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JASON SCHWARTZ gets Up Close & Personal in 2010 with ANGUS McKELVEY, 2 term representative in seat of State House District 10- West Maui, Maalaea and a bit of Kihei.
[00:05 → 01:04]
Introduction and Opening Remarks
The transcript opens with a poetic call to action, emphasizing the need for change and hope within the community. It sets a tone of collective responsibility and motivation to improve life for everyone. The speaker urges listeners to unlock hope and make a stand together, underscoring the belief that meaningful change requires shared effort and commitment.
[01:04 → 04:28]
Guest Introduction and Infrastructure Focus
Jason welcomes Angus McKelvey, the State House representative for District 10, covering West Maui and parts of Ma‘alaea and North Kihei. McKelvey reflects on his journey since his initial candidacy, highlighting his legislative focus on critical infrastructure issues in West Maui: roads, harbors, and schools. He details significant projects such as the Lahaina bypass, road widening, cafeteria construction at Lahainaluna High School, and harbor upgrades including a new dock and lighting. He emphasizes progress made over the past four years, noting that these projects, which once seemed decades away, are now advancing with secured funding and action. McKelvey stresses that delays were caused not only by budget constraints but also by lack of concentrated legislative effort. Upon his election, he prioritized infrastructure, focusing on securing proper funding, speeding project delivery by addressing procurement efficiencies, and improving project design and execution. His philosophy centers on fiscal responsibility, urging that taxpayer dollars be used efficiently and swiftly to maximize community benefit.
[04:28 → 07:50]
Funding Achievements and Education Audit Efforts
McKelvey proudly reports that over $100 million has been secured for infrastructure projects in West Maui, covering roads, harbors, and schools. The inclusion of schools is a newer dimension of his work, particularly focusing on financial accountability. He explains his push for a comprehensive audit of the education system’s financial management, via resolution HCR 215, co-introduced with Senator Roz Baker. Despite bipartisan support, both audit initiatives were blocked by the Education Committee, attributed to competing legislative priorities such as ending furloughs and differing views on audit necessity. McKelvey insists audits are essential for government accountability and cost savings but criticizes the current administration for resisting auditor recommendations. With a change in committee leadership forthcoming, he plans to reintroduce the audit resolution, emphasizing that audits help identify areas for improvement and enhance government transparency and efficiency.
[07:50 → 16:52]
Economic Concerns and the Foreclosure Crisis
Turning to constituent concerns, McKelvey notes that while tourism and jobs are recovering, sustainable local job creation remains a priority, particularly through economic diversification. However, the most pressing issue constituents face is the housing foreclosure crisis triggered by the mortgage meltdown. He describes the complexity of the problem, especially in Hawaii’s limited land environment where many hardworking residents are underwater on their mortgages and facing aggressive foreclosures. The crisis is exacerbated by the securitization of mortgages, where loans are bundled and sold to investors on Wall Street, leading to trustee entities foreclosing without owning the actual notes. This practice leaves homeowners effectively homeless while their properties are owned by distant investors, resulting in abandoned homes that degrade neighborhoods and reduce property values. McKelvey argues for state legislation to bar electronic trustee entities from foreclosing due to lack of legal standing, aiming to buy time and encourage lenders to work with homeowners on loan modifications. He advocates for restructuring debt to reduce monthly payments and keep families in their homes, while also holding investors accountable for property taxes and association fees to prevent neighborhood decline. This dual approach seeks to stop economic hemorrhaging and preserve communities.
[16:52 → 17:20]
Innovative Housing Solutions: Nā Hale O Maui Model
McKelvey proposes expanding the Nā Hale O Maui program statewide as “Nā Hale O Hawaii.” This program uses bond financing to purchase mortgages, allowing a community-focused entity to own the loans and thus have incentive to work with homeowners rather than foreclose. This model aims to reclaim Hawaii’s land base, stabilize neighborhoods, and support economic recovery by keeping residents housed. He underscores that this approach aligns with preserving taxpayer investment and fostering community sustainability.
Legislative Experience and Navigating Government
Discussing his legislative journey, McKelvey reflects on how his experience has sharpened his ability to navigate the complexities of government. While his passion remains strong, he now better understands the legislative tools and processes needed to secure funding and drive projects forward. He acknowledges challenges often come from the administrative and executive branches rather than the legislature itself. McKelvey highlights the importance of persistence and strategic negotiation in overcoming bureaucratic obstacles to deliver tangible benefits to his district, particularly in infrastructure investment.
[19:27 → 21:36]
Fiscal Responsibility and Revenue Measures
Addressing revenue generation, McKelvey stresses the need for balance between budget cuts and new revenue streams. He recounts the state’s response to a historic budget deficit two years prior, which relied primarily on spending cuts and lapses (55%) with only 4% from new fees and taxes. He candidly discusses his support for the gas tax increase, justified by three key benefits: preserving transient accommodation tax revenues for Maui, funding agricultural inspectors critical to local farmers’ success, and distributing the tax burden statewide, with 80% paid by Oahu residents. He frames the gas tax as an investment yielding a significant multiplier effect for Maui, reinforcing the principle that upfront costs can lead to greater returns in community services and infrastructure.
[21:36 → 26:08]
Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle Development
McKelvey turns to renewable energy, highlighting efforts to promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Hawaii. He critiques the state administration’s delay in releasing a $3 million federal grant intended to incentivize private sector installation of EV charging stations at shopping centers and other locations. The grant’s postponement to 2012 has stalled market activity, discouraging manufacturers and investors despite strong private interest and potential job creation. He describes the irony of government bureaucracy hindering renewable energy progress and warns of damaging Hawaii’s reputation as an innovation hub. McKelvey calls for immediate release of the grant to stimulate investment and accelerate EV infrastructure deployment. He further notes the lack of public EV charging stations, which hampers adoption, with existing chargers reportedly limited to government employees. He urges constituents to voice their support to legislators to overcome these administrative delays.
[26:08 → 28:14]
Business Climate and Regulatory Reform
Addressing concerns about Hawaii’s reputation as an unfriendly business environment, McKelvey acknowledges widespread complaints about onerous rules and regulations. He is actively collaborating with business groups, including the Maui Chamber of Commerce, to identify duplicative and burdensome regulations that can be streamlined or eliminated. One example he cites is the requirement for sole proprietors to carry workers’ compensation insurance on themselves, which he argues is illogical since individuals cannot sue themselves. McKelvey intends to introduce legislation next session to reform such regulations, aiming to make Hawaii more business-friendly, particularly for small businesses with one to five employees that form the backbone of the local economy.
[28:14 → 32:52]
Community Engagement and Legislative Process Transparency
McKelvey emphasizes the critical role of community involvement in shaping legislation. He encourages voters to actively participate by submitting testimony and feedback on bills, noting that even a single email can influence legislative discussions and outcomes. He explains that while the legislature is exempt from Sunshine Law provisions to enable efficient budget completion within 60 days, transparency is improving with plans to televise committee hearings live starting next year. This will allow constituents to witness testimony and deliberations, increasing government accountability. He stresses that legislators rely heavily on constituent input to navigate competing interests, reconcile differing views, and decide whether to advance or revise legislation.
[32:52 → 34:14]
McKelvey concludes by expressing pride in the progress made and gratitude for the opportunity to serve. He promises to continue working tirelessly to make government more responsive, efficient, and accountable, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are invested wisely in community priorities. He appeals for voter support in the upcoming election to maintain momentum in addressing Maui’s challenges. His closing affirms a deep commitment to public service and the well-being of West Maui and the broader community.
[34:14 → 35:45]
Final Reflections and Inspirational Closing
Jason thanks McKelvey for his candidness and dedication, acknowledging the challenges of political service and the difficulty of satisfying all constituents. McKelvey reiterates his mission to deliver results and improve lives through government action, underscoring the collective goal of effective public service. The transcript closes with a reprise of the opening theme—an uplifting call to unlock hope and embrace change, reinforcing the message that progress depends on shared resolve and active participation.
Summary:
This transcript is an in-depth interview with State Representative Angus McKelvey, focusing on his work representing District 10 in West Maui. It covers significant infrastructure improvements, fiscal strategies for addressing budget deficits, and initiatives to support local schools and government accountability through audits. McKelvey addresses urgent economic challenges, notably the mortgage foreclosure crisis, proposing legislative reforms and community-based solutions like the Nā Hale O Maui program to stabilize housing. He also highlights obstacles and opportunities in renewable energy development, particularly the stalled deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure due to administrative delays. Throughout, McKelvey emphasizes the importance of balancing fiscal responsibility with smart investments, supporting small business through regulatory reform, and fostering transparent, engaged governance. His message underscores a proactive, community-oriented approach to leadership with a focus on tangible results and ongoing improvement.
Good morning and welcome to Up Close and Personal 2010. I have a special guest today. I have sitting State House representative, what district? District 10. District 10, which is West Maui. West Maui, Maalaea and two small streets in North Kihei.
01:25
So that means that you in that district area, District 10, this is Angus McKelvey. He is your representative. Welcome to our show. Thank you for having me, Jason. You’re most welcome. You know, early on in this campaign season, I was on with your, quote, candidate running against you, and I thought it only appropriate and fair, they’re dropping berries on us. If you want to know where to get berries, here in E.L., this is the place. Yeah.
01:53
We’re a little impromptu. The blowers are out today and you know what that means. So we’re a little unusual here. We’re standing in front of a very slow running Iao stream. What’s been your passion? You’ve been there when I first met you and we did our first interview years ago.
02:15
02:39
laid out to you and your audience in great detail the issues, you know, the bypass, the widening, the cafeteria for Lahaina Luna. I also talked about Lahaina Harbor and the need for the new dock and the wiring and lighting, as well as I talked about briefly about Mala Wharf and the need to rebuild the ramp and pier area out there. Well, these are all things since we’ve last talked that have actually are now moving and we have progress on. Instead of it being
Another 30 years for something to happen, things are happening now. Is it all budgetary? I mean, is that the thing that stops most of the stuff from happening? Oh, well, no. I mean, it’s all sorts of reasons why things stopped in the past, why it became 30 years. A large part of it was budgetary, but a lot of it was no concentrated push. You know, when I came as your representative, I made infrastructure. Hang on a second. Hold on. Okay.
03:34
We all know that. Take two. But anyway, as I was saying, it was infrastructure. So when I came into the legislature as your state representative, as a representative of 10th District, I made that my legislative focus. The money, how can we properly fund the projects, make sure they’re funded. Two, how do we speed them up where possible by looking at including the procurement code.
04:00
and by ensuring that these projects are designed and executed properly. And then finally, trying to look at overall changes to help future projects as they come online, so that when future phases of the bypass, future infrastructure projects get done, whether they be in West Maui or any of Maui, that they’re done as quick as possible. Because the longer a project takes, the more it costs. And my philosophy is this is your dollars out of your pocket. These are your tax dollars.
04:28
We need to do these things as quick as possible and as well as possible so that you’re getting the biggest bang for your hard-earned dollars. Well, it’s a big bang there in Lahaina. The bypass and the highways and all kinds of stuff’s happening. Well, we’ve successfully secured, since I’ve been elected, $100 million, a little over $100 million for West Maui and Ma’alaya.
04:52
harbors, roads, and schools. So, I mean, yes, I mean, it was… Well, that’s interesting. I heard schools tacked there. Yeah. Schools is an interesting one because you probably heard it. In fact, you probably mentioned it.
05:07
This thing about an audit. Do you hear that talk? Well, you know, and actually for the record, and people can go to www.capital.hawaii.gov, I introduced an audit resolution last session at the state legislature. What happens to things like that? And actually the Senate did too. My Senate counterpart, Roz Baker, in a chance at suing, introduced one.
05:31
on the senate side ours was a little bit more thorough in looking at a financial management audit than the senate version but unfortunately they were both stopped with the education committee on the senate side what do you think is the reason for that well the chairperson i believe at the time
05:47
you know, didn’t, for whatever reasons, did not feel that an audit was warranted. Perhaps it had to do with the, we’re getting live here. They love the sweet meat. So anyway, but the thing about it was, you know, and it could have been the fact, too, that he was trying to also get the bill to end the furloughs at the same time. And you only have so many days to move so many things, and so he might have felt, hey, you know what, I’ve got to concentrate on getting these furloughs.
06:17
ended now but the fact is is that we did introduce it and next year I plan to bring it back again because audits are healthy for all agencies in government. Our biggest problem haven’t been audits we’ve got a lot of them it’s been frankly the current administration has been whenever a recommendation comes out from the auditor instead of saying okay let’s run with it these are good things they end up fighting it so that’s one of the things that we have to you know change
06:46
hopefully over the next four years and beyond, we’ll be having an administration in there that’s going to say, hey, when audits come in, we need to look at the recommendations and implement them because they’re aimed at basically making government more accountable and saving taxpayers money. But on the education one, you know, we introduced that audit bill. It was moved out of the, you know, we successfully moved it out of our neck of the woods. But unfortunately, it didn’t make it all the way. With all the clamoring this year,
Do you expect a change in the head of the Education Committee? There will be, because the current head of the Education Committee isn’t in the Senate anymore. They decided to run for another office. Okay, well, there we go. But I’m bringing back my HCR 215, was the name of it, and I co-introduced it along with former Representative Lila Berg, and I plan to bring it back next year. And my overall philosophy has always been that audits are good because they point out
07:43
you know, areas where they can be improved, streamlined and more made accountable, you know?
07:50
He’s talking except for my taxes. So you’ve been involved there. As you’re working, I’m sure that certain other issues come up from your constituency. Any other things that are on people’s minds? Well, the big one, of course, is the economy is on people’s minds. How is the job thing going out there in your district? I mean, jobs are getting better now. I mean, the visitors are starting to come back now. We had a strong first quarter thing in the summer.
08:20
Things did, you know, level off in the fall. We’re expecting a strong, you know, next year, you know, as the recovery, you know, continues to grow. But the big issue, obviously, is going to be how do we create jobs, you know, here locally that are sustainable. And that’s why we need to be even more serious about job diversification, as well as preservation. I’m reading my mail. Well, the one area thing that my constituents, I do hear about, and I’m hearing about it everywhere, to me, it is
08:48
I think a crisis priority is something that the legislature has to address next year, no matter what the election is. And that’s the mortgage meltdown situation. I mean, that is the number one thing I hear. I, you know, this has touched everybody in the community. And these are not, you know, people who are working hard, two to three jobs, who unfortunately got hit by the economy and have now gotten underwater. And there’s absolutely no relief for them. And they’re being foreclosed on aggressively.
09:18
And what’s happening is you can’t have an economic recovery or any long-term job creations. People don’t have boobs over their heads. People are aware, I’m sure most of you are aware, that the foreclosure problem just keeps getting more complicated with finding there’s been faux pas, mistakes by mortgage companies,
09:37
borrowers, lenders, you name it. Well, there’s specific things that the state can do to protect the citizens of Hawaii. And this is even more of a critical of a problem on the land where you have a finite land base on island. I mean, think about this for a second, Jason, the audience too. Think about this. You have a mortgage, you know, it’s not like the old days where you took a mortgage note out from a bank and the idea is you’re looking at 30 years in which you pay it back.
10:02
and you would own your own home. What’s happened now is your mortgage, like a lot of mortgages in Maui were bundled and sold on Wall Street as securities. What happened was is when the real estate market started to go south is that these investors ended up suing these firms and sold these. So now what’s happening is you’ve got them foreclosing these entities called trustee entities. They are coming in and they’re the ones who are foreclosing aggressively because they’re trying to show the investor, look, hey, we are trying to get you the money.
10:32
We didn’t misrepresent these securities when we sold them to you. You could have a situation where you could have all of the homes in areas like Lahaina owned on paper in a safe somewhere by an investor. Meanwhile, the people who live there, people who work in our communities, people who are
10:52
you know, our friends and neighbors, they are virtually homeless. They’re either renting an apartment. Meanwhile, their home is sitting right there, probably 100 feet away. And the person who owns it doesn’t really own it because it’s a security. So it’s going to what’s going to happen is happening everywhere.
11:09
is these homes are falling into disarray. So what do you think we’re going to do? Do you have any ideas on solutions? Well, one of the things I think we have to do is we have to make it statutorily bar electronic trustee entities from being foreclosing entities. They don’t have the notes. They don’t have standing. A lot of judges in other states now are saying you don’t have standing to come in
11:30
and foreclose on the homeowner because you don’t have the note. You’re just here representing the people who bought securities. So it still doesn’t, quote, solve the problem for the homeowner. It delays his departure. It kind of makes his ramp out. There’s this note. It still exists. The note still exists, but what’s going to happen now is instead of being like, okay, we’re going to foreclose immediately, now there’s an incentive.
11:57
to come in and work with a homeowner. I mean, eventually… That’s where we’re at. Yeah. Is how do we work with a homeowner? For example, I’m going to bring it up. Yep. What if we put some of that debt that is owed on the back end? In other words, rearrange… That’s what loan modifications really are all about. How can we…
12:15
lower a monthly payment and make it comfortable and put it in a way that someone can stay in their home and push out their debt. Because most of these financial instruments, like you said, they’re owned by some third-party investor. And no, they’re just looking for a return on their investment. Exactly. And the thing about it is that they were pretty much, they’re trying to say, well, we were promised certain benefits.
12:41
benchmarks and they’re not happening so therefore we demand our money now is kind of the attitude which has triggered this. I’m going to move the camera as we’re talking because I see it’s in the light.
12:51
And we’re going to get a better picture. Hello. There we go. No falling down. There we are. So I got you. So, I mean, that’s one thing is you statutorily bar these entities from foreclosing. You know, the second thing that we have to look at is, you know, the second thing I think we need to look at too, I mean, there’s going to be two facets here. First facet is how do we protect the existing homeowners so that there’s, and give the banks an impetus to work with them.
13:21
Maybe even if not, if they can, if they’re so far underwater that they cannot stay, at least have given incentives so the mainland lenders will keep them on as renters. But we want to try to avoid what’s happening now, which is homes are being…
13:35
pretty much in abandoned states left and right, all over the island. And it’s dragging down people’s home values. You know, some people say, well, a foreclosed… It’s interesting to hear existing homeowners. A foreclosed home is a different category than a home that is being sold just regularly. Not to the buyer. The buyer recognizes they can buy that one or this one. This one is a foreclosed one, and the numbers are cheaper. Maybe your house is worth more technically, but…
14:04
You’re going to have a hard time refinancing. They’re really being heavy scrutiny on the people that are in the foreclosure. Like you say, they’re either out or they’re in this limbo state. And so is it the lenders not paying property taxes association fees on the house?
14:22
You have all these homes that are abandoned, that are degrading, that are, you know, becoming basically, you know, rat ranches, in the words of one constituent. And, you know, what happens is the rest of the homeowners who are there now all of a sudden are being shouldered with the excess burden. And as a taxpayer, all homeowners in Maui, and this is where everybody’s affected…
14:45
you’re affected because now the taxable base is shrunk so much now the county if they’re going to keep services up and this is again it’s a county not a state issue but the fact is is they’re going to have to look now at property increases on the rest of us and so we at the state level have to join in what other state legislatures are doing and make these third parties entities accountable so liable for the association fees and property taxes on the homes you know so that that gives an incentive
15:14
to then come in and to rent, if nothing else, rent it to the people who are being foreclosed on. So you at least have somebody in the home. You know, it’s a win-win. The person has a roof over their head still. They can go out and still make money and hopefully qualify for a smaller place or be able to rent.
15:32
You know, and the property and the county wins by having, you know, a place where taxes are being paid and paying up. You know, it’s a difficult issue, and I’m sure that even in what you were saying, if you were the party and that’s your house, it’s almost an easy, in my mind, an easier thing for you to get out and try to reestablish your life than to be there.
15:55
under an illusion that you might be staying there unless you work it out. I think one of the things I want to pursue this year on a state level, we have two things, first of all. First is stopping the bleeding, which is not only taking the things that we’ve talked about already, but also there’s a group of a task force. Now, I’ve been critical of the task force bill because many of the things we’ve talked about now were in a bill last year. Unfortunately, as what happens in Honolulu, it got turned into a task force, but
16:23
The people on the task force see it as a crisis, like I do, and so they’re actually, even though the report is due next year, they’re going to come forward with an interim report now so that there can be a bill introduced next session to address the bleeding. But the other thing we need to look at, too, is how do we turn this hemorrhaging into opportunity, and how do we reclaim our land base? And I think that the state needs to look at the model of Nahaleo Maui and perhaps bringing it to a state level of Nahaleo Hawaii, as I’ve called it.
16:52
Let our people here know what Nahale O Maui is. Nahale O Maui, in a nutshell, is a great program to try and get people into affordable homes. And one of the things that they do is they floated a bond and they were using it to purchase mortgages. Now, on the state level, this could be a way for many people to have their mortgages owned by an entity that wants, it’s in their best interest to work with the homeowner because that is
17:20
their land base, their taxpayer. In essence, that’s what’s going to create an economy, somebody working with a roof over their head. When you went into this arena, you were knowledgeable. I know you were very active before in the community. Did you find that your experience there in the legislature has somehow shifted or shaped the way you go about things?
17:45
I’m just curious, you know, because when someone gets into the legislature, oftentimes the first time, they’re like, okay, here’s what I’m going to do this, and I’m going to do this, and I’m going to do this. Now that you’re there and you’re physically, you know, feet on the ground doing it, any shift in the way you think about approaching issues?
18:03
Uh, an approach, yes, it doesn’t, has not reduced my fire at all that I had when I first run. In fact, I’ll be, you know, one of the… Come this way, I just want to make sure they can see you. One of the things is that, you know, one of my messages is that as your state representative, I have, you know, learned how to use, learned how to use the legislative tools to get the results on these things that, you know, are been, you know, issues for us. You know, I mean…
18:30
I’m proud of the money we brought back because one of the big, you know, issues for the constituents, especially on the West Side, is look how much tax revenue is generated, yet we get nothing back. So, yeah, we are finally getting, you know, the taxes that have been paid out of West Maui are finally coming back threefold. So I’m proud of that. And so my desire to attack the problem has since diminished, but what has, I think, been enhanced, because I was a legislative aide before, but what’s been enhanced is being able to actually
18:57
navigate things through and get them in there now a lot of times we’ve been stymied hasn’t been from the legislative end to be brutally honest it’s been from the administrative side from the administration the executive branch so but from our end you know we took a lot of things beyond our chambers you know which is it’s very hard to do when you have 50 you know 50 other house members and 25 senators all with different areas of the state of what you’re competing against each other so
19:27
So what would help you? Would it help you to have new ways of making revenue streams? Well, I mean, that’s something we have to look at always. But at the same time, we have to be, we cannot, I believe there has to be a balance. And one of the things we did last year, and this is important, really, I think that people know this, is two years ago, we faced one of the biggest deficits that the state has ever seen in its history.
19:53
We chose to attack the majority of that deficit through cuts and spending lapses. 55% of this world record deficit was done through cuts and lapses, belt tightening like everybody else had to do. About 4% of the budget was balanced off of new fees and revenues. And one of them was, and I’ll be honest with the voters, one of them was the gas tax. And why I went with the gas tax at the end of the day, although it was a tough decision,
20:22
was three reasons. One is it allowed us to save our share of the transient accommodation tax, which is big for the County of Maui and for property owners. The second thing is it allowed us to also get money to fund our agricultural inspectors so that we can make sure our farmers can get their stuff out into market in time so they don’t go under. And then the third reason is it’s a statewide tax, so 80% of this tax is actually borne by Oahu residents.
20:52
But most of this $30 million, besides addressing the deficit, was going to Maui programs like the ag inspectors. It seemed like a win-win for Maui. I mean, granted, our gas price is $0.05 higher than it would be before, but look at all the good things that are happening. Look at the multiplier effect for every nickel that Maui people are paying.
21:17
because of the breakdown of the tax revenue over the state and because of the Maui services and fees and the TAT coming back, we’re getting like 15, 20, I’d say a quarter for every nickel we’re paying back. I see. And that’s the way I try to explain to people, you know, yeah, it was an upfront, it was a revenue thing, but in the end, you’re getting more back.
21:36
In the same breath, I want to talk about renewable energy development so we won’t need… We’re going to cut the usage on gas so that won’t be so much of an impact on people and we’ll also be free of that burden. Have you seen any kind of strong movements toward development of renewable energy technologies as it relates to…
22:00
I’m so glad you brought this up because, yes, actually one of the things we’ve been trying to aggressively pursue has been the electric cars. And we’ve been having, this is an issue where we’ve been having the state is actually stymieing the electric car development in the state of Hawaii. Not from the legislative side, but from the administrative side again. The federal government gave the state of Hawaii a $3 million grant.
22:23
to have landowners, you know, shopping center owners and others be able to go ahead and buy electric car charging stations. The idea is you buy photovoltaic, you put in a car charging station, say you’re a Foodland or Safeway, you know, or a Whole Foods or whatever, and you put the photovoltaic on your roof, you put the car charging station there, people come and they charge.
22:47
It’s charged to them automatically because they have an account, and the store owner gets money every month from them. Well, this ARA fund was to create jobs, was to have the car charging industry become prevalent in Hawaii. So you have all these private manufacturers coming here, starting up here, or trying to hire local people, getting ready to move, but nobody wants to sell any units until they see who gets the federal grant because whoever gets the grant is going to have a cheaper unit.
23:16
Well, the grant, the federal government said, you know, we want these things released no later than 2012. The state administration all of a sudden says, they said, we’re going to get these out in 2010. So everybody’s waiting, poised, like who’s going to get the grant, and therefore which units will be cheaper, which ones should we buy, invest into for this electric car. And so far nobody can make a move. Now they’ve announced all of a sudden the decision won’t be made until 2012. So we have no electric car chargers despite this
23:46
private sector influx. This is going to create immediate investment in jobs and everything, and they’re all holding back because of this grant that is being held over the market’s head. So I kind of find it ironic that the administration is actually stymieing private business at the expense of government. Wouldn’t you agree? Here’s my second. Wouldn’t you agree
24:09
that no matter which regime, whether it’s the Iona or the Abercrombie camp, that there’s going to be some change there in our executive branch. Yes. With all due respect, I have this burning feeling that our president
24:27
leadership in the executive branch has visions of themselves in other roles and so some of those decisions I think are a little bit clouded and like that renewable energy thing I have a personal bone that I ran against our governor when she was running for mayor because of
24:47
Lack of realization of how important bringing renewable energy into existence now. Well, that’s the thing. This grant should be released immediately as close to the deadline, which was this month, or last month, ASAP, so that now Mark, these customers, can go immediately and start purchasing these things.
25:07
We have two types of electric cars coming out here. We’re on the heels of it, and yet we have no public electric car chargers. We have one car charger, and from what I’ve heard, it’s basically available to people who work for the government.
25:20
It’s not a public car charger. Well, these kind of things are going to change. And it’s only going to change with you guys opening up your voice and talking to the representatives and also making a constant appeal. With the support of my constituents, this is something I’m definitely going to be bringing up. Look, you guys got to release this grant immediately and not sit on it because we’re talking about stymieing private investment.
25:48
And if we start getting a reputation among the renewable energy inventors community, tech community is a place where don’t go there because they’re going to find any way you can to keep you out of the… I find this funny. They’ll scare them away. They’ll scare technology and renewable energy will get stymied because…
26:08
People see Hawaii as a place where they can bring these new technologies online because of the conditions. It’s so fitting we’re here today. I also think it’s funny. Hydro, wind, sun. But now, I hear many people that aren’t in office sharing about we’re an unfriendly business state. You’ve heard that? I’m sure you’ve heard that. Oh, I hear it a lot. Encore. And so, here you’re telling me of a…
26:35
thing where the administration is being unfriendly with something that is a long-term solution and holding it back when in fact we’re trying how are we going to create a more friendly business state anything i think the first yeah i think the first thing well the first thing we need to do and you know i’ve already asked some of the business you know groups that have endorsed me like the mallet chamber of commerce and others because they recognize you know i am passionate about
27:01
business, especially small business, you know, that is, of course, near and dear to my heart, is the crux of our economic base. It was what led the recovery last time. It is what’s helping the indicators this time. I mean, it is critical, small businesses, is that, but, you know, I asked, you know, the groups, help me find these rules and regulations that are either duplicative or onerous, it can be changed, and
27:29
whether they be in rulemaking or in statutes, so that we can introduce legislation next year to address them. And it’s nice to hear you’ve got dialogue going on with small business. Yeah, that’s what I need the help of you, the community and the voters, to say, hey, this is this one regulation I have to do every year. It’s ridiculous. I could do it online. Or why do I, you know, and one of the things that, you know, for instance, I’m going to try to push again next year is, you know, you have to take workman’s comp out on yourself if you’re in your own business. Well, you’re not going to sue yourself
27:59
So the chances of you, you know, the workman’s comp system is there to basically take lawyers and courtrooms out of the injury process. You know, so again, that’s something that I think we need to look at, you know, where we can be more business friendly.
28:14
you know, and I don’t think it basically, you know, and again, this would really help small businesses out, you know, the one to five population. I think because we’re getting the mosquitoes. He’s getting chewed up, people. I would like to see, I’m going to give you the floor here, to talk to the voters.
28:33
kind of make a summation of what you want to say i mean you’ve obviously got a lot to say and you’re really involved doesn’t sound like you’re on the back of your chair there waiting for someone to do something sounds like you’re aggressively trying to make a difference all the time thank you that’s what i’m i am trying to do that i’m that is my whole mission you know i i mean it’s the passion that drives me is the public service to west maui malaya north kihei and all of maui you know when i come back
29:02
from Honolulu and I see our people working, when I see things like the widening getting done, the cafeteria line when they’re getting built, when I see the end product of the kids having a great place to eat finally, then that to me is what really is the reward. And drives you forward, huh? And drives me forward. And like I said, I think we have a lot to be proud of. In the public education debate, I think one of the things that
29:31
I think we need to do is we need to be proud of what we have. You know, the education system needs a lot of improvement, but it’s not something where every child going into public school is somehow now ruined for the rest of their life the way critics are making it out to be. No. We have a lot of success story. You know, with STEM, with the robotics championships, with the YPO baseball team, with so many, you know, things that are happening. But my thing is we need to be… We never can be satisfied. We always have to be…
30:00
how can we make it better? And I’m glad to hear that you were the leader in the audit, because I’ve heard that audit thing from virtually every candidate, no matter from what side. So I was wondering, how come that one never made it through? You already hear, I mean, off recollection, I believe the number was HCR 215, you know, and it’s on www.capital.hawaii.gov, as are all bills and rezos that your legislators, be it myself or others, have either introduced or voted on.
30:30
It’s a, you know, you can, when session is in session, if you go there, you can actually get hearing notices so you can testify on any measure that might be of interest to you or your community. And they even have a new feature that next year what we’ve been working on is through an initiative that, you know, myself along with the other Maui lawmakers and other Oahu lawmakers have done is next year we’re going to have cameras in all of the meeting rooms so that all the hearings will be televised live.
30:58
So you can see if there’s a bill of interest, you can actually tune in, see the testimony, see the questioning. Have you heard the thing about the only one exempt from Sunshine Law is you guys? Yes, we are exempt from the Sunshine Law, but you know what? There’s no way, and I’ll be just brutally honest, there’s no way you could move all of that stuff into a budget, a balanced budget, in 60 legislative days without it. I mean, you couldn’t. You would have to have a…
31:26
two-year non-stop thrice staffed I mean you know you know it’s it’s you find that there’s much behind the door things that obviously you know you may not be completely out but a lot of things you know people feel that there are a lot of backroom deals going on you find no I mean I think the big thing that I would tell people is you know and I’m just an average guy like you are
31:53
And local brother, you know, even though I get the kind rapping, the thing is, is that. The kind rapping. What drives, yeah, there’s a lot of discussion in offices, but what drives it is what you say. We’ll go, did you see the testimony from so-and-so? Did you see the testimony? This group brings up all of the conversations. How do we get the input of this segment of the community to mesh with the others? So we can either move the bill forward or are we essential loggerheads? Do we need to take a step back and perhaps try it again next year?
32:23
That’s really the crux of the conversation, but that’s why your involvement is so critical because your email, that one email, can drive many conversations and versions of the bill. So that’s really what the focus of the legislature, at least on the House side, is for sure, is that how do we take the views that are given to us and how do we incorporate them into the legislation? Build forward or are we essential loggerheads? Do we need to take a step back and perhaps try it again next year?
32:52
That’s really the crux of the conversation, but that’s why your involvement is so critical because your email, that one email, can drive many conversations and versions of the bill. So that’s really what the focus of the legislature, at least on the House side, is for sure, is that how do we take the views that are given to us and how do we incorporate them into the legislation that’s at hand.
33:17
Any areas that in your closing you want to be sure to address and share with our voters? That, you know, I’m proud of the work that we’ve done together to see all of the improvements finally coming online. There’s much more to be done. As your representative with your support, I will make only one promise, and that promise is to work as hard as I can and to never be satisfied so that government is always getting more responsive, more efficient,
33:45
and we’re accountable and that your tax dollars are being an investment into your communities. And just mahalo and aloha from the bottom of my heart for letting me represent you these last four years and I appreciate your consideration this November 2nd to come back again and fight the good fight for Maui because Maui no ka oe. Thank you for joining me here. I really appreciate it. I know our voters and viewers appreciate it.
34:14
and uh we wish you the very best here coming up and we know no matter whatever is going on that you’ve been a very important part of our community and thank you for running it’s a brave thing you do because i can tell you we know you can’t please everyone and you need to be able to justify your constituency so that’s why i’m glad you decided to come out here with us well thank you i think it’s you know we can’t please everybody but i think just trying to
34:41
find, get as much results for as many people as possible in the ways that government affects your lives. And hopefully, you know, really I hopefully think, you know, is what, at the end of the day, no matter what our views are on many of these issues, that that is hopefully the service that we can get out of the government. Thank you for joining us. Thank you. Aloha. Thank you. Bye you guys. See you again.
35:10
The time has come to make a change The time has come to unlock a hope that lives In each and every one of us And we must do our part
35:28
We hold the visions God dreams of Our hands can heal the ones we love Let’s gather round and let us make a stand For you and me
35:45
Unlock the hope and there’s a better life Unlock the hope, there’ll be no turning back But nothing changes unless we unlock the hope
