Economic Opportunity

Let's Make Hawai'i Affordable

Hawai‘i is rapidly becoming an international economy. Meanwhile, our local economy is getting left behind, locals can't afford to live here, and it's getting more and more expensive to visit.

"Affordable Housing" is an illusion that puts equity into the pockets of international investors and property developers, who benefit disproportionately at the expense of our local economy and who support state officials who support their investments -- making the Hawai‘i Democratic Party not the party of the people, but the party of the international developer.

It's time to stop wasteful spending and realize revenue where we can. I propose we:

• Shift towards an economy that features job-diversification, vice solely military and tourism.
• Increase tax credits for small businesses and homeowners.
• Increase property rights for residential and short-term rentals.
• Stop the brain drain; use innovation to create high-paying jobs.
• Incentivize local development. Require international developers and tourists pay their share.
• Cut or abolish the General Excise Tax - especially on food items.

Cost of Living (Jones Act)

GET WITH THE TIMES!! We need to modernize the 100-year-old Jones Act.

Yield the unrealized tax revenue. Make shipping work for Hawaiʻi! Hawaiʻi is the 50th state, but the 1920 Jones Act still considers it a territory, resulting in high costs for imports & exports that drive up local prices. It's time to resolve this issue.

As governor, I will push for Hawaiʻi Congressional leaders to:

•  Either secure a Jones Act exemption for Hawai'i or modernize the Act.

For background, the Act requires that all cargo transported between US ports be on a ship that are US flagged and built, owned, and 3/4 crewed by Americans. The Act is intended to ensure national security with a robust merchant fleet, but the fact is it eliminates market competition, which makes the U.S. more reliant on China and Russia for goods and fuel.

It has increased prices while reducing maritime trade and hampered development of US shipbuilding industries, resulting in far fewer grossly aging ships compared to other countries. It costs Hawai'i over $1B USD per year, over 9,000 jobs, $400M in lost wages, and $150M in lost taxes. It costs the average consumer in Hawai'i over $600 per year.

Data shows the Act has resulted in an aging, dilapidated merchant fleet and unrealized tax revenue. (Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Policy Brief, "Quantifying the Cost of the Jones Act to Hawaiʻi", Jul 2020)

Make Education a Priority

It's time to change the paradigm and ELEVATE EDUCATION!

• Stop treating property revenue as a petty cash jar and allocate it for public school education and/or use the lottery to help improve our education system.
• Allow school of choice and diversify public school curriculum.
• Incentivize locals to join our teaching community.
• Increase teacher salaries and retirements.
• Add a pay-band for teachers with PhDs.
• Repair our crumbling schools!
• Modernize our schools' aging IT infrastructure.

Affordable Housing

Let's Make Hawai'i Affordable

We need to change the paradigm - “Affordable Housing" = an illusion;  Puts equity into pockets of international investors, property developers, which Makes Hawai‘i Democratic Party the party of the international developer.

We could:

• Save money by taking the developer “out of the equation”, save 20-30% in cost 
• Get rid of  “equity partners”, save another 10-12%
• Structure with financing 4-5%
• Build $800K homes for $300-400K
• Finance through the Government to finance 110%, guaranteed loan, limited profit fee
• Build 10-20K per year
• Accomplish this on Oahu and our neighbor islands with the land we have

Infrastructure

INVEST IN IT NOW!! Repair our roads, bridges, schools, and energy architecture.

Increase interisland connectivity and commerce by exploring different options, including brining back the super-ferry! We need to review our entire infrastructure system.

For anyone who lives here, it doesn't take a poll to tell you Hawai'i's infrastructure ranks towards the bottom in the nation. Our roads, bridges, schools, energy and communications infrastructures are simply lagging.

We receive sufficient federal funding but cannot provide timely contracts or make efficient use of funds for repair and maintenance statewide. It's time to INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE!

I propose we:

• Develop a phased, comprehensive plan to bring Hawaii into the 21st century.
• Develop and enforce state standards for infrastructure.
• Repair our roads, bridges, schools, and protect our aquifers.
• Bring back super ferries to provide low cost interisland commute for kama'aina.
• Raise the level of medical care on neighbor islands to reduce transportation costs for treatments.
• Speed up our Wi-Fi and make it free & accessible across the islands to all kama'aina.

Homelessness

HANDLE IT!! Reclaim public areas for taxpayers!

Develop solutions for housing. Incentivize the homeless.

It's no surprise Hawai'i ranks towards the top of the U.S. in the number of homeless per capita. That's because we lack a cohesive, evidence-based, and cross-government program with authority to provide homeless-to-wellness options for our increasing homeless population; our focus on sweeping campaigns fail to resolve root issues.

It's time to HANDLE the homeless problem. I propose we:

• ENFORCE the law and RECLAIM public areas for taxpayers!
• Reinvigorate Hawai'i's Interagency Council on Homelessness -- transition to a Task Force with authority to coordinate and execute cross-government (municipal-county-state) and private & public housing solutions.
• Incentivize homeless people through treatment, education, employment and a housing program.
• Decrease high-school drop-out rates and drug use through incentives to stay on track.

Hawaiian Home Lands

We owe it to the people of Hawai'i - they should OWN, not lease their land

• When Prince Kuhio established the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, he did so with the best intentions and developed the right plan for the time
• There are currently 28,700 on the Hawaiian Homestead waiting list (My mom was on the waiting list for years and passed two years ago and never realized her dream - My brothers and sister are still on the waiting list
• The State is liable and responsible to execute the Trust
• The system as it stands right now is “designed” to fail
• Even if leased land is free, they wouldn’t allow that “credit” to be used toward a down payment, so Hawaiians have a hard time coming up with the down payment
• Hawai'i's State Government has been grossly negligent and mismanaged the program since the beginning (we need new leadership)
• The Federal Government does NOT have to approve changing the program….many lawmakers believe they do
• The US Government told Hawai'i in the beginning, that the way their lease was worded, it would not work and that they should adopt theirs, but Hawaiian Homes would not; therefore, the US Government would not finance and back the loan, like the VA does for our Veterans

Energy

ENERGIZE IT!! Address energy incentives within the unique confines of land scarcity.

Hawai'i is the most fossil fuel-dependent state in the nation -- all of which must be imported.

We suffer the highest prices in the nation for gasoline, electricity and natural gas. We use significantly more energy than we produce despite having one of the lowest energy consumption totals of any state.

We're making good progress on residential solar energy and renewable portfolio standard, but we can do better. It's time to ENERGIZE ENERGY!

I propose we:
Develop a phased, comprehensive plan to bring the islands into the 21st century for energy incentives & storage, within the confines of land scarcity.

Rail

Stop it when we run out of Federal Funding!

We need to stop burdening Hawai'i's tax payers to pay for a project many will never use

The leadership and the oversight of this project has failed us (Poor planning to include: parking, electrical grids and inadequate security solutions, etc.)

I believe a forensic audit needs to take place ASAP

I would assemble a team of experts to develop a plan on how to maximize progress on the rail with the funds remaining

I will look at alternatives since some of the tracks don’t even line up with the train, like placing eco friendly buses to move personnel along the rail, taking those off the roads

We need to explore how to keep costs low for ridership, maintenance, security and parking

Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)

I am Pro Astronomy (like our ancestors)!  

If cultural and archaeological monitoring continues as it currently is, we can continue to place great reverence in exploring our skies and use the gifts our mountains provided us and use the best observing conditions in this hemisphere.

Did you know:

TMT’s THINK fund contributes $1M annually to Hawai’i students & teachers

TMT’s Workforce Pipeline Program strengthens STEM education infrastructures (it contributes to mountain stewardship).

TMT also pays $1M / year towards Mauna Kea

• 80% to Office of Mauna Kea Mgt
• 20% to Office of Hawaiian Affairs

As Governor, I would appoint a Task Force with key stakeholders from all agencies and parties involved to explore and implement a solution that satisfies ongoing concerns!

Corruption / Transparency in Government

It seems like everyday we read about another scandal about our elected leaders in the news

We need to weed out this corruption out of our government

I believe in holding people accountable for their actions

I believe in transparency; tax-payers deserve to know where their tax dollars are going

No more general fund, we will have accountability and transparency

I am a proponent of line-item vetoes.  Too often, bills are introduced that directly address voters concerns, but  get backdoored with pork and special interest programs in the final bill

Our Government is growing twice as fast as the economy! This is unsustainable and should be other way around!

Tourism Management

Since Hawai'i became a State in 1959, we put conservation procedures in place to share our home. This resulted in tourism becoming our highest source of economic revenue.  

Hawaii is the most beautiful place on earth, why not share our aina and Aloha with the world

I am not for limiting visitors and tourists from coming to our islands.

But, I do feel we need to educate them about our history, culture, and unique values.

I do not believe in adding additional TAT or Green Fee Landing, we don’t want to price tourism away from our economy

I would leave any increased fees to the County and individual businesses

     e.g. Haunama Bay is free for military and Kama'aina, but charges visitors fees for entry

COVID / Masking / Vaccination

Individual Liberty and Responsibility is what I stand for!

• I am against mandates and we need to unmask our keiki immediately. Masks should be optional 
• Vaccinations should be optional like the Flu shot and other immunizations, it should be between you and your medical provider / doctor
• At the start of the pandemic 2 yrs ago we didn’t know what we didn’t know  and the Gov’t did what he felt was necessary to protect the people; I took best practices from previous pandemics and put together a COVID plan for the DoD here in Hawaii
• I have over 35 years of Emergency Management experience, something no other candidate running for Governor has.  I have experience dealing with the unknown and coming up with innovative solutions
• 77% of our population has been double vaccinated; 55% have even had the booster
• All along, it was the Kupuna and those with pre-existing medical conditions that we really needed to protect this entire pandemic
• Hawai'i was grossly mis-managed and the Governor’s emergency proclamations should have been reviewed IAW state law. I believe Ige abused his power
• Although the BA2 is more contagious than the Delta variant, the medical impact is not as severe, and you don’t see our hospital beds filling up
• We need to follow the science and take politics out of these decisions 
• We understand the threats now and there are numerous credible and peer reviewed sources of information about the virus; let’s get individual liberty back into society and make masks and vaccines optional

STANCE ON ABORTION

While the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion affects nationwide policy, it also stresses the right for individual states to decide for themselves whether to support or deny abortion rights. Based on my values and upbringing I am pro-life, but I also recognize the unique challenges we have as an isolated state in the Pacific, 2500 miles away from the mainland.

As Governor, I would be responsible for taking care of all of Hawai’i’s people, not just those that voted for me. As such, I would support Hawai’i laws and would not advocate overturning abortion services in the state. Unlike our mainland counterparts, where it is easier to travel to another state by various means, I will not place unnecessary travel and financial burdens on women who choose to have an abortion, and I will not place women at risk of botched abortions.

The question of abortion is a complex and multi-faceted issue. Though I personally do not support abortion, I firmly believe that any woman who has made an informed decision to obtain an abortion should receive quality medical care from a licensed medical practitioner at a licensed health facility.

That said, I would work with our legislators and propose state laws to provide educational materials on possible options to abortion. I propose to make counseling and spiritual guidance available as well. Finally, I would focus on removing or eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and on streamlining the adoption process in Hawai’i.