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Former Member, Agriculture Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Economic Development and Business Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Chair, Housing Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Judiciary Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Chair, Tourism Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Transportation Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Agriculture Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Economic Development and Business Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Chair, Tourism Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Former Member, Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives
Chair, Housing Committee
Member, Judiciary Committee
Member, Transportation Committee
— Father's Occupation:
— Mother's Occupation:
Priority Issues:
I understand that our district, with its critical role in Hawaii's visitor industry, is a very important economic engine for our state and I am determined to support legislative efforts to sustain our economy, as well as to improve the quality of life for our residents and our visitors.
1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer
2. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer
3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- X
4. Abortions should be legal when pregnancy results from incest, rape, or the life of the woman is endangered.
- X
5. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
- X
6. Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- No Answer
7. Support "buffer zones" at abortion clinics by requiring demonstrators to remain a certain distance from doorways and driveways.
- X
8. Prohibit public funding for abortions and organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer
9. Other
- No Answer
1. Education (Higher)
- Slightly Increase Funding
2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase Funding
3. Environment
- Slightly Increase Funding
4. Health care
- Maintain Funding Status
5. Law enforcement
- Slightly Increase Funding
6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Maintain Funding Status
7. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease Funding
8. Other
- No Answer
1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status
2. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Increase
3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status
4. Corporate taxes
- No Answer
5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status
6. Hotel room taxes
- Maintain Status
7. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease
8. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Slightly Increase
9. Inheritance taxes
- Maintain Status
10. Property taxes
- Maintain Status
11. Rental and tour vehicle taxes
- Maintain Status
12. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status
13. Vehicle taxes
- Maintain Status
14. Other
- No Answer
15. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- No
16. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- Yes
17. Would you support returning any operating surplus to Hawaii taxpayers?
- Yes
18. Would you support placing any operating surplus into a "rainy day" fund?
- No
1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer
2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- X
3. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- No Answer
4. Implement the death penalty in Hawaii.
- X
5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X
6. Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
- No Answer
7. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X
8. Prohibit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer
9. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer
10. Support .08 blood alcohol content limit defining drunk driving.
- No Answer
11. Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony.
- X
12. Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
- X
13. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- No Answer
14. Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
- X
15. Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
- No Answer
16. Allow public worker unions to compete with private companies for contracts to build and operate new prisons.
- No Answer
17. Other
- No Answer
1. Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
- X
2. Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
- No Answer
3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
- X
4. Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- No Answer
5. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- No Answer
6. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- No Answer
7. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- X
8. Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
- No Answer
9. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- No Answer
10. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- X
11. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- No Answer
12. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- No Answer
13. Implement penalties, such as relocation, termination, or retraining, against all public school teachers whose students do not meet testing standards.
- No Answer
14. Use funds set aside for state court settlements to increase the number of special education teachers.
- X
15. Other
- No Answer
1. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X
2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X
3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- X
4. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- No Answer
5. Provide tax credits to companies building hotels in Hawaii.
- X
6. Other
- No Answer
1. College and university admissions
- No
2. Public employment
- No
3. State contracting
- No
4. Other
- No Answer
1. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- X
2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- X
3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- No Answer
4. Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- No Answer
5. Support funding for recycling programs in Hawaii.
- X
6. Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- No Answer
7. Suspend participation in un-funded, federally-mandated, environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer
8. Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power companies.
- X
9. Prohibit access to coral reefs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
- X
10. Set aside certain areas of the Northwestern Hawaiian Island coral reefs for limited subsistence, fishing, and gathering.
- No Answer
11. Other
- No Answer
12. Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
- Yes
1. Do you support the current limit on terms for Hawaii Governors?
- Yes
2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Hawaii State Senators and Representatives?
- Yes
3. Individual
- Yes
4. PAC
- Yes
5. Corporate
- Yes
6. Political Parties
- Yes
7. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes
8. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- Yes
9. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- Yes
10. Do you support voting on-line?
- Yes
11. Do you support on-line voter registration?
- Yes
12. Do you support allowing persons of non-Hawaiian descent to run for trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs?
- Undecided
13. Do you support the creation of a sovereign Hawaiian Nation?
- Undecided
14. Other
- No Answer
1. Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- No Answer
2. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
3. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
4. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer
6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- No Answer
7. Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows.
- X
8. Require a license for gun possession.
- X
9. Other
- No Answer
1. Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
- X
2. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
- X
3. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer
4. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- No Answer
5. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X
6. Support a patient's right to sue his or her HMO.
- X
7. Support a patient's right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X
8. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer
9. Should Hawaii extend health benefits to domestic partners of state employees.
- X
10. Other
- No Answer
1. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X
2. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X
3. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- X
4. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- No Answer
5. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X
6. Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans, and job training and placement.
- No Answer
7. Allow shipboard gambling in state waters.
- No Answer
8. Other
- No Answer
9. Should physician-assisted suicide be legally available in Hawaii?
- Undecided
10. Should Hawaii include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws?
- No
11. Should Hawaii recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Undecided
12. Should Hawaii restrict marriage to a relationship only between a man and a woman?
- Yes
1. Maintain current time limits on welfare benefits.
- X
2. Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients work in order to receive benefits.
- X
3. Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer
4. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- X
5. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- No Answer
6. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X
7. Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
- No Answer
8. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- X
9. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer
10. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer
11. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
- No Answer
12. Other
- No Answer
Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- No Answer
Type: resolution Chamber: lower
Type: resolution Chamber: lower
Type: resolution Chamber: lower
When a natural disaster strikes and people become homeless, government reacts quickly to provide them shelter. Why should the response be any different during an economic crisis that gives rise to homelessness? In the past three years, I have traveled outside Honolulu to New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Guess whose popular tourism spots have the worst homeless problem? The reality is we will never be able to build enough shelters to house the State's 4,000-plus homeless and it is inhumane to keep shuffling them around. "No loitering" laws only work when people have a place to go. On the flip side, government needs to remove the homeless from areas of aesthetic, cultural and economic importance for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. Hawaii residents are frustrated with government's lack of response to this issue. Yet, whenever I talk to city and state officials, they always tell me they are doing a great deal. Perhaps they are only helping a certain type of homeless and not the more challenging and visible type, the chronically homeless, who refuse to go into shelters. Our homeless problem has evolved; so too must government's response. It is time for the Mayor's and Governor's Administration-- the latter of which established the Kakaako Next Step homeless shelter -- to take another step.How can government continue using the same failed strategies to address homelessness? How is this different from the definition of "insanity' (keep doing the same thing with the expectation of different results)? As a legislator I understand first-hand that chronic homelessness does not offer easy solutions. The best place to start is often the simplest. I propose safe zones as a short-term, reasonable and do-able solution until things change and the number of homeless decrease. While not a new idea, I explored the feasibility of this solution this past legislative session, after speaking with advocates and service providers to address residents' complaints about homelessness. With the adoption of H.R. No. 62 (2010) by the House of Representatives-- and continued community-sponsored discussions-- homeless safe zones are being recognized as a cost-effective, compassionate alternative to homelessness. I cannot force the State or City Administrations to follow my plan; I can only hope they see its value. We know where we don't want the homeless to be because they are already "camping" there, illegally. We can either designate areas where the homeless can be-- or do nothing and let them continue to be everywhere. If enough safe zones are created, the homeless cannot say they have "no place to go" and continue monopolizing our parks and sidewalks. They will now have a place to go. Should they choose not to go there, the homeless must understand, from this point forward, they will not have unlimited access for "camping" at popular spots. Being homeless should mean fewer options on where you can stay, not more. For homeless service providers, safe zones would make it easier to track/ care for their clients and control the spread of infectious diseases, like hepatitis. For law enforcement, the homeless would be easier to remove from unauthorized spaces. We have the manpower. Experienced and knowledgeable people-- such as service providers, church groups and other volunteers-- stand ready to help implement the safe zones. All we need is the land. A pilot program could be implemented and tailored to whatever area is first identified to gauge the level of success before expanding to other parts of the State. Rules would be established to restrict "camping" to certain times and provide safety for safe zone residents as well as the community housing them. A minimum of amenities could be provided, such as 'reasonable' night security and bathroom facilities. Whatever shape the solutions take will be no worse than what we have today.Democracy is at its best when challenges are embraced instead of avoided as has been the case with chronic homelessness. In reality, it takes just as much energy to put up with or avoid problems as it does to fix them. I encourage the community to keep sharing their concerns with government officials until better results are achieved. Elected and appointed government officials, who have endless energy to campaign, need to maintain that energy level once in office to seek better solutions to our community problems.
