer? 0. Not 1. I intend to enforce continued education for doctors and nurses.
I support the right to free counsel in civil cases. We give criminals a free lawyer, but the corporate establishment who victimizes the individual uses their inability to afford an attorney as their only weapon against a person with valid claims. I support UBI. I support the Second Amendment, but believe we need to make changes to HIPAA so that we aren’t protecting the rights to a potential killer’s privacy more than we do their future victims. I also support a visitor’s fee for the State of Hawaii. Had our establishment politicians already had something like this in place, we would have had billions in reserve for a pandemic, but none of them think ahead, and are always too late when a problem occurs. Every sitting politician endorsed my opponent months before the deadline to file to run for office had even passed. The politicians didn’t even know who was running yet, and they already picked their guy. He has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from out of state corporations, SuperPacs, and banks, and voted against HB285, which was a bill meant to hold police accountable for misconduct. I assume that’s because many police are former military. My father and all of my uncles were police chiefs in Massachusetts, so I’m not saying all police are bad, but they are being mixed in with white supremacists and given a blue uniform instead of the white sheet over their head. It also really bothers me that my opponent has received ten’s of thousands of dollars from the state of Massachusetts, which you can confirm by seeing his own FEC filings. After I sued a hospital over what happened to my mother, and the hospital and the corporation learned I was running, just what are the odds that all of these companies from Massachusetts are taking such an interest in an election in Hawaii? I know exactly why, as would any reader of what I’m getting at. The last thing big corporations or big pharma want is me in office. And they are right to be worried about whether or not I win. We can’t keep electing people because of a letter next to their name. Passion for running has to come from your own failures and pain, and that’s what drives me. Locals became my family, it’s why I live here. Some people like me, some people don’t, but my intentions are always good. Half of my salary will be donated to local charities if I win. This isn’t about money or prestige to me. I do just fine on my own, and have never taken a dime to run for office. People can’t pay their bills, so the last thing I was going to do was solicit political campaigns. My TV ads, my social media, I’ve paid for that on my own.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
UI claims weren’t processed fast enough, the HEROES Act should be passed immediately, and I believe all of these politicians were caught off guard with this pandemic like deer’s in headlights. That’s the problem. While they are walking around in $2,000 suits you paid for, they were asleep at the wheel. This is a job that requires a bit of paranoia and cynicism. That’s the job. Had a Tourist Visitor Fee been implemented years ago (not for locals or their families, but tourists), we would have had billions in reserve to deal with this pandemic. I know that people want to get out and work, but until we know exactly what COVID is, we need to be careful about re-opening those airports, and potentially, pandora’s box. It took scientists over 30 years to find an HIV treatment, and we’re trying to find a vaccine in 4 months so that Trump can get re-elected as his friends “buy at the dip” in the stock market. He needs to get the economy going again for his own interests, not the safety of Americans, and he uses what are supposed to be independent law enforcement as his own personal vengeance machine. This is not John McCain, Republicans, and I recommend you cross party lines in this election or you’ll get another corporate puppet, and now they are using his Native Hawaiian heritage to manipulate local people and it disgusts me.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I really want to be wrong on this. I really, really do. Putting people’s lives at risk because of the economy may be the biggest mistake we ever make. I hope I’m wrong, but look at the numbers. Had these elected officials had a series of “Plan B’s” in place, we would not have sunk as fast as we did. We cannot rely on tourism as outnumber 1 source of income or we are all screwed. In case you haven’t noticed: We’re all screwed because we did. These politicians run on the same platform term after term. How can they run on the same platform and get elected when they didn’t accomplish it the last time they ran on the very same issues? Shouldn’t their platform be different now? No, it’s always the “middle class” and “we’re getting higher teacher pay!” Next term, same promises, same platform, nothing changes. And what about those two words they hate to say? Don’t dare to say? What about the Lower Class, those who can’t pay their rent. Those working three jobs just to get buy? Teachers paying for their students school supplies and they themselves having to take on second jobs? Is this a joke? I also support term limits. It will make those running for office run for the right reasons. Politicians pay need to be cut, they are paid way too much for doing nothing. That’s why half of my salary will go to charity here in Hawaii that helps locals. And it’s my own karmic duty. I’m Brian Evans, not Saint Brian Evans. I haven’t had the perfect life, I had problems when I was in my early 20’s, but none like the problems I see our grown adult political establishment does every single day.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Agriculture, which means lowering their taxes, and generally lowering taxes in the state for those who live here. A Tourist Visitor Fee will help. Green New Deal. UBI. It’s really difficult being a haole and trying to convince locals of what I’m trying to do. This State has been there for me, they helped me when I needed it when my own family was gone. I won’t live forever, but the time I have left, I’d like to earn the respect of the locals who know that I will not cave to corporations. Banks shouldn’t be charging service fee’s of any kind during this pandemic. A $30 whack for an overdraft fee, all of them, by all banks, should be refunded now, and retroactively to this pandemic. $30 is a lot when you don’t have a job or any money.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
UBI is a must. Pass the HEROES Act. That’s how I’ll be able to help on the federal level. Engage those I know with influence to help this state get back on it’s feet again. Do absolutely whatever is necessary without caring what the political establishment thinks.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Yes. I’ve been hacked a couple of times, but Twitter has been good about helping to get me back into my social media, as has Yahoo. When you’re running for office, especially my issues, people are gunning for you. Especially if you look like you could actually be a threat.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
No auto-reply emails. Monthly town hall meetings on each island to talk to them face to face. Personal responses instead of some assistant. All of these politicians are great at making promises if you’ll stand on a corner all day holding their signs. But try getting a response from them after you’ve elected them. Good luck with that. It took me 8 years to get 40 governor’s to issue Proclamations for medical errors in this country. It shouldn’t take 8 years of hounding the people who are there to protect you to do what they need to do to protect those who need it.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
Honestly, it’s become a social media world. None of these networks have allowed any of the Congressional candidates to go live on air, but they were ok with you buying ads on their networks. What about the candidates who can’t afford to do that, but are running for the right reasons? When the media says our opponent has “no serious candidates,” months before the deadline to file has even ended, who the hell are they to tell the public that no one “but Kai,” whose district hoped to even have the seat he has, is a serious candidate? I started this crusade to protect people after what I personally had to stand over. Don’t ever call me “not serious.” I’m as serious as it gets.
U.S. Representative, Dist II
Kaiali‘i “Kai” Kahele
Kaikahele.com
State Senator and Hawai‘i Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Kai Kahele has voluntarily answered the call to state active duty for Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 response. In compliance with federal government regulations, Team Kahele will continue Kai’s campaign for Congress while he is serving his mission. This questionnaire was completed by the Kahele for Congress campaign staff.
Why are you running for office?
Kai is running because he wants to see Hawai‘i’s values in Washington D.C.: honor, equality, religious and racial tolerance, cooperation, integrity, hard work and most importantly, aloha. These values have made our Hawai‘i an extraordinary place to live, and these are the values that he will bring to Washington, D.C. as Hawai‘i’s second Congressional District Representative. Hawai‘i’s past statesmen, like Daniel K. Inouye, Daniel K. Akaka, and his own father Gil Kahele, left a legacy of political leaders who knew how to lead with grace and cooperation. Kai hopes to honor this legacy by building bridges, not walls, in Washington.
Kai is proud to have taken the WITH HONOR pledge, which asks candidates to commit to meeting with a Member of Congress from the opposite party one-on-one at least once a month if elected. Regardless of anyone’s political views, Kai will treat all Members of Congress with civility. As a former NCAA Division-1 student athlete and member of the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors Men’s Volleyball Team, Kai knows how to work together on a team.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Kai believes the State and County did the best they could in a rapidly evolving health pandemic. In his capacity as state senator, Kai sent a letter to Governor Ige in March 2020 expressing his concerns with the quarantine and outlined specific issues to address. Kai was one of the first legislators in the State to raise the alarm about the lack of screenings for travelers arriving at the State’s airports.
Looking back, Kai would have addressed the unemployment insurance (UI) claims and mandatory travel quarantine differently. Specifically, Kai would have utilized the Hawaiʻi National Guard in assisting with processing UI claims. Furthermore, Kai would have rolled
out stricter and more thoughtful quarantine rules and guidelines given the number of loopholes that were exploited.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
As a state senator, Kai sent a letter to Hawai‘i State Board of Education on July 24, 2020 expressing his deep reservations about the proposed reopening of our public schools on August 4, 2020. Kai believes that more time is needed to carefully plan the reopening of schools to minimize any potential spread of the virus in our schools. That is why he supports delaying the reopening of our schools until there is written guidance from the DOE and DOH on the reopening of school buildings; and until all faculty and staff are properly trained and provided with the resources necessary to keep our faculty, staff, and students safe.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Economic stability is a daily, primary concern for every family in Hawai‘i made worse by the current COVID-19 crisis. In terms of immediate recovery, Kai will work closely with our federal delegation and state leaders to obtain the necessary relief for Hawai‘i’s working-class families and small businesses while ensuring that we properly address public health concerns. In the long-term, Kai plans to create more economic opportunities in all sectors—from agriculture to health care. For example, as a state senator, Kai introduced a bill directing the State of Hawai‘i’s Department of Agriculture to develop a strategic plan that would double local food production and increase food exports.
How should the county and state support parents of schoolchildren that are juggling unsustainable work loads?
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the State in late March, Kai immediately began working with the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island and the YMCA to provide daily hot meals and child care to children of first responders and health care professionals. If elected, Kai will conduct outreach and work with local nonprofits and organizations to help them apply and obtain federal funding from programs such as the Child Care Development Block Grant, which offers immediate relief to child care providers, workers, and families; and the Social Service Block Grant, which funds child and family care services for essential workers. It is not enough to simply get funding for the state—that funding must get into the hands of organizations and local residents. Kai will work with all relevant stakeholders from the state and local levels to make sure that happens.
Lastly, Kai would also emphasize the need to have a plan regarding keeping school and child care environments safe for children to minimize the spread of the virus.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
Kai manages his personal social media accounts, and he works together with his campaign communications team in managing the campaign’s social media accounts. Since being called to active duty on April 14, 2020, Kai’s social media accounts have been managed by the Kahele for Congress campaign. In compliance with Department of Defense Directive 1344.10, the communications team will manage the campaign’s social media accounts while he is on active duty for COVID-19.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
If elected, Kai will be committed first and foremost to his constituents. He and his staff will work hard to respond to constituent correspondence in a timely manner, and he looks forward to working with all stakeholders to discuss issues important to Hawai‘i. On Kai’s behalf, the campaign would like to thank the countless constituents of the Second Congressional District who have spoken with Kai and members of the campaign. If elected, Kai will have town halls both online and in-person (when the House is not in session) throughout the 2nd Congressional District.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff. What role does local news play in our community?
The recent staff cuts and closure of local and national news outlets are deeply concerning, because the fourth estate plays a critical role in protecting our democracy. Kai is a strong advocate of localism, competition, and diversity in media ownership. If elected, he will be sure to support legislation that reaffirms the vital and indispensable role the free press serves.
State Senator, Dist 05
Christy Kajiwara-Gusman
Gusman4senate.com
Why are you running for office?
In all honesty, I was not going to run for office. I actually got rid of all of my campaign necessities a few years ago and decided that after helping with the last mayor’s race I was going to “retire” from this stuff. My husband and I founded the Hawaii Youth Livestock Association, and we love watching our keiki learn and grow with agriculture. To those of you who aren’t familiar with our non-profit, the best way to describe our operation is to say that we provide a place for kids to be able to raise livestock and teach them sustainable farming, ranching, and all the skills and responsibilities that come with it. Anyway, as I said- I was not planning on running but I guess that God had another plan.
There were a lot of factors that played into my filing for office in this 2020 Election and I’m happy to share a few of the reasons. First, I was working on a “Waste to Energy” project for a renewable energy company based here in Hawaii, and it got me involved in meetings with our various Legislators, Mayors and Council Members throughout the State, because we had projects being proposed throughout Hawaii. Everyone we met with saw the benefits to the environment and value in the projects that we were proposing. In a face-to-face meeting there was strong support for the projects and initiatives, but when it came time to assist with support on land issues and the “Red Tape” of permitting and easement requirements, no one wanted to step up and voice their support for the projects to assist the company with getting through the process. They were all “chicken” and gave us every excuse in the book. The company owners were frustrated and unable to work with the administration, thus making the COMMUNITIES and our precious ENVIRONMENT the losers.
Simultaneously in the midst of these obstacles, I was approached by many community members asking me quite desperately to run again. One of my dear friends and fellow farmers told me “We stay under the same leadership for our district 20 years, no can, time fo’ change.” I decided to pull papers just to see what kind of support I would get and within hours of pulling my papers, I was called by several elected officials and two ex-elected officials, asking me “what you think you doing.” One person sent me a very interesting text message to ask me if I was “running against Gil” and I replied with “Yes, as a Republican.”
The people asking me questions were all Democrats. The person that asked me if I was “running against Gil,” actually knew that I had applied for a DLNR Land Lease under the Livestock Association for the non-profit kids program and proceeded to text back with “well I’m on the phone with DLNR and there’s no lease for you!”
It was at that point that I made a decision that I needed to make a difference. If these people cared so much about their community and the keiki, that text message and conversation would never have happened. That told me that they cared more about power and control than they cared about the keiki of Maui County. As a mom, aunty, and experienced leader, my job is to make sure that my kids, their kids, and your kids have a Hawai’i they can continue to thrive in and be proud of. This is why I made the decision to run for office.
What do you think of the state and county response to COVID-19? Is there anything you would have done differently?
It is no secret that the Governor acted with complacency when responding to the COVID-19 situation in Hawaiʻi. The Governor removed Dr. Green from the COVID-19 Task Force, then later reinstated him, and then handed the governing powers of each island/county to their respective Mayors. In doing so, I feel the State failed to take responsibility for the people of Hawaii by dismissing an opportunity for collective well-being.
I would have ensured Dr. Green oversaw testing, contact tracing, and health care— his area of expertise. I would have trusted his educated guidance before trying to re-open on account of job losses. There are ways we could have weathered this together safely and secure while still moving forward.
Undoubtedly, the State is far behind in technology. As a former State employee, I know firsthand that there is a good chance we still use the same systems Captain Cook had brought with him on his ship! There is no excuse for the ancient computer systems the State uses. In all branches of government we should be up-to-date with the best available technology, especially in areas that deal with funding or finances like Unemployment Insurance and the campaign filing system!
I would have and still would immediately look into temporary suspension on broad regulations, taxes, permitting, and fees that make it difficult to operate a business in Hawaii. I feel it would be wise to provide more opportunity for online applications, submittals, approvals, permitting, etc., in all departments of government so we can give people the opportunity for economic freedom. This means that more employers could remain functional and provide job opportunities for those out of work, instead of feeding the large number of citizens who are now being forced and encouraged to depend on the government.
Schools are opening in August, and one month later the quarantine waiver for travelers goes into effect. Do you agree with the timeline for schools and tourism?
I oppose sending children back to school especially now when we are seeing such high spikes in our COVID-19 cases. The DOE and DOH need to have a better plan. I don’t agree at all with using our keiki and teachers as lab-rats, especially if we are not even allowing travel to resume. I understand that these are two separate demographics, but I truly feel that we cannot send our keiki back until we are sufficiently prepared to accommodate any and all circumstances. If the keiki and teachers can go back, so can everyone else with available work. Many State and County employees are still working from home.
To be clear- I believe that when tourism is going to be open again we need a better plan. Many tourists are now currently flying to Oahu and then transferring to another airline to reach another island and be welcomed as a guest on an “inter-island” trip. This is not correct and this flaw is putting lives in danger. We have no “exit” checkpoint for incoming visitors or locals here on Maui to validate information or ensure proper collection of information especially at the interisland terminals. This is necessary in order to protect the people of every county. I understand that there is only “so much we can do,” as a government, but our job is to do everything we can do the best we can do it.
COVID has shown our island’s reliance on tourism. Do you think we should diversify the economy? How and in what industries?
Yes! I do believe that diversifying the economy is needed, but we can’t make the same mistakes we did in the past.
Tourism and technology are industries in which we have already proven to be the best in and I believe we need to revive these industries. It’s something that we do well and prosper in so we should support and continue moving forward every way we can while still carrying respect for our culture and kama‘aina.
I also strongly believe agriculture to be a viable industry if we get the key crops that do well for the climates and areas in which they will be farmed. There is an excellent chance that agriculture will also put us on top of local food production and move us closer to the States goals of food sustainability. A growing agriculture industry could also provide employment and a livable wage for much of Maui County’s working class. The sugar and pineapple industry once employed thousands of people in Hawaii. Governor Ige has set a goal to double local food production by 2030 yet he, the Legislature, and the DLNR have done nothing in over 20 years to help provide land for agriculture. The state needs to make land available for local farmers and ranchers and provide affordable lease options and assistance if we are to see this goal become reality. Improvements and funding in our agriculture water systems, removal of zoning restrictions, and land availability are fundamental to Hawaii achieving Food Security.
The above are important, but I also encourage the following. We need to improve our medical & health care system by removing taxes in the industry making it more affordable for families and kupuna. We should support trade school programs that prepare students to be “work ready” and earn certificates or even program specific degrees upon graduation from high school. We could look into supporting and allowing for P3, public, private partnerships, which will allow private companies to provide public services. We should consider the removal of stringent permitting and zoning restrictions making for quicker and more efficient construction and building projects will prove less expensive and help with overall smart & sustainable development. Finally, I advocate supporting Ed Case with revising the Jones Act to make the cost for consumers more affordable in Hawaii.
How should the county and state support parents of school children that are juggling unsustainable workloads?
Revising child care program funding to allow for an in home family member to get paid to help care for the child or children may be helpful. Personally I recommend, supporting funding and assisting programs like the Hawaii Youth Livestock Association where activities are outdoor. Currently we are allowing “families in the same household” to come and visit and take care of the animals in an open and outdoor environment some families spend as much as 4-5 hours per day at the ranch all in their own areas with their own animals at all hours of the day. Parents can either make an appointment to bring the kids down or stay and enjoy time with their keiki.
Do you personally run your social media accounts?
My campaign team and I run my social media platforms. We post only with team approval from both me & my campaign chairperson prior to releasing any posts.
How do you or would you communicate and interact with your constituents?
I would make it a priority to have an “open door policy.” I try to hold monthly Town Hall meetings, be available by email and phone. Constituents can also reach me on any of our social media accounts. I also communicate by means of monthly emails and newsletters.
Lastly, many local and national news outlets have been forced to limit service and/or staff.
What role does local news play in our community?
Local news is very important in our community. Our county is composed of such a wide variety in ages and every news outlet is necessary, but we especially support local news because it ties all of our lives together and really closes any generational gaps. Our local news isn’t just for headline news but for community awareness and educational purposes. We are connected to each other by staying up-to-date with the happenings on our beautiful island. I look forward to supporting local news outlets by printing my monthly newsletters and updates when in office through these local avenues. My entire campaign has used local talent for all our signs, banners, campaign mailers and materials. We did not purchase from cheap mainland vendors.
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