Alfred Darling 1.) I worked with nonprofits for the past 20 years on the island of Kaua‘i. I have served as the president of the Kaua‘i Amateur Radio Club for 12 years. I have had the pleasure of serving as
Alfred Darling
1.) I worked with nonprofits for the past 20 years on the island of Kaua‘i. I have served as the president of the Kaua‘i Amateur Radio Club for 12 years. I have had the pleasure of serving as a volunteer for American Radio Relay League as the District Emergency Coordinator for the Island of Kaua‘i for 12 years. I got very involved with emergency communications during my volunteer service during hurricane Iniki. I have worked for the American Red Cross for nearly 10 years as the Kaua‘i County director. I have taught FEMA classes for the County of Kaua‘i since 2003, the Community Emergency Response Team. I was responsible for teaching over 350 community members in subjects such as: disaster preparedness, disaster medical, disaster psychology, fire safety, light search and rescue, terrorism and CERT. My background has rotated around the concept of having our communities ready to respond to the needs of their community before, during and after a disaster strikes our island.
The decisions had to be made quickly and needed to be made in the best judgment for the volunteers’ safety and for the greatest benefit to the community. I have been a member of the Kalepa Rotary and the Lihu‘e Rotary. I am proud to mention I am a Paul Harris Fellow; this was presented to me during my service in the Lihu‘e Rotary. My background has been in crises management and crises leadership, volunteer management, volunteer training and retention.
2.) Top priority would to be to stimulate our economy and create jobs for our community. Work to realign the educational system on Kaua‘i, bring the system up to date so that the students can meet the national standards. It will also be a priority to seek a better program to meet the affordable housing statement. The rents and cost of buying a house is not something that is included in many of our community members’ dreams. Another on my list would to gather better support for agriculture, farming on the island, make it affordable to do business on Kaua‘i for Kaua‘i. Supporting the utilization of alternative fuel sources such as solar power, wind power and alternative fuels.
3.) I would be a good strong voice for the people of Kaua‘i, I’ll bring their concerns, ideas and their beliefs to the senate body. I will work closely with the people of Kaua‘i, we would be working as a team to make the needed changes and bring about a new government that involves the people that it represents. The Island culture, the people and its life style is important. We can preserve the life style while we make progress. I will stand up for what I believe in and will not bend just to conform to those in government that may disagree with my thoughts and/or decisions. There is no “old boy” connections with me, I will be the new voice, the new team player for the county of Kaua‘i it will be the change that everyone has been wanting. I cannot make a change for the island unless the island make a choice to vote for me.
JoAnne Georgi
1.) JoAnne has successfully owned an operated small businesses. She also has successfully worked as part of a larger team for large corporations (IBM, Pitney-Bowes). Equally important, She’s been a successful foster parent to 17 kids… specializing in providing a safe, stable, nurturing home to teen sibling groups. She’s worked in Kaua‘i’s tourist industry… a prime part of Kaua‘i’s economy. She’s a former member (and treasurer) of Kaua‘i County Committee on the Status of Women, former leader of the stewardship committee at my church, former volunteer interpreter at National Tropical Botanical Garden. She’s currently state treasurer for the American Association of University Women.
2.) The two biggest problems we face as a state are the economy (creating jobs for those who are out of work) and education. We need to boost, not punish, small business. Small businesses are the source of most of the new jobs in a vibrant economy. We need to commit to making our business climate friendly and stable. But fixing the economy now isn’t the whole solution. We need to fix it for the future, by giving our kids the best possible education, so they can compete in the global economy. We can do this by revitalizing and significantly improving our schools. I’ve seen too many high school graduates who can’t even consistently make change at a fast food restaurant. We’ve got to stop graduating half educated kids. Second, we can expand our adult education programs, especially technical programs in the community colleges. We are importing nurses from out of the country while there is a long waiting list for admission to KCC’s (RN) nursing program. We need to expand that program to meet both the demands of the students and community. I support periodic in-depth audits of both DoE and the University of Hawai‘i. If I invest in a multi-billion dollar publicly held corporation, I expect it to be independently audited each year. Why should we expect any less for our annual $2.4 billion investment in DoE?
3.) Voters should elect me because, just as I fought for my foster kids, I’ll fight for your kids and grandkids. Because, instead of being a union puppet, I’ll work hard for what is best for the people of Hawai‘i… not just union members or union bosses. Because I believe anyone, whether an individual, family, company, or government, should live within its income. You must set priorities, and spend to meet those priorities. Our spending priorities at the state level should be education, health and safety, and infrastructure. While the economy is definitely a priority, major economy fixes can be made which have minimal costs. I generally oppose raiding special funds (such as the hurricane relief fund) to balance the budget.
David Hamman
1.) Resident of Kaua‘i over 17 years; husband 24 years; father of three daughters; property owner; licensed general building contractor in Hawai‘i; licensed real estate agent in Hawai‘i; 100 percent stock owner of Integrity Construction Services Inc. dba Integrity Key Lock and Safe dba Integrity Alarm Surveillance and Access; 2006 PBN Fast Fifty Award winner (#26) for business growth in Hawai‘i; 1977, travelled internationally with an international interdenominational Christian mission organization; 1977, involved in relief work in India after a major tidal wave in southeast India; visited/lived in England, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Suez Canal, Sudan, Jordan, India, Hong Kong, Mexico, Australia.
2.) 1. Elimination of uncontrolled government spending; 2. Elimination of excessive taxation; 3. Incentivizing business and job growth; 4. Elimination of the “centralized” DOE, establishment of locally run school districts, promotion of private and charter schools, and improved overall attitude towards education in Hawai‘i.
I would: Perform a cursory evaluation and prioritize essential services. Implement reduction based upon such a scale. Immediately eliminate excessive taxes that were implemented by the most recent state senator and lopsided legislature to fund appeasement programs and source spending designed to satisfy union bosses and special interest groups. Incentivise business and job growth by offering substantial tax breaks to busineses that provide vital services to the community and train and hire local residents (i.e. Provide substantial tax breaks to businesses that perform research and development in the state for alternative energy products and projects. Provide substantial tax breaks to doctors who perform services on outer islands where there is desperate need for such.) Stimulation of business and job growth is most effectively accomplished through rewarding the private to do what it does best, not by creating more government programs or entities that are unaccountable, experience no fiscal consequence for poor management except to the taxpayer, and that are controlled by union bosses. Eliminate the “centralized” DOE and establish locally run school districts controlled by responsible parents who know what is best for their children and by concientious educators who are able to assist in the decision making process. Encourage the development of private and charter schools and establish a voucher system in which students under the guidance of their parents could choose to attend private, charter, or public schools that they think would best enhance their education. Change the entire attitude towards education in Hawai‘i by shifting the focus to enhancement, achievement, and excellence.
3.) I have a grassroots understanding of life in Hawai‘i. I have experience dealing with a wide range of people from different backgrounds and people groups. I have an acumen for understanding the constitution and law. I acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as our sovereign Creator and reverently fear Him. Through God I have the courage to stand up for righteousness and justice and am conscientious enough to be concerned about my family, my neighbors, and future generations.
