Kaua‘i County Councilman Derek Kawakami shared his views on District 14 prior to learning of his gubernatorial appointment to the House seat. Q: What does it represent to you, as a young politician, to be considered by the Democratic Party
Kaua‘i County Councilman Derek Kawakami shared his views on District 14 prior to learning of his gubernatorial appointment to the House seat.
Q: What does it represent to you, as a young politician, to be considered by the Democratic Party to replace Mina Morita, a veteran politician?
A: It represents that I will be held to a very high standard and that I have very big shoes to fill. Mina has accomplished a lot over her many years as our state Representative and has set the bar very high for everyone that will follow in her footsteps. She has been a pioneer and visionary for environmental sustainability, food and energy security, and economic diversification.
Q: What do you think District 14 is in need of?
A: The first thing that we need to address is preserving what we have now. In light of the budget challenges that the state is facing, the first priority is to see how we can balance a budget while maintaining core services.
Aside from that, the needs of District 14 are very similar to the needs of the rest of our island. We need to focus on creating and maintaining jobs and supporting industries that are consistent with the county’s vision of economic diversification as is laid out in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
Yes, we have to make sure that our efforts are on the same page and the work of the counties and the work of the state should be complementary to each other so that we are paddling in the same direction.
We need to preserve and protect our special places that define us as a community and are fundamental in giving us a sense of place. We need sound legislation that promotes energy independence, food security and protects our environment that will in turn create opportunity such as creating green jobs and stimulate economic growth in the renewable energy sector which is really providing the most opportunity today.
Q: What do you think was Mina’s major accomplishments in her 14 years of public service?
A: Mina has been a champion for our environment and for food and energy security. She has been an advocate for human and civil rights, strong labor practices, and for education.
I truly believe that her key accomplishment is being appointed as Chair to the Public Utilities Commission. She has great knowledge as to the challenges that we face in pursuing a future that includes clean, renewable, energy that will lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.
Right now the unpredictability of our energy prices is a major obstacle for private sector business, public sector services, and it hits all of us when we receive our electricity bills every month.
She has recognized this early on and has stayed the course despite the many challenges that she has faced. I believe that another major accomplishment is her courage and ability to hold strong on issues that have oftentimes met resistance but are in the best interest of our future generations.
