‘We were prepared to take action’

POIPU — Gov. David Ige said he’s old school when it comes to the idea of legalizing marijuana.

“As long as it’s illegal from the federal government perspective, I really don’t believe we should be making it legal for recreational purposes,” he said Thursday when asked about his stance on cannabis during the Kauai Chamber of Commerce 20th annual Governor’s Luncheon.

While the governor may be old school when it comes to pot, he emphasized he was out in front and leading the way when it came to the state’s role in helping Kauai recover from April’s historic flooding on the North Shore.

In a 30-minute talk, he said the state responded quickly and effectively, and worked well with Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and his administration, following the “once in a lifetime” rain event on April 14 and 15.

As soon as the first landslides were reported, the state was in communication with the county and other agencies on what to do, he said to about 300 people gathered at Koloa Landing. And within hours, the state was taking action.

The health and safety of the community were the foremost concerns, Ige said

“Certainly, we were prepared to take action, restore services, as quickly as we can,” he said.

Ige said he has heard federal agencies praise how well connected Kauai was then and is today.

“We work very well together, the mayor and I,” Ige said.

The governor praised Kauai’s response to the flood, too.

“In spite all of the challenges, Kauai has always met things with resilience and determination,” he said. “Most importantly, it really is about a sense of community we all share.”

Throughout efforts to rebuild Kuhio Highway, stabilize hillsides and help North Shore residents deal with damages to their property, Ige said there was never an argument over politics or process.

“Think about how you can make it a little bit better for the citizens of this community. The quicker we can make that connection, the better off we are,” he said.

He noted the state’s quick reaction to provide financial support.

House and Senate lawmakers, spurred on by the need to provide immediate funding for Kauai devastated by the flooding, passed a bill which provides $100 million to provide relief for the impacted communities on Kauai, East Oahu and Waimanalo.

In order to get immediate funding to Kauai to cover the upfront costs for repairs that need to be done now, the House and Senate passed the state budget a week earlier than normal to allow the disaster relief bill to move quickly to the governor for signature.

Ige and Carvalho signed a Letter of Agreement last week to release an initial $25 million in flood assistance to the County of Kauai.

The county submitted a list of 90 projects with cost estimates totaling $31.2 million. This includes road work, bridge repairs, and debris pick up in a number of locations, as well as repairs to various parks and other public facilities.

“We knew we needed to take action,” Ige said.

The process to restore and reopen both lanes of Kuhio Highway — hit by 14 landslides during the storm — will take several months. But it is a state priority, Ige said, and the state is working with the county and contractors to open it as soon as possible. But there are, he added, many regulations and permits to work through.

“I know there is much, much work to be done,” he said. “It will take us some time.”

Ige recently visited the North Shore and met with residents, teachers and taro farmers. All, he said, displayed remarkable resilience. “We will work with families and those effected so their lives can get back to normal,” he said.

Ige had high praise for Kauai’s legislative delegation of Senate President Ron Kouchi, and Reps. Dee Morikawa, Jimmy Tokioka and Nadine Nakamura. He said they, like all legislators, worked hard and smart and did a good job in the recent session.

“We know that when we work together, when we put the public interests first and foremost, we end up at the same place,” Ige said.