Joe Souki 2010 Speaker Emeritus- a Politician’s Politician

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Published on 01/04/2010 by Jason Schwartz

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Up Close & Personal 2010 – Jason Schwartz with JOSEPH SOUKI, sitting Hawaii State House rep from District 8 on Maui. Joe has served 14 consecutive 2 year terms. In this video interview with jason at Kepaniwai gardens in Iao Valley, Joe explains the whys and wherefores of political activity here in 2010

Summary & Transcript Below…

  •         Introduction and Political Background of Joe Souki
    This segment introduces Joe Souki, a long-serving political figure currently running for his 15th term in office, with 16 elections total including a Constitutional Convention. He first took office in 1983, representing District 8, which geographically stretches from Kahakalua near Honolulu to Waikapu near Maui Tropical Plantation. The district includes both urban and rural areas, described as the “back of the head and neck of Maui.” Over his career, Joe has held significant leadership roles including Speaker of the House and Finance Committee Chair, gaining deep expertise in budgeting and legislative processes. His early political years were spent heavily involved in finance, moving from a committee member to vice-chair, then chair over six years, before becoming Speaker. His tenure gave him a broad network and experience navigating political and economic cycles.

  • [04:52 → 08:17] Economic Observations and Drivers in Hawaii
    Joe reflects on Hawaii’s economic ups and downs during his career, including the Japanese economic bubble and natural disasters like the Kauai hurricane, which caused economic downturns but also spurred rebuilding efforts. He emphasizes that Hawaii’s economy is primarily driven by tourism and the military presence, with agriculture playing a diminished but still relevant role. The pineapple industry has mostly disappeared except for a small operation in Maui, and sugar plantations are nearly extinct due to market and water challenges. The military presence acts as an economic stabilizer, cushioning downturns in tourism. Joe warns against over-reliance on tourism alone, advocating for diversification of income streams to stabilize the economy and support government services. He notes the continual rise of government costs, including wages and supplies, which strain budgets especially during economic downturns, leading to reduced quality of life.

  • [08:17 → 12:01] Local Maui Economic Context and Private Sector Role
    Although Maui lacks a significant military presence, it benefits from statewide systems funded by major economic drivers such as tourism and military elsewhere in the state. Joe acknowledges that tourism remains Maui’s main economic pillar. He discusses the challenge of balancing government responsibilities and encouraging private sector leadership to reduce the fiscal burden on the state. However, he notes that a weak economy limits private sector activity because consumer spending contracts during downturns. Despite these challenges, the state has implemented incentives to support business growth, particularly in high-tech industries, through investment credits like Act 221. These incentives have attracted industries such as film production (e.g., “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Lost”), generating new jobs and up to a billion dollars in revenue annually. The government actively supports high-tech niches to diversify economic activity.

  • [12:01 → 15:57] Trade, Tax Policy, and Economic Incentives
    Joe addresses the idea of promoting trade and bartering to stimulate local economic activity, recognizing that while barter systems create local circulation of goods and services, they do not introduce new money into the economy. He stresses the need for fresh income streams and new money to improve economic vitality. On tax policy, Joe advocates for reforms to make Hawaii more business-friendly, reflecting on his tenure when he successfully lowered personal income taxes and reformed workers’ compensation and auto insurance, resulting in significant savings for businesses and consumers. These measures helped stimulate the economy and tourism, including investments in a convention center designed as a “loss leader” to attract visitors and generate broader economic benefits.

  • [15:57 → 19:36] Taxation Challenges and Government Revenue Issues
    Joe recounts the historic $2 billion tax cut that lowered the personal income tax from 10% to 7.5%, putting money back into consumers’ pockets. However, recent years saw increases in personal income taxes and the tourist accommodation tax due to economic necessity, which he opposed. He advocates revisiting these tax increases once the economy improves, possibly raising the general excise (GE) tax while lowering personal income tax to balance revenue and taxpayer relief. The GE tax is heavily borne by tourists, so adjusting it could be less burdensome to residents. He laments severe budget cuts impacting public services such as education, parks, social services, and Medicaid, which is expected to increase costs by over $300 million due to new health legislation. Joe acknowledges that these fiscal strains might require difficult decisions, including possible privatization or transferring responsibilities to counties, though that could increase property taxes.

  • [19:36 → 21:22] Statewide Education Funding and the Unique Hawaii Model
    Joe explains that Hawaii uniquely supports its public school system at the state level, unlike mainland states where school districts and counties fund education primarily through property taxes. Hawaii’s centralized system aims to ensure equal educational opportunities across diverse communities, from urban Honolulu neighborhoods to remote areas like Lanai. This statewide approach is funded through the GE tax, which lessens the burden on property taxes and promotes equity. This system requires careful management and adequate funding to maintain quality education statewide.

  • [21:22 → 24:12] Leadership Qualities and Legislative Experience
    Joe emphasizes the importance of experience, integrity, and the ability to collaborate for effective legislative leadership, comparing it to an “old sea captain” navigating a storm. He shares a lesson from former Speaker Henry Peters, highlighting that relational skills and teamwork matter more than personal credentials. Success depends on building trust, doing homework, and working effectively with colleagues across party lines, the Senate, the governor, and the community. This ability to network and earn confidence develops over time and is critical when facing complex challenges. Joe positions himself as a seasoned leader capable of guiding through current financial storms.

  • [24:12 → 28:31] Succession, Mentorship, and Citizen Legislature Philosophy
    When asked about succession planning, Joe notes that the legislature is not a hereditary system; prospective candidates must earn public support. He highlights the importance of mentorship and training, citing examples like Representative Kyle Yamashita who gained legislative skills by working as an aide before running for office. Joe supports the “citizen legislature” concept, where legislators bring skills from their private and professional lives to enrich policymaking. The legislature is a forum for exchanging diverse ideas, and success depends on gaining colleagues’ confidence. Joe actively receives public input but recognizes that constituents sometimes lack full context about policy complexities, requiring legislators to balance public desires with practical realities.

  • [28:31 → 32:17] Political Climate and Public Engagement
    Joe underscores the value of public engagement through media appearances and encourages candidates to present themselves transparently for voters to make informed choices. He acknowledges the difficulty for new representatives facing tough budget decisions and the need to explain complex trade-offs to the public. Joe points to his continuing health and commitment to serve, stressing the need for experienced leadership in challenging times. He also shares anecdotes from his political past, including debates over the tourist accommodation tax distribution formula among counties, reflecting the ongoing balancing act of fairness and political negotiation.

  • [32:17 → 36:48] Legislative Priorities: Economy, Infrastructure, and Education
    Joe identifies job creation as his top priority, with a focus on a $4 billion highway modernization plan aimed at repairing and upgrading roads, bridges, and dams. Funding would come from a combination of federal and state sources, with a proposed modest increase in gas taxes. He notes the federal shift toward funding mass transit over highways, which may reduce future highway funds. The modernization plan is expected to save commuters time and money, and generate thousands of jobs. Education is another key focus, particularly supporting Maui’s transition from a community college to a four-year college, which requires additional funding for faculty and programs. Joe also emphasizes adequately funding public schools and restoring support for charter schools, which have faced cuts.

  • [36:48 → 40:36] Support for Hawaiian Homes and Non-Profit Sector
    Joe recalls securing $600 million over 20 years for infrastructure development on Hawaiian homelands, facilitating the construction of hundreds of homes. This program is approaching its end, and he stresses the need to continue funding to sustain progress. He expresses deep respect for non-profit organizations, citing his 16 years as an executive director of Maui Economic Opportunity and the flexibility non-profits have to provide essential community services. Despite fiscal constraints, Joe advocates maintaining as many non-profit programs as possible, especially those supporting vulnerable populations such as the disabled and mentally ill.

  • [40:36 → 41:50] Challenges of Homelessness and Mental Health
    Joe describes homelessness as a severe and growing problem exacerbated by mental health issues and economic hardship like foreclosures. He explains that deinstitutionalization shifted mental health patients from locked facilities to halfway houses, but many relapse if medication adherence lapses, complicating management. The mix of mental illness and economic distress creates complex social challenges requiring resources and coordinated responses. Joe stresses that addressing these issues will require financial investment and educating the public about the difficult choices legislators face between cuts and revenue increases.

  • [41:50 → 43:37] Final Reflections and Commitment to Service
    Joe expresses gratitude to his constituents for their long-standing trust over 28 years, acknowledging the ups and downs of political life. He underscores his dedication to improving Maui and the state, striving to leave them better than he found them. He recognizes criticism over tax increases and gaming but frames all decisions as efforts to serve community needs responsibly. Joe hopes to continue serving and encourages voters to consider his record in totality. The interview concludes with mutual appreciation for candid dialogue and cultural context, highlighting Joe’s deep roots in the local community.

  • [44:37 → End] Closing Musical Segment
    The transcript closes with a poetic and musical segment reflecting themes of love, commitment, and lifelong partnership, symbolically framing the interview’s conclusion with a tone of dedication and care, mirroring Joe’s expressed commitment to his community and public service.

00:07
There is no other one What I feel here for you Holding you in my arms Cradle you with my love
00:38
You’re all dressed in white, looking in your eyes. Tell all the world tonight I’ll be falling. You’re my shining star from this day on.
00:58
I’ll be your friend, I’ll be by your side Blessed are we this night Shower us with His love Will you be mine tonight Giving you all my love
01:27
And when we look back at our wedding day This band of gold that we will share Never-ending love for all my life Then I do
01:57
Thank you.
02:38
Aloha. Welcome to another year of Up Close and Personal 2010. Now, I can’t believe it’s 2010. What about you? It’s going by too fast, Jason. I can’t get better. This is Joe Souki. Everyone out there, I imagine, may know you. Joe Suki is running yet again, and I’m happy to say,
03:00
How many terms have you had here now? A handful. I’m in my 14th term and going for my 15th. If I count the Constitutional Convention, this will be my 16th election. Sixteenth election in this seat? Fifteen for the seat. So that’s 30 years every two years, right? Yeah, so it’s 28 going on 30.
03:28
So that means in 19, oh God, 1980-something? 1982 is when I first got elected. My first session was in 1983. Wow. So you’re in District 8, which is where? 8 covers all the way from Kahakalua, which borders Honolulu, all the way to Waikapu, and just about where the Maui Tropical Plantation is.
03:58
So, a little city called Maui City, and a little rural, and very rural. I would like to say it’s in the back of the head and on the neck of Maui. Well, you know, that’s how I figured. I always thought about that, exactly that. You know, I know that over the years, Joe Suki here, you’ve been Speaker of the House, but to get the Speaker of the House, you had to be in all kinds of committees, yes?
04:25
Well, yes, I spent most of my time in my early years in a finance committee, and that’s where I began to really understand the budget and the making of the state. My first term was in finance, second term I became the vice chairman of finance, and my third term I became the finance chair. And I was there for six years as the finance chair, and then I became a speaker.
04:52
Yes, I’ve been through a lot, met a lot of people. I have a lot of good memories and a few bad ones. And I imagine you’ve seen economies go up, down, left, right? Yes, I have. I have. I’ve been through the Japanese bubble when we had a lot of money. And then also with the hurricane in Hawaii, the first hurricane.
05:22
I was a speaker then. I remember going to Kauai and seeing that devastation in Kauai. And that year, naturally, our economy went all the way down. We had to put a lot of emphasis on rebuilding Kauai, which we did. So we had that. And then, right after that, things got a little better.
05:52
And toward the end of my term as Speaker, things began to look up. Speaker Say, when he became Speaker, had a few good years. And now we’re down again in the recession. It’s kind of cyclical. I expect it to get better again. Do you time most of it with the revenues to real estate base? Or where are monies coming from that can make things go? Not real estate too much. Real estate is a byproduct.
06:22
Basically, construction, and construction is a byproduct of the economy. The economy is tourism. When tourism goes down, everything goes down. And construction, real estate, all that byproducts of the main economic driver, which is tourism. We have two major
06:51
economic drivers in the state one is tourism and the other is military agriculture is picking up but of course through the past years we have lost uh practically all the pineapple companies which we have a little one left in maui uh and now he’s picking up from maui pine thank god for that other than that pineapple is just about gone in the state sugar there’s only one sugar plantation left and that’s
07:20
H&S, which is stuttering now because of the real market situation and, of course, the water situation that we have here in Hawaii. Major decisions still need to be made as to the water. And both sides have, of course, . So I’ve seen it all, and I think we’re looking now for an increase in tourism. It’s beginning to get better.
07:50
And, of course, the military has always been a stabilizer. I don’t like wars. I hate wars, like everybody else. But we have benefited from the military presence all these years. And, again, when tourism is down, at least we have a balance there, so we never become as bad as the mainland. We have debt as a stabilizer. But, again, you must remember the key is…
08:17
It’s tourism and it’s kind of dangerous to have one basic, to be dependent upon one basic economy. And we need to look at other income streams to assist us because otherwise we’re going to just continue to have this problem. And there’s the cost of running government.
08:38
uh every year supplies go up wages go up and and government unfortunately uh it becomes a beneficiary of all of that and and then we have less and less money to spend so we need to make the respective adjustments every year and the quality of life just drops considerably it’s interesting as i’m listening to you because that’s state that thing is like a state picture you know tourism and maui too but like the military
09:08
presence here is less, so we don’t really have that same kind of stability factor in Maui. What kind of new things are you thinking about? Yeah, but we don’t have it in Maui, but we benefit from Maui. Remember, we have statewide systems here. Our school is a statewide system. Health is a statewide system. All these systems benefit from either the two major drivers, whether it’s tourism or
09:34
or military. As far as Maui, again, tourism is our major driver here. Well, it’s interesting because you were talking about other things and that the government has to pick up a lot of these responsibilities. You probably heard me on a broken record already about I think that the private sector needs to somehow get motivated to be leading more and taking initiatives so that the burden isn’t on the state. That’s correct. Again,
10:04
which came first, the chicken or the egg. Private sector can, when the economy is down, it’s very difficult also for the private sector. Because they also benefit or not benefit by the ability of people to spend. When people don’t have money to spend, the consumption drops and business drops accordingly. But let me say what the state has been doing these past years
10:34
look at businesses where it can help, especially in the high-tech areas. We have provided what is called Act 221, which provides investment credit for businesses. And where it’s costing the state some money, because we need to provide a credit for business investment, and some of them go as high as 100%, but it also brings in a lot of
11:04
a lot of revenue, and you look at these movie pictures, and they have one that’s going on now, the Pirates of the Caribbean. They’re all the benefits of these high-tech traders. Lost was also a beneficiary, which also provided a lot of jobs here. Then we have a lot of little high-tech niches all over the place, and little businesses that have come up.
11:31
And they’ve provided additional revenue up to about a billion dollars a year in revenue from these high-tech businesses that we have to our investment credit. So that’s the kind of things that government can do to help business. But in this case, it specializes more in the high-tech area, which seems to be the trend right now. Well, you know, I think
12:01
I haven’t heard you say, and I’m curious if you’ve explored, trade and bartering trade. Because to me, you can get people active if you do part trade, and more people will go out and do and realize that they’re services of value. Has anyone ever put that kind of thing together here? Well, again, trade is good, and bartering, and…
12:25
well we have the swap meet and things that but again it’s all based on a bigger picture the bigger picture is the people have industry the ability to to purchase the ability to uh to have what they call consumption of uh of goods well that’s why i’m talking about trade and that yes we could create a lot more activity and a positive local community because people get kind of discouraged
12:54
We had a nice lady who came by, I guess, one of the people that you’ve seen over the years here, where she mentioned she hasn’t been working in two years and preschool. Now imagine if people that grow produce could, you know, they pay part in produce.
13:10
and they’re able to get preschool, and the preschool people get this, and this one needs massage. Obviously, like a bank. That all will help, Jason. But there’s no new money coming in. What you’re doing is you’re circulating within the existing dollars that you have. Well, until more money comes in, I’m trying to think of how to…
13:32
bring up the hope and keep people here feeling vital. No, that’s good. Trade is okay, but again, what we need is a new income stream, new money that’s coming in tight. So incentives through tax breaks? Any other directions that you think are a good one? Well, I think the legislature needs to look at, again, the whole tax structure and see where they can be a little bit more business friendly. I don’t believe that
14:01
in these past years we have been debt business friendly, and that is lowering the personal income tax. Okay. During my tenure as speaker, and I’m not trying to belittle the current speaker, but I had the opportunity to lower the workers’ compensation to businesses. Right. And I also had, so we had workers’ comp reform there.
14:31
And at that time, it was probably the biggest reform that the whole nation had. It was over 30% and it grew from there. And this is what saved. And we also had auto insurance reform during that particular time. And this put money in the pocket also. And during the same period of time, in order to assist in the tourism, we provided a convention center.
15:01
which acted as a catalyst. It’s a loss leader. It doesn’t make any money by itself, but when you have tourists coming in and staying and utilizing the convention center, then all of business is gained. This is what new money that comes inside. I see. And when business can save money to work as compensation, that is new money also.
15:27
And we also had cut the personal income tax. In fact, we made one of the biggest tax cuts in the history of the state. It was a $2 billion tax cut. And we lowered the tax rate from the high tax from 10% down to 7 1⁄2. It resulted in about $2 billion savings. And this goes into the pocket of the consumer, where the consumer then can purchase more goods, and then it has a whole…
15:57
category of things that can be done. But unfortunately, in the past two or four years, two years to four years, because of the economy, we increased the personal income tax. I was opposed to that. And we increased the tourist accommodation tax, which goes into the pocketbook of the
16:25
If the tourists are coming, they’ve got to pay more for the hotel room. We increased that, and we increased coverage. And this all affects different. But again, in dire situations, they needed to look at different ways of picking up money. I would hope, too, that as we get better and we’re going on, that we look at the personal income tax and lower it again.
16:53
Because the personal income tax is something that everybody who pays taxes in the state, every citizen, benefits from, lower personal income tax. And they may have some adjustments later on. In fact, even some people are saying, well, why not, we have never raised the GT tax. Maybe we need to look at that. And on the other side, you raise the GT, but you cut the personal income tax.
17:23
Over 40% of the GE tax is paid for by tourists. And personal income tax, all of the citizens benefit. So if they can raise one and cut the other, it will be a plus for the taxpayers of the state of Hawaii. And this, I believe, will have some benefit. And so this is the kind of tax structure I would want to look again. I know the public has not been appreciative of
17:52
of the talk of raising the tax, but we are in a situation now where the quality of life is beginning to be affected by the revenue cuts that we have made, cuts in programs. We don’t have enough people,
18:12
agricultural inspectors. Our parks are not maintained adequately. Our school systems have been cut tremendously. The buses now is including longer routes where students have to walk longer to go to school, and some of them have to walk where there’s no sidewalks, etc. When you walk downtown Honolulu to go to school, that’s not the safest place to walk downtown. But all of this has been affected because of a lack of income, a lack of revenue,
18:42
Social service has been affected. Medicaid has been affected. And let me say this, this recent health bill that was passed, and it’s going to increase the Medicaid cost by over $300 million to the state of Hawaii. And so that’s money that we’ve got to pay, over $300 million. And we have to match it 50%. And so…
19:08
Our whole lifestyle has been changed, and so we need to look at it. Maybe we can’t, again, we need to get, maybe we can’t afford the system that we have. Maybe it’s too big. And we would like to privatize some things out if possible. We would like to put it to the county, but if you transfer it to the county, because we got a lot of these things from the county to the state, if you give it back to the county, then it’s going to affect the property tax here.
19:36
They’re going to have to raise the property tax. Well, you know, that’s an interesting question, because I spoke to someone who has a house here, but also back in Vermont. And in Vermont, you know, they’re paying huge amounts. We don’t realize how good we have it here, really, property tax-wise. It seems high to a lot of people, but, you know, we’re still living under a really low-revenue system here. Well, let me tell you why, Jake. Most of the schools in the mainland, if I did not all,

20:06
The school system is not supported by the state. It’s supported by school districts, by counties and school districts. In Hawaii, we’re the only state in the nation that the state supports. And the reason being the state supports is to provide an equality where the students in Lanai would have the same access to good education as the students from Waialae Kahala. And so we have this statewide system. When we have this statewide system,
20:36
This is all borne by the GED tax, not by property tax. In the mainland, education systems is borne by property tax. Well, you see, as I’m sitting here, I’m thinking, this guy knows what he’s talking about. Now, you’ve done this for so long.
20:55
You needed someone to train to kind of walk in your shoes. You have a lot of shoes to walk in. Well, yes. Well, we have a lot of good people here in Maui right now who are in office. I think the public needs to know. What you’re just sharing here is really important for people to know because a lot of people are yipping and yapping about things to do, but it isn’t always an easy path.
21:22
You know, that give and take, you’ve talked to me about that before. It takes really a sober look at what do we want to have. We can’t have everything. What can we do? How are we going to give a little here to get a little here? That’s correct, that’s correct. And it takes experience. It’s like an old sea captain when he operated
21:47
a boat in a storm you want an experienced captain in a storm not a not a neophyte and we are in a financial storm right now and this is where you need someone with the the experience and besides that the capability to work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work with his colleagues in the senate and to work with the governor even with uh
22:14
Governor Lingle, I had a good working relationship with her, I had a good working relationship with the Senate, and with the House, and I’m part of leadership in the House. So I have this access to all of that, and this doesn’t come automatically. You don’t get elected and suddenly become a speaker emeritus, or speaker, or finance chairman, this thing takes years, and the ability to work with your colleagues, and that’s something that needs to be developed,
22:42
As soon as you get in, they kind of measure you. What kind of man is he? A man of integrity? Gives his word? Yeah? And does he do his homework? And they measure you this. And you measure them. Because that’s what it is. It’s a people thing. I remember when I first got in the house, Henry Peters was the speaker of the house then. Henry was a big, imposing…
23:12
fella, Hawaiian boy, good looking boy, strong speaker, very powerful speaker. Anyway, when I went to see him, the first thing Henry told me, he said, Joe, I don’t care anything about your job you had, the fucking job you had, your degree, your credentials, what I want from you is an ability to work with your people. You can throw all that away. Opala, as far as I’m concerned.
23:42
It’s the ability to work with your colleagues. That is what’s going to spell success for you or not success. Because you’re working with the people in the environment. You’re working with 51 people in the house, 25 people in the Senate, and you’re working with the government. And for the community. Now you need to get out into the community. So you’re working with all of these environments. So you need that capability to network with people.
24:12
And then you’ve got to build confidence, and the confidence comes after time, as you want. Not right away. Let me ask you a different kind of question. You and I know, if I do my math, you’re starting to approach middle age. And probably your wife is saying, hey, want to spend a little time with me? You’ve been working a lot of time. Have you given thought to how you’re going to transition or train? I want to say train.
24:41
because obviously you always have to win each election, but you say there are good people around. Are there other people that you think are getting groomed to be able to… That’s a lot of responsibility you just put out there. Well, there’s a lot of good people. Something like Dan Inouye. When Dan leaves, what’s going to happen? That’s what I’m saying. Or like you. I mean, you’ve been obviously a fixture. And, you know…
25:11
There’s good and bad in that, but a lot of people, like right now, I can hear what you talked about the health bill. You might be labeled in the same party as where it came from, but obviously it might not have been quite the same had you had your hands on it, I can tell already. There’s an interesting time. I wonder how many young people are getting involved in politics and taking the time to understand
25:40
You know, there’s different ways you can do it. You can become active in your respective party, whether you’re Democrat or Republican. You can go and work in the legislature to begin to understand the legislative process. You begin by working. And look at Kyle Yamashita, Representative Yamashita. He came in, tried to come in, he worked for Bob Nakasone as his aide.
26:09
So he learned all about the capital improvement project. Bob taught him as an employee then. So when Bob passed away, and of course Kyle then chose to run, and then Kyle immediately took up the range of handling the capital improvement project because he had the training from Bob.
26:37
And similarly to the employees that we have, so they pick up a lot of skills. But then again, there’s people with skills at home. You need people with the skills from home, too, to take to the legislature, because we’re what they call a citizen legislature. The mechanics you can learn, but you also need to be a citizen legislature to take the skills from your work site to take it to the legislature.
27:07
and use that and mesh it with all the other skills that they have there. And then you have a hodgepodge of ideas, and that’s what it is. It’s an area for ideas, and people can mix ideas. And if you’re lucky, your ideas will pass master. And that, again, is to get the confidence of your members. Do you get a lot of input from the public, your ideas that…
27:32
worth moving forward with? I constantly, I get a lot of phone calls and a lot of letters as to how they think certain things should be made, should go. And then I have an… It’s up to me then to talk to them and say, okay, this looks fine, but these are some of the caveats that we need to look at, yeah? There’s something strange here and here. Because sometimes the public don’t get the full picture. So it’s a plus and minus.
28:02
And we put it in there. You know, as far as the succession, I mean, this is not the kingdom where someone, a son is the… No, I don’t mean that. I mean, you know… And in fact, I don’t really want to get into that at all, because it’s… I think whoever wants to run after I decide not to run again, they need to convince the public, yes.
28:31
They’re the person that the public wants. Well, that’s why it’s good you get on shows like this. I mean, I’d like to see all the candidates show up and share themselves, give the public a fair chance to know who’s getting elected. Yeah, that’s right. And then the public then will make that decision. And then, like me, they will learn. I learned, and I became the legislature that I am now. It didn’t come automatically.
29:00
Oh, I know. Again, I’m not counting years. You had experience for years and now experience in this job. That’s a lot of experience to try to, I don’t want to say replace, but so I’m glad to hear you feel you’ve got some strong allies around that are in the Senate and the House and circling. They’re some very good people. Very good people. And then you get good people outside. You know, as you can see, I get
29:30
People want it against me right now, and they all feel that they want to contribute to the stage, and it’s their right to do it. And I feel that I still have a few good years. And as I said, again, when there’s a storm, you need someone who is knowledgeable and experienced. And I believe that I meet that criteria. And I still feel very healthy. I was going to say.
29:58
When Frank Fossey would hear, he’d say, let’s do some push-ups. I don’t think we were in push-ups. No, I don’t think I can do whatever as Frank. Frank could do a hundred push-ups a day. He was unbelievable. Yeah, he was unbelievable. He could do a hundred a day. Frank used to call me Giuseppe. And we had some good times. And also he accused me of stealing all the money from Honolulu. Well, just doing a good job for us. Yeah. Taking it home. Yeah, because years ago when we first came up with the T.A.T.,

30:27
the tourist accommodation tax, so we had to develop a formula. So Yama at that time was the Ways and Means chairman and I was the finance chairman as we were trying to come up with a fair formula for the state. How would you divide the revenue from the tax and apportion it to the respective counties? And so we needed to come up with a fair figure. So we came up with something based on the amount of rooms that you have.
30:56
And so someone, we discussed it, and Russell Blair, in fact, came up with the, he said, I think it’s a good formula. I looked at Yama, he looked at me, he said, okay, let’s accept it. We went on it. And later on, we found out that Maui had a fair share at that time, but the Big Island and Hawaii, because they didn’t have too many tourists at that time, and that was in the 80s,
31:26
And so we thought that they’d need some help. So we took some of the money from Honolulu and we gave it to Hawaii and to Hawaii. And so Frank Fossey was screaming like anything. He didn’t go to Maui. Because Maui had a fair share. We had about 23% of the tourists. And so we remained. That still amounts.
31:54
And Honolulu had about 54%, and Kauai had about 12%. So we raised Kauai and the Big Island to make it a little more manageable. I mean, otherwise you wouldn’t get anything. Yeah, right. And of course that helped me to become a speaker then, too. I bet. So… Right now you’re thinking, is there any priority, if you’re coming back, any specific
32:17
Anything you say you’d like to accomplish in this term that’s… Well, you know, right now it’s the economy. And so we need to look at the creation of jobs. And so that would be high. And one way we’re looking at, last session we had the highway
32:44
modernization. It’s a $4 billion highway modernization plan. And we would provide money for highways, dams, bridges, maintenance, from all these things. That money from the feds or from the state? It would be a combination from the feds and from the state. We would have to raise the gasoline tax a little bit. But we got to understand that
33:12
The feds is going to be given less money for highways. Their stress now is going to be in rails and trams. And that’s where they want to go and lodge people movers rather than build more highways.
33:32
So this is where the Congress is going to. We’re going to get even a lesser share of our highway fund. We get only about $150 million a year. That’s what we get for highway, $150 million a year. That’s the federal share, matched by 20% of the state’s. I see. And so with this modernization, it will add to that. We will be able to actually save money for the public in the end,
34:02
Because if we fix and repair the highways, we get less focus in the highways, and pave it, build new highways so they can get to work faster and back, they will save time and money in travel. And the traveler will more than make up for what they save, will more than make up for the cost of gasoline that they have to pay. But anyway, and this will provide thousands of jobs.
34:31
So that’s one area that I’m looking at. Again, that’s going to be one of my major priorities. And then we have our educational system. We have now a college here in Marvel. It’s no longer a community college. It’s a college. You guys know that? I hope some of you know that. It’s a college. We have a college. And basically this came about because the public wanted
35:00
And the legislators responded, and they really worked hard with Sacramento, Black Sacramento, and the border regions to convert from a technical school all the way up to a college. We’ve got a four-year college now. So that’s going to take money in there to fund the new teachers that are going to come upon. There’s going to be new classes, new programs. So we need to find the money for that. So that’s one of our priorities, to bring it up to snuff.
35:30
on that here. And then again we got to look at the at the low education system and make sure that they are funded sufficiently so that our children will benefit. And right now the charter schools have been cut you know and we so we need to see that the charter schools can be put back again. We need that.
35:58
We also even for Hawaiian homes. They have presently, and that was during my watch when I was Speaker. We provided $600 million for infrastructure for Hawaiian homes. That’s $30 million a year for infrastructure purposes for 20 years. That was done for my watch as Speaker. And that’s going to be over in about three years.
36:23
So we need to provide for a continuum of that. Because of that money to assist infrastructure, we were able to get money for what you would call about 300 or 400 homes. And that came from part of it, from that $20 million per year infrastructure cost.
36:48
600 million dollars a year so they want to see a continual of that that they will compete as we’re running into these we can see you know you’re pushing trying to find money here and you’ve got to raise this to get the money for that uh that’s a lot of awareness i know i’m sure a lot of people are digesting this and realizing wow what about non-profits as we all hear that there’s
37:13
potential duplication in services and nonprofits, and it’s an area we can cut. But I know that our community here relies on a lot of these nonprofit services.
37:24
How are we going to do that? Well, non-profits have always been close to my heart, you have to understand. I worked with Maui Economic and Futurity as the executive director for 16 years. Right. We started a box program and all senior citizen programs, discount programs, a whole bunch of programs. So it’s very dear to my heart. I know how important non-profit is because they have more flexibility.
37:51
They’re not burdened by procurement laws, by civil service restrictions, and all those things. They can move quickly, do things faster. And so certainly we would want to see that they continue. However, we have a financial crunch. That’s why I’m wondering what your thoughts are. And to maintain as many as we can, you know, and of course we want to maintain
38:19
Something like, you know, like the disabled, mentally disabled, that’s what we’re talking about. Pulsual abuse, all kinds of things. And we’re going to see more homeless people and all kinds of stuff. Homeless is a horrendous problem that we have. And the state, we find it very difficult to cope with it and throw it to cities. I hate to say this, in cities in California, they’re just merely moving people for one…
38:48
to the other, you know, not doing nothing. You still got the problem. And it’s a bigger problem than that. See, a lot of the homeless have mental problems. And years ago, we emptied
39:06
the institutions that house the mental patients. They felt that this was not a good thing, that it wasn’t civilized to lock the mental patient up. He needed to go out into halfway houses, so we emptied that and we put him in halfway houses. Now with these mental patients, you must understand, they well only when they take the medication. I guess so.
39:35
Once they don’t take the medication, then they go back to what they was, to schizophrenia, whatever they may have. So there’s a lot of problem there. So there’s the problem. Especially when we’ve got also people, people who have gone through foreclosure, you can imagine. There’s the mental patients that are out there, but then there’s other citizens all meshed together. It’s creating a very challenging situation. More management problems than ever before. And all is going to take money.

40:05
It’s all going to take money. And again, it’s an education process with the public. I mean, the legislators need to get to the public and say, okay, this is the choices that we’re going to have to make. And probably going to be this session, going to be the real top session. And this is what we’re facing. This is the choices. Are we going to cut or are we going to raise revenue? Some of the new representatives have made it clear to me that’s the hardest thing for them.
40:36
Those hard decisions. Of course they do. And that’s where the work really is done. That’s where it’s done. That’s where the work is. Because they’ve got to make the tough calls, and then you’ve got to go back and face the public. You’ve got to remember there’s a strong, unless you really explain, but a lot of people don’t want to pay any increase in taxes.
40:56
They prefer to see government to be smaller. Like the Tea Party group. They don’t want government. They think government is too big. Libertarians. Libertarians. They want smaller government. Except when it concerns them. When they say, well, one of the biggest problems we have is Social Security. It’s costing us tons of money. You want us to cut Social Security? You want us to cut Medicare? I mean, Medicare is costing us tons of money.
41:26
Oh, no, don’t talk about that. Talk everything out. Don’t talk about that. So that’s how you got all this thick skin, from having to deal with all this stuff. Still a young guy, good skin, but I’m thinking… A lot of pookers in his skin. A lot of pookers. What do you think is the most important thing you want to share with the viewers and the voters? What’s your real…
41:50
Well, first of all, I want to tell the Flores that I deeply appreciate all the confidence they’ve had in me for 28 years, regardless of what happened in the last 10 years. I appreciate the confidence they’ve given me for all these years. I’ve had an opportunity, they give me an opportunity that very few people have, to serve.
42:17
And I’ve done my best to serve the community and do the best I could. My God, of course, we all are limited in what we can do. And I just want to say that I would want to continue to serve you and I hope that you kind of look at my record as a whole.
42:41
And I don’t do good and bad in it. Some people accuse me of going for increasing taxes and some gaming and other things. But all the time it’s been with what I can do for you. How I can make Maui better. How I can make my district better. How they can prosper there. And when I leave the legislature, I would hope that
43:08
I left the state and I left Maui and I left the district a little better than when I first started. That is my hope and my goal. Well, I appreciate you taking the time to be here with me. I know the public appreciates it. It’s almost been a regular thing and I think you really are the benchmark of all the candidates who comes on here and, you know, I’m not pulling any punches. You just take straight questions because
43:37
You know you need to give good straight answers, so I appreciate you very much in that job. And Jason, I appreciate you bringing me in a setting of my ancestors. This is the Portuguese little building here, and a Portuguese stove that I was raised up with. And see the Virgin Mary right across me. The Portuguese are basically very religious people. So thank you very much. My pleasure. Thank you.
44:06
Thank you for joining me. Thank you guys for joining us, and I hope we’ll see you again. Thank you for staying the whole time. Aloha. There is no other way
44:37
What I feel here for you Holding you in my arms Cradle you with my love
44:54
You’re all dressed in white Looking in your eyes Tell all the world Tonight I’ll be falling You’re my shining star From this day on
45:13
I’ll be your friend. I’ll be by your side. Blessed are we this night. Shower us with his love. Will you be mine tonight? Giving you all my
45:43
And when we look back at our wedding day This band of gold that we will share Never-ending love for all my life Then I do
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