With notebook and pen in hand, Kaua’i resident Suzanne Aguiar is one of a handful of “regulars” who attend weekly meetings of the Kaua’i County Council and other government meetings. Aguiar, a Kaua’i Community College student leader and council intern
With notebook and pen in hand, Kaua’i resident Suzanne Aguiar is one of a handful of “regulars” who attend weekly meetings of the Kaua’i County Council and other government meetings.
Aguiar, a Kaua’i Community College student leader and council intern for the past six months, is hoping all the information she has gleaned about government will help her win a seat on the council in 2004.
Aguiar said she is putting together a team of “core members” to help her prepare for the council race.
If she wins, Aguiar said she would represent the vanguard of what could be a new type of politician on Kaua’i: Those who put aside party differences and can work together with all segments of the community.
“I am not looking at any particular party to put me in office,” Aguiar said. “I would be elected by people who like who I am and what I have to say.”
She said she also has opted for a career in politics for other reasons: “My love for Kaua’i, engaging people and brainstorming as far as connecting the dotsworking on solutions. I love the whole process.”
Aguiar said she is not pursuing a career in politics to be “become a politician” per se.
“My wanting to be in politics is part of a spiritual connection with God, my Hawaiian culture and with what feels pono (right and just)” Aguiar said. “I feel I am in the right place.”
If elected to the council, Aguiar said she would focus her attention on such issues as land development, rental housing, diversified agriculture , the livestock industry and the high-tech industry.
Aguiar said her interest in politics was triggered two years ago while she worked as a sales assistant for Century 21 at Princeville.
She said the many sales transactions she saw generated questions in her mind about the impacts the sales would have on the North Shore and the rest of Kaua’i.
“We are talking about the community, recreation, beach access, accessibility, housing and lifestyle changes,” Aguiar said.
The rapid property sales have meant the conversion of many homes at Princeville and Hanalei, and other North Shore towns, into vacation rentals, a transition that has driven many local residents out of the area and has created a severe rental housing shortage that is creating repercussions across the island.
Aguiar said she is opposed to more homes being converted to vacation rentals.
“We should not trade in our traditional values for money,” Aguiar said. “I hate to see greed consume us.”
Aguiar said a government career was not an option for her five years ago. She was enrolled in a nursing program at the Kaua’i Community College at the time.
Because she didn’t find that career option fulfilling, she explored career options in real estate sales.
She was not satisfied with that career choice either, and took government classes at the Kaua’i Community College in 2002 and became active in campus politics.
Aguiar currently serves as a student government senator at the college and as a University of Hawai’i student caucus representative, serving 60,000 UH students statewide.
Aguiar also serves as president of the Young Democrats of Kaua’i and is president of the environmental club at the Kaua’i Community College.
For the last six months, Aguiar has participated as a government intern with the council services division of the county council.
The experience has been enriching, she said. “I have learned about council duties and responsibilities. I feel very confident with policy procedures, making policies, resolutions.” she said.
Aguiar also attends council-sponsored budget hearings, and said she has had to fit politics in her life as she is married, has two children and works part-time jobs at Palm’s Hawaii Architecture, a Lihu’e firm, and Data Space Industries, a Lihu’e-based computer company.
She also is a representative for the Las Vegas-based Ohana Magazine. In addition, she attends classes at KCC.
Aguiar also said she has gotten to know members of Mayor Bryan Baptiste’s administration during her stint working with government agencies.
She praised Baptiste for having reached out to the community and establishing a solid rapport in his six months as mayor.
“I have seen Bryan doing a good job, as far as community relationships,” she said. “It is a good start.”
She said she is not one to jump on the bandwagon of criticism of the council.
“I don’t want to be part of the problem, but be part of the solution, working together with others to solve problems,” Aguiar said.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
