Hawai‘i’s economic health has historically been perched somewhat precariously upon the three-legged stool of tourism, agriculture and military/government spending.

Agriculture, once the strongest leg, has over the years suffered first from the demise of pineapple and then the sugar industry.

As tourism grew, it helped supplement the plantation jobs of the past but has now reached a point that calls for a total re-think of the way it has been promoted. The strength of that leg is always threatened by the high cost of jet fuel, international tensions and pressure on the local community.

Severe cutbacks in state spending and an over-reliance on our very effective representatives in Congress have made the third leg — our dependency on military/government spending — more shaky each day.

New leadership geared toward sustainable economic growth and diversification is needed now, more than ever. Two new legs: self-sufficiency and technology could offer strong, new support for our economy.

Self-sufficiency starts with “plugging the leaks” in our economy that come from exporting billions of dollars to far-away lands for the purchase of food and oil.

Self-sufficiency in food and energy, and keeping the money here should be our first priority. It not only creates the green jobs of the future, it also provides our island with food and energy security. Hawai‘i’s economy is dependent on ships coming into our ports daily carrying food and oil. This puts us at enormous risk. We have the land and the resources to dramatically mitigate this risk. All that is lacking is infrastructure and the political will.

While Hawai‘i may be limited in its ability to manufacture the products of the past, there are few limits to our ability to develop and distribute the technology of the future. The University of Hawai‘i recently reported that it received 54 invention disclosures from faculty and staff and applied for 66 patents in fiscal 2008. Eleven patents were secured. Its technology transfer office has about 60 technologies in biology, medicine, physical science, engineering and agriculture that are waiting to be connected to investors and the business community.

How do we attract those businesses and investors? In addition to our intellectual capital we have a priceless advantage in our quality of life. That alone has drawn a number of the best and the brightest — some of them returning home, others making this home for that reason. If we continue to preserve and protect the Hawaiian host culture, the oceans, coastlines, mountains and streams, and the spirit of aloha that make this place so special, we can trump other locations in the quality of life.

In addition to the incredible draw of our natural environment, to attract and support the entrepreneurs and businesses of tomorrow we need a quality educational system and dependable and affordable energy. That’s why education must enjoy greater priority than it has thus far. We must recruit, train and retain high quality principals, and pay for the best people we can find to lead our public schools with passion. Focusing first on the pre-K through third grade, keeping classroom size small and paying teachers the wages they deserve are critical to significantly improving the quality of our education system.

Committing to energy independence through the development of renewable local energy options will similarly help us reduce the vulnerability of our island home and give entrepreneurs another reason to invest in the talent that we know exists in our research institutions.

This is the formula we need to grow a strong and diverse economy - education excellence, energy independence, and sustainability with regards to food security and our natural environment.  This should be our focus, the new three-legged stool of our economic future.

•Gary Hooser is the Democratic majority leader in the state Senate, representing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.