Jason Schwartz as Green Party Candidate 1994-Jason does a five minute candidate snippet at local Maui TV station, Akaku, in 1994
Summary & Timestamped Transcript Below…
Green Party Campaign Speech for Maui County Council
Jason Schwartz, Green Party candidate for Maui County Council, presents a comprehensive campaign focused on sustainable development, voting reform, economic diversification, and community engagement. The speech is aimed at the voters of Maui County, emphasizing practical ideas and a new direction for the future.
Key Points and Themes
- Election Context and Candidate Introduction
- The election is scheduled for November 5th for federal, state, and county offices.
- Jason Schwartz is running as the Green Party candidate for Maui County Council, representing South Maui.
- He stresses that a vote for him is a vote to win and bring change.
- Currently, there are no district-based voting systems; anyone from any of the three islands can vote for all council members.
- Schwartz advocates for a district voting system combined potentially with proportional representation to increase accountability and better represent local interests.
- He suggests establishing a commission with a 1.5-year deadline to develop and implement this new voting plan before the 1998 election cycle.
- This reform is positioned as necessary for improving government responsiveness.
- Sustainable Economic Development
- Renewable energy initiatives are central to Schwartz’s vision:
- Solar and wind power development to create local jobs and reduce dependency on traditional energy sources.
- Integration of renewable energy into residential communities with decentralized power systems, including water desalination to address water shortages despite abundant surrounding ocean water.
- He highlights the importance of balancing environment and economywithout sacrificing tourism or existing community values.
- Contrary to common perceptions, the Green Party is pro-construction, advocating for smart, sustainable development.
- Examples include working with developers on renewable energy housing projects.
- Renewable energy initiatives are central to Schwartz’s vision:
- Real Estate and Housing
- Schwartz notes a decline in real estate prices despite a market pickup, which hurts sellers but also makes affordability challenging.
- He proposes innovative financing solutions to help buyers who do not qualify under traditional banking systems, referencing successful programs implemented elsewhere in the country.
- The focus is on creating new opportunities for homeownership and stabilizing the housing market.
- Schwartz positions the Green Party as a bridge between Democrats and Republicans, focusing on practical solutions rather than partisan conflict.
- He notes that very few candidates have an Internet presence, highlighting his and two others’ online engagement as a way to connect with voters and increase transparency.
- He critiques both his Democratic and Republican opponents for being well-known names but not necessarily the people voters expect or understand.
- Support for Ralph Nader and Grassroots Movement
- Schwartz encourages voters to also support Ralph Nader for president as a stand against corporate influence and for grassroots, self-sufficient solutions.
- He stresses the importance of community awareness and unity in pursuing common goals rather than partisan bickering.
- His experience working with council members and community leaders gives him confidence that solutions to local problems exist within the community itself.
- Call to Action
- He urges voters to participate actively on Election Day, emphasizing his candidacy as a blend of future innovation and respect for valuable past ideas.
- The closing is a heartfelt appeal to the Maui community for support and unity in creating a positive future.
Timeline of Campaign Themes
| Timestamp | Topic | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 00:03 – 00:39 | Introduction & Election Info | Announces election date and candidacy; calls for votes as a vote to win and change. |
| 00:39 – 01:12 | Economic Development | Focus on renewable energy, job creation, and sustainable economy alongside tourism. |
| 01:12 – 01:46 | Pro-construction & Innovation | Advocates for sustainable construction, decentralized power, and water desalination. |
| 01:46 – 02:20 | Voting Reform | Push for district voting and proportional representation with a commission deadline. |
| 02:20 – 02:47 | Real Estate Market | Addresses falling prices and proposes alternative buyer financing solutions. |
| 02:47 – 03:20 | Political Position & Internet | Green Party as a bridge; few candidates online; critiques opponents’ visibility and image. |
| 03:20 – 03:52 | Presidential Endorsement | Supports Ralph Nader for president as a grassroots alternative to corporate politics. |
| 03:52 – 04:22 | Community & Solutions | Emphasizes community-driven solutions and cooperation with council members. |
| 04:22 – End | Call to Action | Encourages voting for him and participation in shaping Maui’s future. |
Definitions and Concepts
| Term | Definition / Explanation |
|---|---|
| District Voting | A voting system where candidates represent specific geographic areas. |
| Proportional Representation | An electoral system aiming to allocate seats based on the percentage of votes parties receive. |
| Decentralized Power | Energy systems that generate electricity close to where it is used, rather than centralized plants. |
| Water Desalination | The process of removing salt from seawater to produce fresh water for use. |
| Green Party | A political party focused on environmental issues, sustainability, and social justice. |
Key Insights
- Renewable energy and sustainable development can simultaneously create jobs and protect Maui’s environment and tourism industry.
- There is a misconception that Green Party is anti-construction, but the party supports smart, sustainable building projects.
- Innovative homebuyer financing is needed to stabilize the real estate market and increase affordability.
- Internet presence and transparency are lacking among candidates, but Schwartz is actively addressing this gap.
- The campaign aligns with grassroots principles and challenges corporate political influence, symbolized by support for Ralph Nader.
- Collaboration within the community and local government is essential to finding practical, achievable solutions.
Conclusion
Jason Schwartz’s campaign message is centered on progressive, sustainable solutions grounded in local realities. By combining voting reforms, renewable energy development, housing market innovation, and community empowerment, he aims to bring a fresh yet pragmatic voice to Maui County Council. His emphasis on both environmental stewardship and economic opportunity reflects a holistic approach to Maui’s challenges and future prosperity.
Transcript
00:03
Aloha people of Maui County here November fifth we’re going to be voting for federal state and county offices I’m your green candidate for council jason schwartz I want all people to know out there that a vote for Jaison is a vote to win this year we have as a Green Party many practical ideas for the future that we’ve talked about before but we’re coming more aggressively into them and you’re feeling them things like district voting the need for accountability right now there really
00:39
are no districts the residency requirement so I’m running in South Maui by example but all the people over three islands are voting for everyone so I want all of you to think to vote for me I know that through programs with renewable energy and development with solar we can have resulting jobs many jobs we can have strong alternatives to the burning of sugarcane sustainable alternatives to create jobs and a future that diversifies our economy that doesn’t in any way sacrifice tourism doesn’t sacrifice all that we’ve been
trying to build here for years but Mary’s environment and economics together many people think that as a green party where anti construction but that’s not true we’re actually Pro construction I’ve been talking recently with a developer about renewable energy development integrated into residential community decentralized power decentralize water desalination we shouldn’t have any challenge with water shortage when we’re surrounded by water if we can create power here to the youth
01:46
of use of the Sun and use of the wind and we can generate jobs and we can generate something that will make us more self-sufficient it deserves some significant attention the fact that we need a voting change there needs to be a commission set up with a year and a half deadline to put a voting plan whether it be district voting in combination with that large voting a proportional representation plan we need to have in place so that we can vote in 98 we need to push our council to do that we want to expand our parks we want to
02:20
address the real estate market you here in real estate have been seeing prices go down down down when the real estate market is picking up but it prices are not being preserved for the sellers we need to find another way we need to be able to help buyers get in that wouldn’t normally qualify through conventional banking I have ideas for that and ideas that are being implemented all across this country we don’t know to create things that don’t already exist successfully there are many programs
02:47
that are already in place around this world that we can use green is a bridge between Democrat and Republican we’re also very much in touch with the Internet you can’t imagine I couldn’t imagine that only two or three candidates me and Ian Hodges Ian chant Hodges and sarcoma holla holla had any kind of presence on the internet there was a vote Maui page exposing this all to the world but only three of the candidates were there I’m running against the Democrat opponent that no one even sees they heard a name they
03:20
know that name but it’s not the person they thought it was my Republican opponent there’s a name they know for a long time but he’s also not the person they think he is I’m really a choice that blends the future and the present with the good ideas of the past I think it’s very important for you to get out on Election Day and vote for me but for me jason schwartz the green candidate also vote for Ralph Nader Ralph Nader if you’re not committed to a presidential choice Ralph has stood up to be very
03:52
important to let you know that we need to be aware of ourselves as people and not be buying into a corporate solution when in fact self-sufficiency and a grassroots which is you realizing you agree with me and moving forward into the future with common solutions rather than bickering between each other with the working that I’ve already done talking with many of the council members and many of the candidates and people large in our community I know that there are no solutions that we cannot find
