I strongly encourage all to tune into the online Kaua‘i County Council candidate forum today from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
The forum is sponsored by the Community Coalition of Kaua‘i and the Just Transition Coalition.
Kaua‘i residents should register and submit questions at bit.ly/2zuOaKe, or to simply listen in without registering go to bit.ly/2z5FXfh
At press time the following 16 council candidates had signed up to participate. These candidates deserve huge points just for showing up and being willing to be asked the tough questions: Jade Battad, Addison Bulosan, Donovan Cabebe, Mason Chock, Felicia Cowden, Mike Dandurand, Luke Evslin, Debralynn Desilva Carveiro, Victoria Franks, Ed Justis, Arryl Kaneshiro, KipuKai Kuali‘i, Wally Nishimura, Rory Parker, Naomi Taniguchi and Clint Yago Sr.
Frankly, my own focus is going to be on the new candidates. I applaud each and every candidate for being willing to step up and run for election, and certainly respect the five incumbents, but the newcomers are whom I am most interested in.
Each and every candidate should be asked the questions that are front and center, especially during this time of COVID-19. If for whatever reason questions important to you are not asked during the online forum, I encourage you to email the candidates directly. Any candidate worth their salt should respond with an intelligent answer. If they fail to respond, are unable to adequately answer, or dodge the question with gobbledygook, I would say they deserve to be deleted from the list of candidates deserving of your vote.
A key attribute of any good candidate is responsiveness. Obviously it’s good if they are nice people, have experience and share your values, but they must also answer their telephone and return your email. If not, it’s best, I think, to keep moving down the list.
I understand that candidates might not have immediate answers to all the questions, but then the question becomes are they willing to listen and educate themselves on the issues and actively search for a solution?
Those who respond, “That’s a state or federal issue and there’s nothing the county can do about it,” are being less than forthright, and/or do not have the ability to think outside the box, and/or are just looking to avoid the issue. For most issues, there are “work-arounds,” and while the county solution may not entirely resolve the issue, it could have a meaningful impact.
The county has “property-tax authority” and “land-use zoning authority.” Using these two important areas of jurisdiction, the county has the potential power to regulate virtually anything except the military and matters of national security.
Each councilmember also has their own voice they can use to testify before the state Legislature, advocating on issues especially important to Kaua‘i residents.
Just what are the top issues of the day that the council and county government can and should be addressing?
Tourism and the reality of our island having a limited carrying capacity certainly should be near the top of the list. If elected, what measures would the new councilmembers actually propose to lessen the negative impacts of the visitor industry on our roads, parks and beaches?
What about agriculture? How do the candidates propose the county should support the growing of food here on the Garden Island? Not fake food. Not industrial, pesticide-intensive crops that masquerade as food and get shipped off for conversion to cattle feed, ethanol or high-fructose corn syrup. I am talking about real food that people who live here can buy and eat, and food that can be transformed into “value-added products” to be sold as omiyage and exported globally.
Organic food is the fastest-growing sector of U.S. agriculture. Regenerative agriculture has positive impacts on the health of people, the soil and climate change. What do the candidates propose that will support this important agricultural sector?
The council could ban single-use plastic and foam food containers, reform our recycling programs and deal with our landfill situation. They could also deal more aggressively with our affordable-housing challenges. There are many, many important questions, and much that the county could do if they are willing to take steps that are just a little bit bolder and a little bit more forward thinking.
“That’s easy for you to say, Hooser,” are the thoughts running through the minds of many incumbents right about now. And yes, it is easy for me to say — because it’s true. It’s easy to say and, yes, admittedly, it is harder to do. But I for one am interested in electing councilmembers willing to at least try to do the heavy lifting needed to move us forward.
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Gary Hooser formerly served in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kaua‘i County Council, and was the former director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control. He serves presently in a volunteer capacity as board president of the Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action and is executive director of the Pono Hawai‘i Initiative.
