Ideas
The items below are ideas and there would be quite a bit of research needed for logistics, fiscal impact, criteria and legalities. An idea is a start!
Eleminate Credit Card Compound Interest
Credit card companies charge interest on your monthly statement. The following month they charge interest in the previous months interest (again). Hawaii residents would benefit from the elimination of compound interest for credit cards issued to Hawaii residents.
Cap Single Source Electricity Rates
Hawaii has one of the highest electricity rates in the Nation. Residents have one choice and are forced to pay whatever that is. The current provider is a publicly traded company and therefore has a duty to make as much revenue as they can. Hawaii resident would benefit from a utility rate cap for publicly traded single service utilities.
No Income Tax for K-12 Educators
Hawaii currently ranks 36th in the Nation for education. We need to bring this rating up. Set a projected goal for a better or best National rating. Whatever the difference is between the current rating and the goal we divide that number by 4 for benchmarks. As the rating increases and we reach a benchmark, income tax is reduced by 25%. When the goal is reached, k-12 teachers’ pay no income tax.
No Income Tax for Home Based Childcare Providers
Hawaii parents struggle with working a full-time job and having childcare. I would like to see the creation of a Home Childcare Fund similar to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. Currently, Hawaii taxpayers voluntarily check off a box on their state income tax form which permits $3 from state funds be allocated to the fund. The balance of that fund on 06/30/23 was $1,929,885.67. Alter the campaign fund donation to $2 and ADD a voluntary donation of $2 for The Home Childcare Fund. Home childcare providers can have zero income tax, the reduction in State revenue can be offset by the fund or the funds can be allocated to registered providers.
Encourage and Support Industrial Hemp Farming & Industry
Reducing restrictions for industrial hemp farming and offering incentives for the farmers and product export industry. Industrial hemp farming would create new industries for items such as clothing, shoes, rope, nets, carpet, tarps, building materials (Hempcrete! - fire resistive, doesn't mold, great insulator and no termites), mulch, composting, animal bedding, oil, food supplements, birdseed, soap, beauty products and moisturizer, etc. This will create more jobs in the various markets.
Promote Container Homes
Allow for a more friendly permitting process for the use of shipping container homes. Encourage lending institutions to offer home loans for shipping container homes. We can use Hawaii's new industrial hemp industry to make hempcrete for container home insulation and wall covering. Container homes cost less than a traditional home and the homeowners insurance “should” cost less.
Reduce Traffic - Parking Meters
The installation of parking meters along the North Shore may reduce the number of cars coming to the area. Parking meters are now solar powered, cashless, use cellular service for transactions and can be done with individual meters or a main collection point. Residents of Hawaii will be exempt from the meter fees via an issued sticker or rear-view mirror tag. I counted likely parking spots from the Waimea Bay parking lot to Pupukea Beach Park area. There are approximately 300 parking stalls. If visitors to the North Shore are charged $20 per hour, it could generate revenue to offset the cost of a North Shore shuttle program. It may also incentivize tourists to carpool to the North Shore reducing traffic. 300 x $20 per hour is $6,000/ hour. If metered parking is from 8:00am to 7:00pm that’s 11 hours. 11 hours times $6,000 is quite a bit of revenue. I believe this revenue will recover the funds spent to install the meters, pave and mark the gravel, reinforce the road and maintain the system. A private company may take on the project or the city, county or state can manage.
Support a North Shore Shuttle
I would like to continue the work on House Bill 1240 (2023) which was differed. This is a multi-shuttle program that operates between Haleiwa & Turtle Bay Resort. The shuttles can service visitors along the North Shore. They can be dropped off or picked up at or near the local beaches. Hopefully this will reduce the traffic on the North Shore as visitors may not want to pay for hefty parking meter fees. Local businesses may be able to advertise on the shuttles with a digital screen inside the shuttle. The cost of the shuttles and operators can be offset by the addition of parking meters used by non-residents. It would be best to have the shuttle be free to encourage visitors to use the shuttle. A “park and ride” will need to be established near Haleiwa for this to work. A private company may take on the project or the city, county or state can manage.
Turtle Traffic (another idea...)
Possibly hold on the "wiggle road" plan. Can we do it in a less costly and quicker way?
1) People stand at the waterline blocking the turtles’ path when they are trying to make it to the sand. Make the beach area where the turtles rest a sanctuary and not allow the public on the beach.
2) Install a set of solar powered cross walk signals that will allow pedestrians to cross in 5-minute intervals. If they don't make the 5, they will have to wait. This will reduce the number of times cars have to stop.
3) Turtle Beach is the first sight of beach you see going to the North Shore and its the last you see leaving. Often people slow down to look at the water and turtles. We can reduce the looky-loo halt in traffic by planting native plants/shrubs along the roadside. This would obscure the view and help keep reinforce the beach.
4) A raised and railed walkway could be built between the roadside shrubs and the sand. Visitors could use the raised walkway to view the turtles safely without disturbing the turtles and ground. Revenue can be generated for costs by installing traffic meters in the parking areas adjacent to the beach.
Enact Term Limits
I support term limits for Hawaii legislatures. I believe people should be free to make a career in politics, but it shouldn’t be done in the same position. A long career in the same position leads to government stagnation and an institution of status quo. Times change and term limits would allow for new ideas and viewpoints to enter leadership positions and that can be healthy. A term would need to be long enough to become acclimated to a new role, move up in seniority and cultivate a new generation of leadership. The first step should be initiating term limits at the state level for state representative and senators. The second step would be an amendment to the US constitution for US representatives and senators. Let’s say term limits were set at 8 years for a State Representative, 8 State Senate, 10 US Representative & 12 US Senate. That’s a total of 38 years being a public servant. If you have served your State well, you should be able to move to all positions while encouraging and educating new leadership.
Encourage K-12 Educator Raises
Teachers are the foundation of the building blocks that are given to our keiki. Our educators struggle and I find that unacceptable. I would like to encourage the State to continue to support educators and increases in salary. It is my belief the salary increase of state legislatures cannot surpass the salary increases given to K-12 educators. If K-12 educators get a 2% increase, legislatures can only get a 2%.
Cap on Political Contributions Received
Currently, there is no cap on the dollar amount of monetary contributions that can be received by a candidate committee in TOTAL. There ARE restrictions on the total amount that can be received by any one person or entity but NOT collectively. This means that a candidate or politician could receive 2 million dollars if there were enough people to hit that limit. My belief is that we can use the candidate expenditure limits already established by the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission. They have calculated a limit on candidate expenditures if using partial public funding for a campaign. If they have a limit for expenditures, why wouldn’t we match this for contributions received? Their amount would be the maximum dollar amount that a candidate or politician in each position can receive in donations/contributions in any given election cycle. I cannot see a valid reason why any candidate would need to have a “war chest” larger than is necessary.
No Tax (GET) for Farmers Crop Production
Farmers are vital in making sure we have food. Hawaii farmers shouldn’t pay a tax on foods that are sustaining our lives. We rely heavily on imported crops, and we shouldn’t have to. We have nutrient rich lands and the climate to grow our own food. Eliminating the tax on crops sold by our farmers will help to offer a little relief to an important Hawaii industry.
Pilot Program - Homelessness & Farm Workers
In June 2023, a census of people experiencing homelessness in Hawaii was 6,233 (most likely more). The 2025 budget reflects 28+ million for homeless services and 33+ million for homelessness & housing solutions. This is a multi-faceted issue, but we need to start helping to remedy the situation, not just put a bandage on it. Did someone move here homeless? Did they become homeless here? Does someone want to be helped? Is there a substance problem or mental health issue? Do they not want to work and be left alone? What if someone wanted to work and contribute to an important part of our lives with farming? Could we house someone on a farm in a farm worker's dwelling, have them earn a wage and help produce food that our state needs? Can we offer an incentive to the farmer to let someone who is homeless farm on their property? Can we redirect some of the budgeted funds to help a farmer pay a salary and not pay tax (GET) for what they grow and sell? What if there was no income tax for farm workers who entered a “farmworker home program”? I want to try a pilot program to see if we can help the homeless by providing shelter, an important occupation, and paying someone who wants to work. They get help, and we get food. Worth a try?
