http://www.electedhawaii.com/index.php Default blog for static pages on electedhawaii.com en dylan.nonaka@yahoo.com Copyright 2008 2008-10-27T08:04:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/ted_hong_endorsed_by_the_hawaii_tribune_herald/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/ted_hong_endorsed_by_the_hawaii_tribune_herald/#When:08:04:00Z  Here is the text of their endorsement: State Senate, District 1: People drone on about "change," but it's amazing how often they'll re-elect incumbents whose time has passed. Rep. Dwight Takamine is one of those incumbents. He had a long run in the House, but he's become synonymous with "business as usual." Ted Hong is experienced, studious and stubborn -- three traits you want in a guy who dares to be a Republican in a predominately Democratic district. If you actually care about reform, elect Hong to the state Senate. He has good ideas, and we doubt he'll miss 37 percent of his votes, like Takamine did during the 2007 Legislature. The Tribune-Herald endorses Hong.         2008-10-27T08:04:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/retirement_plans_in_doubt/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/retirement_plans_in_doubt/#When:19:10:00Z Retirement account losses near $2 trillionFinancial crisis forcing workers to delay their golden years From the AP:WASHINGTON - Americans' retirement plans have lost as much as $2 trillion - or about 20 percent overall - in the past 15 months, Congress' top budget analyst estimated Tuesday. The upheaval that has engulfed the financial industry and sent the stock market plummeting is devastating workers' savings, forcing people to hold off on major purchases and consider delaying their retirement, said Peter Orszag, the head of the Congressional Budget Office. As Congress investigates the causes and effects of the financial meltdown, the House Education and Labor Committee was hearing from retirement savings and budget analysts on how the housing, credit and other financial troubles have battered pensions and other retirement funds, which are among the most common forms of savings in the United States. "Unlike Wall Street executives, America's families don't have a golden parachute to fall back on," said Rep. George Miller, the panel chairman. "It's clear that their retirement security may be one of the greatest casualties of this financial crisis." More than half the people surveyed in an Associated Press-GfK poll taken Sept. 27-30 said they worry they will have to work longer because the value of their retirement savings has declined. Orszag indicated the fear is well-founded. Public and private pension funds and employees' private retirement savings accounts have lost some 20 percent overall since mid-2007, he estimated. Private retirement plans may have suffered slightly more because those holdings are more heavily skewed toward stocks, Orszag added. "Some people will delay their retirement. In particular, those on the verge of retirement may decide they can no longer afford to retire and will continue working," Orszag said. A new AARP study found that because of the economic downturn, one in five workers 45 and older has stopped putting money into a company-sponsored retirement account, Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or other retirement savings account during the past year, and nearly one in four has increased the number of hours he works.   2008-10-08T19:10:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/the_economy_plan_b/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/the_economy_plan_b/#When:08:32:00Z by: Ted Hong I am more than a little concerned about the national financial crisis that we're experiencing. I understand that more than 15% of national news on any network or media outlet is hooey and hype. But what concerns me is that people in politics, in finance and in the media from all points on the spectrum are in near panic mode. The gloom and doom predictions on the national level and our State's projected deficit worries me. So I wonder, is there a "Plan B" out there? On the local level, are any political leaders or politicians talking about a "Plan B?" As I campaign, the words I hear most often from other politicians are usually limited to variations of the following: togetherness; for the keiki; teamwork; kupuna; and ohana. The better politicians can manage to weave these concepts into a single sentence. Mind you none of that is bad, but it ain't "Plan B." So what do I mean by "Plan B?" I simply mean, is anyone talking about what we need to do if the national and our local economy tanks? Is anyone discussing how we can get through periods of possibly no or negative economic growth, high unemployment and lower income? Is anyone talking about priorities in that kind of reality? Who should be concerned about whether or not anyone has a "Plan B?" Anyone in their mid-thirties and twenties, who are beginning their professional career should be interested in a "Plan B." Also, small business owners, anyone in the construction trades, people on fixed incomes, people who are within 5 years of retirement and normal everyday people like you and me. We are the ones who should be concerned about whether our politicians have a "Plan B." When would "Plan B" be necessary? It would be necessary, if the local economy takes a real dive. Tourism would evaporate. Layoffs at hotels. Layoffs in the construction industry because developers can't get financing. Unemployment on this island would rise dramatically, as would people on welfare and food stamps. Crime and other social problems would boil over. Businesses, like car dealerships, contractors, restaurants, other service related business would be forced to close. Food and fuel costs increase by two or three times. Because of the federal and State deficits, we aren't going to get any help from Washington , D.C. , or Honolulu . What's "Plan B?" This is the worst case scenario, where we're on our own and we have to solve our own problems. In this situation, I came up with these ideas. Some of them I've already written about. There are three (3) basic parts to "Plan "B:" (1) Keep more of your money in the short term: Suspend the General Excise Tax on food, fuel, health care, agricultural products and supplies (feed, seed and fertilizer), construction materials and supplies. Suspend the 50 cent surcharge on everything shipped here, just passed by the 2008 Legislature. Employers and employees receive tax credits for any health care insurance costs, including co-pays. (2) No one goes hungry: All State departments and agencies come up with an inventory of property suitable for growing food and ranching. Designate and allow communities to use State land for community gardens to raise their own vegetables. State equipment should be made available to assist in land preparation. Designate State owned land suitable for ranching. Ranchers would be able to lease ranch land from the State and receive tax credits and two years at minimum lease rent, provided they sell their animals and products locally. (3) To market, to market . . . Waiver of any State taxes for the first three (3) years for any start up Ag coops. Low interest loans for any start up dairies and meat processing plants and two (2) year exemption from State taxes. Open State property for Farmer's markets and food distribution centers throughout the week. Allow use of State vehicles to assist non-profit organizations with food collection and distribution for shut-ins. No one is talking about or thinking about what would happen if a "Plan B" was needed. Looking at the financial storm up ahead it would be foolish to think we can ignore the effects of the sinking economy. I already see and hear of friends being laid off from construction and hotel jobs. I already see and hear of small businesses closing operations. With the national economy in such turmoil, with the State having to grapple with a deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars, we can no longer count on or expect help from the federal or state government and we have to come up with something different. So we're back to "Plan B" which requires a fundamentally different perspective. Ask yourself this question, "What if the tourists just stop coming?" or, "What if half the tourists stayed home?" I know it's a bit far fetched but we all better start thinking of "Plan B" and you have every right to expect that people running for political office, like myself, should be able to see, anticipate and talk about what they think will happen. Please pass this on to three of your friends to show them that someone, including yourself, are thinking about a "Plan B" if and when our economy gets worse.   2008-10-07T08:32:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/special_announcement/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/special_announcement/#When:07:35:00Z While walking in the Panaewa district this afternoon, I stopped by the home of a former Aloha Airlines employee.  He and several of his co-workers were steaming a whole bunch of very good lau-lau.  Curious, I asked them what it was for. They told me that one of their co-workers became seriously ill shortly after the Airlines had shut down and had nearly $300,000 in hospital bills outstanding!  They were helping him by having a fundraiser for him.  On Thursday, August 28, 2008, they will hold a Hawaiian Plate Lunch fundraiser at the Aloha Airlines Cargo office in Hilo.  If you're in Hilo on Thursday, please stop by and buy a plate.  It's for a good cause, put on by a thoughtful and caring bunch of people.  Your support would mean a lot to them and their co-worker. Ted P.S.  If you get there late, you'll miss out, because it's first come, first served. 2008-08-26T07:35:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/takamines_support/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/takamines_support/#When:07:51:00Z This letter to the editor from Marie Ruhland and Frank Deluz was published in the Hawaii Tribune Herald today.In your Aug. 4 story, "Takamine is top spender outside of mayor's race," state Senate District 1 Candidate Dwight Takamine stated, "more that 80 percent of this reporting period's contributions were from people who gave $100 or less," and "I believe this is reflective of the grassroots nature of the support that I've received." Excuse me? This is a gross misrepresentation of the facts. A closer look at the recently published campaign spending report shows a vastly different story. Here is the truth:-- 245 total donors in this reporting period.-- 96 of the 245 gave $100 or less. That's 39 percent, not 80 percent. -- $88,201 in total contributions.-- $30,260 from people giving $100 or less. That's 34 percent, not 80 percent.Can we afford a state senator who does math like this?Summary of "Takamine for the people" donors:-- 26 percent are corporate, union, political action committees or some other special interest groups.-- 54 percent are not even from the Big Island! "Grassroot nature of support?"It is time for a change. Vote Ted Hong for District 1 State Senate.Frank Deluz- Marie RuhlandHilo 2008-08-18T07:51:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/running_on_empty_running_blind/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/running_on_empty_running_blind/#When:02:34:00Z The song “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne is one of my favorites.  Today's headlines and our current lack of political leadership are reflected in this lyric.  My favorite bakery, O'Keefe's is closing.  Two hospitals on our island have laid off over 100 workers.  The cost of animal and livestock feed is going sky high.  Foreclosures are up across the country over 121% compared to last year.  As I walk through the district, small business owners, contractors, hotel workers and families tell me how rising fuel prices have hurt them.  They talk about having to make painful choices like closing the business, laying off employees just to keep the business open, stop driving, giving up animals and being forced to balance the cost of gas to get to work against feeding their family.  The rising cost of gas, causes many of us to “run on empty.”  Our gas tanks have become a black hole that we just keep pouring more money into.  What cost me about $45 to fill my tank last year cost me nearly $75 this past week Last month I offered short and long term economic plans to help us get through this tough time.  To date, no candidate for any office, including my opponent, has offered voters a plan to help turn our economy around.  So I want to highlight one aspect of my plan.  I have called for a suspension of the General Excise Tax on fuel, agricultural supplies and products.  One of the causes of the high cost of fuel, are the taxes added onto each gallon of gas we buy.  In Hawaii , for each gallon of gas, we pay about 51 cents in taxes.  Every time you put a gallon of gas in your car or truck, you're paying a federal tax, two separate state taxes, a county tax and on top of that, the State General Excise Tax. The worst part of all those taxes is the General Excise Tax.  For each dollar of gas we buy, add on the four other taxes, and on top of that add the General Excise Tax.  We're paying a tax on other taxes. If I spend $75 a week to fill up my car, I would save about $156 a year under my plan to suspend the General Excise Tax.  Any construction company or company that uses fleet vehicles would have those savings multiplied.  Restaurants using natural gas or propane to bake their bread and cook the food we order would also save money.  The savings could be put to use to pay bills (rent, electricity, water, employee benefits). This part of my plan, is just a small part of what our political leaders should and could be doing now.  But my opponent and other politicians have been in power so long, that they don't understand  how their lack of leadership and lack of vision directly affects families throughout the island.  It's easier for them to turn a blind eye and let more companies fail, more people get laid off and have more people collecting welfare and food stamps instead of taking a hard look at how to change our economy. I am running for State Senate, because the same old politicians and the same old way of doing things are simply not working.  Too many people and families are suffering.  My opponent was in power during the nearly decade long recession of the 1990's and the recession following the 9-11 attacks.  Now we are facing another downturn in the economy. Can we really expect that  the same people can or will do anything differently in this third economic downturn?  We need a change in leadership, a change in vision, otherwise, we'll still be “Running on Empty” and “running blind.”  Change starts here and change starts with you. I would be honored to have your support in this election. 2008-07-31T02:34:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/we_need_local_school_boards_because_no_one_at_the_doe_has_a_clue_and_the_bu/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/we_need_local_school_boards_because_no_one_at_the_doe_has_a_clue_and_the_bu/#When:03:24:00Z Most Hawaii public high schools fail under No Child Left Behind   Data sought on why 88% of high schools are struggling to meet goals By Loren MorenoAdvertiser Education WriterMost Hawai'i public high schools failed to meet expectations under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, leaving education officials speculating about the unique challenges that secondary schools face. Thirty-seven of the 42 public high schools statewide — 88 percent — did not make "adequate yearly progress" this year. And with 30 high schools currently in "restructuring" — meaning they haven't made their goals in at least six years — many principals are concerned about what appears to be an alarming trend. "Everyone is struggling," said Alvin Nagasako, principal of Kapolei High School, which didn't meet its mandated goals this year. "We have very unrealistic goals, especially when it comes to our special-needs populations." State Department of Education officials say it is difficult to pinpoint any one factor that has prevented many high schools from achieving the No Child Left Behind goals. But they also acknowledge that it is a trend that needs to be investigated. "If you look at the data, the secondary schools seem to be in sanction more than the elementary schools," said Daniel Hamada, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and student support. "From our standpoint, we're looking at what are the patterns so that we can begin to address the gaps." According to statewide testing results released last week, 60 percent of public schools did not achieve annual goals under No Child Left Behind. That's up from only 35 percent last year. Education officials attributed the spike to higher benchmarks set this year. While schools in general appear to be struggling under NCLB, high schools in particular seem to be grappling with the federal law's list of expectations — from participation rate on the state test to graduation rate to reading and math proficiency. School officials say a number of factors may play a role in how well schools are doing, including student apathy and the large populations of special-needs students on the high school level. Nagasako said economic status also plays a role in the performance of a school under NCLB testing. "The schools with pretty good ZIP codes, they do pretty well on the test," he said. And the data appears to support that argument. For instance, 60 percent of Honolulu district schools achieved adequate yearly progress goals this year. That compares with less than 30 percent of Leeward district schools or only 13 percent of Maui district schools. 'growth model' Nagasako said rural and Neighbor Island schools have a harder time recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers. "I suspect that the schools that have the least amount of turnover, have better test scores," he said. That's one reason why state education officials are pushing national education officials to adopt a "growth model." A growth model, as opposed to the current NCLB system, would acknowledge the progress a school is making rather than setting standard goals. "Then at least schools that are at a disadvantage with respect to socioeconomic status, where they simply cannot make these ever-increasing measurable objectives, at least they can show there is improvement," said Glenn Hirata, head of the DOE's system evaluation and reporting section. The No Child Left Behind law requires that each significant subgroup of students — from specific ethnicities, to various income levels, to English Language Learners to special-needs students — must meet the targets or else the school does not make its goal. Under the "all or nothing" approach, if one subgroup fails, the school does not make "adequate yearly progress." In addition to achieving proficiency in math and reading, each subgroup must also meet specific participation and graduation requirements. "They're facing a triple threat," Hirata said. He also noted that high schools have a broader range of students, meaning that more subgroups of students are counted toward their NCLB results. "The high schools are large schools, so they have far more (student subgroups) than elementary schools," Hirata said. If one of those groups fails to achieve the benchmarks, the whole school fails, he said. On the high school level, only 10th-graders take the Hawaii State Assessment, which helps determine a school's adequate yearly progress status. One reason high schools are performing worse than elementary schools is that they have a more diverse population, which means more subgroups which could trip up the whole school. "Because high schools are bigger, by the time the total population comes up to the high school level, more of the targeted populations are included in your results," said Carlyn Fujimoto, principal of Pearl City High. For high schools, it appears that it's the students with special needs or English-language learners that are not achieving the benchmarks, education officials said. At smaller elementary schools, because special-needs populations also tend to be small, those results don't count against a school. But because those populations tend to be larger on the high school level, they do. "For Pearl City High, based on growth, we've done really well. However, we need to now focus more efforts on helping the special-needs populations," Fujimoto said. participation rates Pearl City High is in restructuring, the severest sanction under No Child Left Behind that can be levied against a school that has not achieved its adequate yearly progress goal for at least six years. Academically, high schools are unique, Fujimoto said. For instance, the Hawaii State Assessment measures a 10th-grader's knowledge of math and reading. But on the high school level, reading is not a subject taught in classes as it is in lower grade levels. The challenge for high schools is to get math, science and social studies teachers to address reading and comprehension in their classes. "Many secondary teachers are not trained in how to do reading strategies with high school students," Fujimoto said. Schools must have a 95 percent participation rate in the standard test to make their adequate yearly progress goal. If participation in the test falls below that rate, a school fails. For instance, at Farrington High School, participation was below the 95 percent mark. Officials note that on the elementary school level, participation is easier to achieve. But it's on the high school level where schools tend to have a problem achieving the necessary participation rate. "In the 10th grade, the students know that the (Hawaii State Assessment) doesn't impact their grades, colleges don't ask for their scores. They figure it's not that important," said Cara Ta-nimura, head of DOE's system planning and improvement section. DOE officials say the challenge for principals is to communicate the message to its students that the test matters. 2008-07-29T03:24:00-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/politics_in_hawaii_is_something_broken/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/politics_in_hawaii_is_something_broken/#When:08:12:01Z by: Randall W. RothAfter college I entered the Society of Jesus (also known as the Jesuits), having a few months earlier gotten what some people refer to as a “calling.” But after a year living under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, my Jesuit superiors and I agreed that my calling had been a wrong number. Poverty and chastity had been easy for me, but obedience was impossible.Two years later, I met an attractive young woman on a city bus, Susie Worm. We got married a few months later—and although it was the best thing that ever happened to me, it didn’t change the way I looked at myself and my world. That happened when our first child was born. Everything changed. It was if I had been blind and then, suddenly, I could see.Many people can probably tell a similar story. One of my favorites comes from the indomitable Gladys Brandt, who, before co-authoring the “Broken Trust” essay had served as principal of Kamehameha Schools and chairperson of the UH Board of Regents. Gladys told me that all the way through school, she had been a “brat,” appreciating nothing and feeling responsibility to no one. But then a day came when she was a student teacher and the regular teacher failed to show up. Gladys stepped to the front of the room. As she turned around and looked at the students, she said she almost fell to her knees when she saw all those innocent little eyes looking squarely at her, trusting her totally. Gladys resolved then and there never again to be so unworthy.My brush with communism, a year in the Jesuits, and just watching what was going on elsewhere in the world made me appreciate Winston Churchill’s observation that democracy is the worst form of government ... except for all the others.I became a reborn, small-d democrat—someone who feels a personal responsibility to help make our government work well enough that the world we pass on to the next generation will be at least as good as the one we inherited. For me, this means paying close attention to politics and doing my best to ensure an active marketplace of ideas.Small-d democrats are thankful for, and value, the individuals who are willing to hold elected and appointed government positions, but we recognize that they, like the rest of us, are subject to the laws of human nature. Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I would add that power without transparency and accountability is absolute power, and absolute power is anathema to small-d democrats.Some people hear a story about government officials abusing power and say, “Shame on them.” Small-d democrats hear the same story and say, “Shame on us.” But it isn’t easy to speak out. Politics will always reflect the local culture. In Hawaii, because everyone lives, works and plays in close proximity, and because of our many interlocking social networks, the local culture feels super-local. You don’t have to live in Hawaii long before realizing that you can’t discuss any controversial issue critically without it being personal to someone. This creates a natural tendency to “go along,” “not make waves” and not “talk stink.”I love Hawaii. I’m proud to call it home. I love that there are so many different cultures here, I wouldn’t want to change that. I see value, however, in talking about the forces that encourage or discourage civic dialogue.It’s relatively easy for someone with my upbringing to tell others to stand up and speak out. My parents modeled that as I was growing up. Plus, I have one of the few jobs where I’m not just allowed, but also encouraged, to speak out when I see something within my area of expertise that I think is broken.Even so, it is difficult to talk critically about issues that directly involve people I admire. For example, my outspokenness about Bishop Estate has strained my relationships with two of the most decent men I’ve ever met, Kamehameha Schools President Mike Chun and former Bishop Estate trustee Oz Stender. I regret deeply any hurt that I may have caused them.The point is a simple one: after living in Hawaii for a while, even someone from the Mainland finds it increasingly difficult to talk critically about issues that affect people he respects.And although I don’t admire the way justices ignored their own conflicts of interest in looking after Princess Pauahi’s trust, I still don’t like being the one to point out the damage they had done. My knees nearly buckled when then-UH President Ken Mortimer told me that a group of influential individuals—he wouldn’t tell me who—had demanded that he fire me.  I’m still at UH, but this was a very unpleasant experience.I can only imagine how much more difficult my kind of civic engagement must be for people who aren’t protected by tenure and whose cultures don’t value speaking out. Despite the difficulty, however, there are shining examples of people doing and encouraging others to do exactly that. The late Nona Beamer, a cultural icon in the Hawaiian community whose short-but-powerful letter to the editor helped push the Bishop Estate controversy to the tipping point, wrote the following in a letter to me: “In Hawaii we tend not to speak up, even when we know that something is wrong. Especially in the Hawaiian community, the common practice has long been to avoid confrontation at almost any cost. This approach does not serve us well in today’s world. We must learn to be good stewards of all that we have been given, and this sometimes requires that we take a stand.” 2008-07-09T08:12:01-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/governor_announces_intention_to_veto_of_school_closure_bill/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/governor_announces_intention_to_veto_of_school_closure_bill/#When:08:55:01Z FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contact:  Ted Hong Phone:  808.960.3156 Date:  June 23, 2008HILO, HAWAII:   In a response to overwhelming support from the East Hawaii community, Governor Lingle announced her official intention to veto HB 2972, better known as the “School Closure Bill.”  This bill was put on the Governor’s veto list after communities and families from Hilo to Waimea voiced their strong opposition.  In vetoing HB 2972, Governor Lingle pointed out how unfair the final bill was by targeting schools in East Hawaii from Waiakea to Waimea for closure and leaving schools on other islands intact.             Governor Lingle acknowledged that Ted Hong’s letter of May 22, 2008, requesting her to veto HB 2972 was one of the first opposition letters to the bill she received.             Ted Hong said that “The Governor’s veto is welcome news and a triumph of the community in East Hawaii in getting their voices heard.  Common sense would have told legislators that this bill was bad from the beginning, because our schools in East Hawaii would have been on the chopping block very early on due to enrollment numbers.  The bill was made worse when the Legislature unfairly singled out schools in East Hawaii for closure.  The credit for the Governor taking a closer look at this bad legislation belongs to the communities in East Hawaii.”             In referring to the Governor’s veto, Ted said that East Hawaii Legislators were lucky to get the community involved to ask the Governor to veto this poor piece of legislation.  Ted remarked that, “The Governor should not have to clean up their (the Legislators’) own mess.  This was a bad bill from beginning to end and hopefully, it will rest in peace.”             Ted wondered, whether East Hawaii Democrats who voted for the original bill and the final bill, have finally seen how wrong they were and be able to defend the Governor’s veto of this patently unfair legislation?   2008-06-24T08:55:01-10:00 http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/governors_letter_to_ted_re_hb2972/ http://www.electedhawaii.com/news/governors_letter_to_ted_re_hb2972/#When:09:58:00Z This is Part 2, of my Jobs Action Plan.  Everything from Hilo to Waimea, shows signs of economic slowdown.  Coupled with spiraling fuel and power costs, people have asked me “What are you going to do about it to help our families and friends?”   The long term solution is that we need an economy that is not so dependent on tourism.  Although we can never completely be separate from the ebb and flow of the tourism industry, we can expand our economic base so when the downturns do come, we can still maintain a healthy economy where more people can continue to work.    Families are the most important part of our society.  Families are the forge upon which our future is made.  They are the foundation upon which values are taught, support and guidance is given and dreams can come true.  A family provides spiritual, emotional and physical support as well as financial support.  Government's role is to make sure that a family and family members have the opportunities to financially succeed and support themselves.   Several people have talked about a Legislator's ability to have government buildings built and implement programs within a particular district.  My focus is not on a building or a program, but on the quality of life for the families and children that use that building or program.  We can use taxpayer money for all the multi-million dollar buildings and programs we want.  If we don't have strong families with good jobs, those buildings and programs will be useless (e.g. Kohala Task Force).   As I mentioned in Part 1 of my Jobs Program, families with a stable source of income are in better position to succeed.  Children coming from stable and healthy homes are better prepared to come to school to learn. Teachers can teach instead of being babysitters.  Jobs and a strong economy leads to stronger communities and less crime, fewer broken families, less child and elderly abuse, fewer teen pregnancies.  Families can focus on their future instead of trying to cope with the constant stress about where to find the money to eat that day or how they can simply get to their jobs given the high cost of gas.   There are two fundamental parts of this problem.  The short term of what to do now and longer term reshaping of our future.  I would be honored if you would look over my plan.   Long Term Solutions:  Make our economy less tourism dependent.   We need to have an economy based on our ability and perspective, instead of selling our culture.  These are my ideas to make our State and Hawaii Island economy broader.   Small and Medium Sized Business:  ·        Overhaul and streamline laws and regulations for small and medium sized businesses. ·        Target laws that prevent companies like Hoku Scientific from building facilities and maintaining a workforce in Hawaii.    Tax Relief: ·        Tax credits for small and medium sized businesses for every employee given medical insurance, equal to the value of cost of coverage. ·        Eliminate General Excise Tax on agriculture, agricultural products and supplies, food, health care and child care. ·        Eliminate General Excise Tax on any Ag export. ·        Tax credits for start up businesses.   Sustain Agriculture:  ·        Establish an Invasive Species Control Center, a statewide intensive research and applied research center for all invasive species, where around the clock, intensive, focused research and experiments can be conducted. ·        Require consistency in the application of land use laws for Agricultural lands. ·        Stop Ag producing lands from being taxed at artificially increased property values due to development and speculators. ·        Establish a world class “ East-West Center ” research and applied research facility dedicated to Aquaculture and Agriculture.  The goal is to be the center for Pacific-Asian aquaculture and agriculture research and applied research.   Renewable Energy: ·        Establish an international research and application center for alternative, renewable energy.  Look at European (e.g. Germany) and Asian models. ·        Require electric utilities to buy electricity from alternative and renewable energy producers, at reasonable prices. ·        Identify unusable public lands for renewable energy development.   Job Training:  Increase funding for Community College job training programs to become more fluid and flexible.   Infrastructure:  ·        Build the Waimea By-Pass Road. ·        Build a new federal Interstate Highway on Hawaii Island , mauka of existing state highways that will incorporate existing changes to Saddle Road and Waimea By-Pass and plan for mass transit system.  We need newer and stronger bridges and a less congested roadway system.   Every solution starts with an idea and people build on that idea based on their experience and expertise.  My ideas are a starting point.  It would be easy to tell voters that “I know times are tough right now,” or “I feel your pain” or even, “That's something we really need to take a careful look at.”   Those kinds of statements demonstrate a lack of vision and leadership.  We deserve more, we deserve answers, our leaders need vision and leadership.  I would be honored to stand up for you and represent that change. 2008-06-22T09:58:00-10:00