LIHU‘E — The island’s infrastructure needs are not being addressed, and state lawmakers are needed who will push for improvements, said JoAnne Georgi of Kalaheo, a Republican candidate for the state House seat covering areas from Po‘ipu to Mana and
LIHU‘E — The island’s infrastructure needs are not being addressed, and state lawmakers are needed who will push for improvements, said JoAnne Georgi of Kalaheo, a Republican candidate for the state House seat covering areas from Po‘ipu to Mana and Ni‘ihau.
State Rep. Bertha C. Kawakami, the Democrat now holding that seat, said securing state funds to improve state parks and Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor, and pushing through a bill to go after people delinquent on student loans, are some of her accomplishments.
Georgi said highway improvements are suffering as a result of majority Democrats at the state Legislature taking $156 million from the state highway fund, which costs the state closer to $800 million because of a federal match of $4 for every $1 in state money. If 51 cents of the cost of each gallon of gas is taxes for the highway fund, then those funds should go to the highway fund to pay for new roads, and to fix existing roads, Georgi said.
Kawakami, asked about her accomplishments in the 2004 legislative session during The Garden Island’s candidates forum at the Kauai Veterans Center, said there are $20 million in delinquencies in student loans in Hawai‘i, including by some owning money who are now teachers, doctors and lawyers. Not having that money for other student loans makes it difficult for today’s students to get financial assistance, said Kawakami.
She said she helped secure $3.45 million for state parks maintenance, including toilets, and she is also proud of a bill to place automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) at various public locations around the state.
Georgi said the state parks maintenance money apparently hasn’t found its way to Polihale State Park yet. “The bathrooms there are absolutely disgusting,” and barbecue pits there damaged by Hurricane ‘Iniki 14 years ago remain un-repaired, she said.
Georgi said an admission charge should be assessed for visitors to Koke‘e State Park, and possibly a $5 annual fee for residents, with proceeds to go for park maintenance. Regarding leases of cabins at Koke‘e State Park, Georgi said leases should be offered to residents first, either on a competitive-bid basis or by establishing a visitor destination area designation there, with proceeds in either case to go to parks maintenance.
Georgi also pointed out that piers at Port Allen Small Boat Harbor are deteriorating, and that $5 million in state transient accommodations tax (TAT) revenues generated on Kaua‘i left the island. “That’s an awful lot of money” that could have been spent here, she said.
Kawakami, responding to a question about how improvements to the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor might help Westside residents, said officials at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are holding up the improvement work, and that both local fishermen, tour-boat operators and nearby property owner Kikiaola Land Company, Limited, are awaiting those improvements.
Paul C. Curtis, associate editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@pulitzer.net.
