Parks and water are senator’s other priorities State Sen. Jonathan Chun is encouraged by the state’s focus on education, state park land, school buildings and the water supplies for former Amfac Sugar Kaua’i land. Outlining his priorities for the Legislature’s
Parks and water are senator’s other priorities
State Sen. Jonathan Chun is encouraged by the state’s focus on education, state park land, school buildings and the water supplies for former Amfac Sugar Kaua’i land.
Outlining his priorities for the Legislature’s 2001 session that’s now barely over a week old, the Democrat who represents the 7th District area from Mana and Ni’ihau to Wailua said taking a big chunk out of the estimated $600 million public school maintenance backlog is a goal he shares with fellow Democrats Governor Ben Cayetano and Senate President Robert Bunda of O’ahu.
Committing $100 million this session would eliminate one-sixth of the schools’ maintenance backlog, Chun said. That is Bunda’s plan, and Chun further prefers individual schools having at least some say about how and where that money is to be spent.
Cayetano’s plan, outlined Monday in his 2001 state of the state address, calls for $290 million for new schools and maintenance of existing schools.
Chun also likes the idea of turning over to counties the care of state parks on each of the islands.
“I finally got some people listening” to his continued mantra that county governments aren’t inept, Chun said.
Given the resources, trust and a cooperative spirit between state and county governments, a plan to transfer maintenance of state park lands from the state to the counties could fly, he said.
A 1998 report concluded such a transfer could be done and save money, said Chun. More discussion, thought and money are needed, though, he added.
“We have to continue thinking out of the box,” he said.
While the state must continue to embrace the new, digital economy, Chun also feels that shouldn’t happen at the expense of the state’s oldest industry, agriculture. He said agriculture must “remain viable” for Kaua’i County.
Chun said the state should pay its fair share for the upkeep of state land formerly leased by Amfac Kaua’i Sugar, in order to keep water flowing to farmers. That is especially critical in Kekaha, where thousands of acres are owned by the state.
There are plans for existing farmers, including Gay & Robinson sugar, the former Amfac diversified crops manager, CEATECH shrimp farm, Pioneer and Novartis seed companies to take over that former Kekaha Sugar acreage.
Water is a critical element. “The land without the water is useless,” Chun said.
Mayor Maryanne Kusaka has suggested that the state Department of Land and Natural Resources offer land to Kaua’i banana farmers wiped out by the bunchy top virus. Chun realizes that land alone is not enough.
“You’ve got to get the water,” he said.
On a separate note, Chun expressed gratification that state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon has forwarded the idea of re-establishing drug courts in all the counties.
Moon included that goal in his state of the judiciary address earlier this week in Honolulu.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
