LIHU‘E — State lawmakers have a number of important items to juggle as they keep one eye trained on November’s general election, but Kaua‘i’s elected representatives took time from their busy opening-day schedules to share their legislative goals and the
LIHU‘E — State lawmakers have a number of important items to juggle as they keep one eye trained on November’s general election, but Kaua‘i’s elected representatives took time from their busy opening-day schedules to share their legislative goals and the biggest issues facing Hawai‘i as the 2010 legislative session begins.
Gary Hooser
“I think that the top two items directly affecting people on Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau would be these student furlough Fridays and generally the education budget in public schools, and No. 2 would be the threat on the counties’ portions of the transient accommodations tax,” Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser (D-7th, Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau) said Wednesday.
“My goal would be to provide the funding that would pay the price that it would take to get our kids back to school. That’s number one. There’s a lot of other issues regarding public education that we’re looking at, but that’s the short-term, near-term goal,” he said. “It’s important that this all has to be done in a manner that treats our teachers and our staff at the schools with respect and an acknowledgment of their value.”
Hooser criticized Gov. Linda Lingle’s proposal to take the counties’ share of the hotel tax, saying “taking money from the county is not in the spirit of living within our means. It just passes that burden to the counties, which I don’t believe is right.”
“I do not support the idea of giving the counties the sales tax. I think we have enough different taxes already. … If we needed to raise revenue, and if there is no way to keep our core essential functions of government running … I would rather see a reform of the GE (general excise) tax.”
Hermina Morita
State Rep. Hermina Morita (D-14th, Hanalei to Waipouli) said Wednesday that her “key focus” is on energy and environmental issues.
“It’s extremely important because as our fuel prices rise, our window of opportunity closes. I see environmental issues as both an economic stabilizer for Kaua‘i as well as a sector for economic development.
“The second big area that we are focusing on is that the study has come back to the Legislature on the review of Hawai‘i’s environmental review laws,” Morita said. “We have sort of an omnibus bill to address those chapters, which haven’t been really reviewed in full for almost 20 years I think. The chapter itself was enacted about 40 years ago.
“Overall, it’s a careful examination of the core functions of government, and reviewing the budget, identifying programs and positions that are essential to government that we need fully functioning that must be preserved,” she said. “We have to hone into those areas and make sure that they’re properly funded and we can function and not do across-the-board kind of cuts.”
James Tokioka
“The overwhelming sentiment from the speaker to all the House members is we need to look at how government is operating and be as fiscally responsible as we can to get through the tough times and these budgetary shortfalls,” state Rep. James Tokioka (D-15th, Lihu‘e and Koloa) said Wednesday. “Some other issues may have to take a back seat as we focus on the fiscal issues. It is in the forefront of everything we do. … We are in crisis mode.
“We are looking at the governor’s proposed package, and I’m just curious to ask how the people of Kaua‘i feel about some of the proposals that were made,” Tokioka said. “Of course nobody wants to get their income tax checks late, nobody wants to do that, but the flipside of that is that if we don’t accept that offer from the governor, we have to come up with $275 million, and how are we going to do that?
“It may be the only option, but is that responsible to the next governor? I would say absolutely not,” he said. “We’re going to have to make tough decisions; we’ve already cut to the bone. … Everything is on the table, and we need to look at all options before we take it off the table, it’s interesting that the governor is not looking at all the options.”
Roland Sagum
“Probably the highest on my priority list is protecting our hospitals,” Rep. Roland Sagum (D-16th, Koloa to Waimea, Ni‘ihau, Lehua) said Wednesday of attempts to fund the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation, which includes Mahelona and KVMH. “When the economy gets bad, many people let go of their medical insurance. The hospital system, which has been having its own financial problems, is a safety net. I’m working to keep the hospital system intact so that people have a place to go.
Sagum also said he is putting in requests for money to repair Mana Racetrack.
“The people I’m talking to are saying that it needs to be open not just every week but many days every week so that the youth have a place to go,” Sagum said. “I have contacted DLNR because DLNR here in Honolulu built a dirt track for radio control cars and dirt bikes, so I’d like to add to the racetrack these facilities so that more people in Kaua‘i can have a place to go.
“Of course I’m looking at water systems in west Kaua‘i, potable water systems and irrigation systems for the ag,” he said. “There is some old infrastructure that needs some repair.”
