Issue Position: Better, Stronger, Safer Communities

Issue Position

Care for All Victims by Providing Better Social Services in Puna
I envision a Puna free of abuse and violence, a place where families can live safely in our community. The amount of social services available for domestic violence in Puna is inadequate. My plan is to work collaboratively with the Hawai"i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and take a deep dive to ensure the restraining order law in HRS Chapter 586 is adequate to serve all victims, whether a victim has been stalked, harassed, or hit. There needs to be a consolidation of domestic violence laws in a single chapter rather than laws related to domestic violence scattered throughout different statutes. Advocates would have a better chance of justice through education and consistent enforcement of domestic violence laws. Law enforcement agencies will also be better equipped to have the tools to care for victims.

Establish a Safer Puna Community by Empowering Citizens in Each Neighborhood
Puna must be vigilant against crime and remind its residents to report, report, and report. Social media presents new ways to communicate regarding criminal activity. Our community needs all of us active and involved to prevent crime and foster a network that looks out for each other. Puna is the most resilient community on the Big Island and being the eyes and ears of the police force -- while respecting one another's personal privacy -- will help deter crime. I will work with the community groups to expand the Neighborhood Watch Program that will ensure public safety.

Prepare Puna for the Distribution of the $80 million of Funding from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Hawai"i County received $80 million in relief funding from the state Legislature that is part of a $1.25 billion from the CARES Act. There are strings attached to the funds that require coordination with the state Department of Health and Hawai"i County Council oversight to use the funds for expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic. I will proactively reach out to the Puna community to establish a committee to help ensure the residents and businesses are ready with receipts, projections, and paperwork once the applications are released to the public. The money must be spent by December 30, which leaves Hawai"i County little time to distribute the funding. I will work to ensure Puna is ready.

Learning from Past Disasters to Strengthen a more Resilient Puna
In recent years Puna has been affected by Hurricane Iselle, two eruptions of Kīlauea, and now the coronavirus. Even though each disaster presents a different challenge, the key to recovery in all cases is communication. How is information being shared to the community? If services are available to help Puna residents, are they aware of them? There is still an albizia problem; curbing those dangerous trees will mitigate impacts from the next hurricane. There are grants available from the FEMA's Section 428 Alternative Public Assistance Program for the lava flow. It ensures that those funds take into account long term planning to prevent future eruptions to destroy essential infrastructure. The unemployment insurance system has proved inadequate to handle the surge in claims. Bulk processing, particularly for those companies in the tourism industry, should have been priorities to reduce the backlog that occurred. There should have been a way that business owners could have flagged unemployment claims to bulk process laid-off workers in order to lessen the burden on the whole system. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from these past disasters. It will be important not to make those same mistakes again.

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