Issue Position: Better Place to Live

Issue Position

Economic Recovery Begins by Opening Inter-Island Travel and Closing Out-of-State Travel from High-Risk States and Countries
Hawai"i's economic recovery will require the state to balance the return of inter-island travel while ensuring hospitals have the capacity to respond to an increase in infections. Testing visitors before they hop on a plane is of paramount importance alongside proper social distancing, personal protective equipment, and clean hygiene. We can identify countries that have managed to contain the spread like Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand where the total positive cases is under 40,000, while the United States as a whole has more than 2 million coronavirus cases. I agree we need to focus on people over profits, but we cannot stay in this current situation forever. The hospitality industry has been hit the hardest with only a total of 4,564 visitors traveling in April 2020 to Hawai"i compared to 856,250 visitors in April 2019. The lack of visitors has greatly impacted the Big Island's unemployment rate, jumping to 24 percent in April. There is no question that we need to focus on economic recovery, not only for our island but for the state. We need to explore other economic opportunities to develop with increased urgency.

Grow Agriculture in Puna, on Hawai"i Island, and Throughout the State
Successful agriculture takes into account commerce and distribution markets. Farmers need to be able to make a reasonable and sustainable return on investment for their efforts when farming or ranching. As your state representative, I will advocate for agriculture by factoring in energy costs, food safety requirements, agricultural labor, access to capital, the price of goods, consumer taste and preferences, tax programs, water access, land use regulations, and methods of farming and ranching. As well as, I will ensure the path for young people to enter farming is as easy as possible. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Hawai"i Department of Agriculture offer incentives to encourage the youth to choose food and agriculture as a career. Working the land to grow crops or herd cattle is hard work, but I firmly believe real progress in agriculture will move Puna, Hawai"i Island, and the State of Hawai"i toward a sustainable future of food self-sufficiency.

Establish an Affordable Housing Program for Teachers
Teachers make excellent tenants. With the state's budget shortfall, pay raises for anyone will be challenging. Nonetheless, a workable alternative is to partner with the private real estate sector for help. The real issue is the gap between teachers' salaries and their costs of living. This program will coordinate private housing units at discounted rates for teachers as a way to offset the high cost of living in Hawaiʻi. I will partner with the community to establish an affordable housing program for our teachers so they can keep teaching in Puna and educate our next leaders.

Build A County Park in Hawaiian Paradise Park
Hawaiian Paradise Park is one of the fastest-growing communities in the state and a park has been a much-needed capital improvement project from well before I was elected to the Hawai"i County Council in 2012. When I served on the Council I worked to have the County acquire a 20-acre parcel in HPP but funding is needed to make it a reality. Families in the park need a place to go with their kids and grandchildren. The park does not have to be built at once; it can be built in phases, and the first phase is to have it cleared, graded and provide a walking and running path for residents. I will continue to advocate for funding for Hawaiian Paradise Park for it to host its own public park.

Push Toward 100 Percent Renewable Energy for Hawai"i Island
Hawai"i Island should be the first in the state to reach 100 percent renewable energy with all the options available. Solar panels on roof tops are becoming more common and affordable, but still out of reach for many. Geothermal and biomass energy sources ensure a reliable source of energy when solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are not available. I will advocate for accelerating the timeline for our island to reach the 100 percent renewable energy portfolio because we need to be energy-independent and sustainable, while also cutting consumer costs. Prices for electricity are too high at over 40 cents per kilowatt. We can do better.

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