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TEREZ AMATO, candidate for State Senate District 6- West and South Maui interviews with Jason Schwartz 7-26-2014 at the Shops at Wailea courtyard
Summary & Transcript…
[00:16 → 03:37] Introduction and Candidate Background
Jason Schwartz interviews Terez Amato, a candidate running for the Hawaii State Senate representing District 6, which covers South and West Maui, including areas from Ahihi Kinau to Honolua and Napili Bay.
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Terez is not a career politician; running for Senate was unexpected.
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Her motivation arose from witnessing a disrespectful and unprofessional legislative hearing in 2013, which made her realize the need for citizen involvement.
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She emphasizes the importance of active participation in local politics rather than just expecting others to act.
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Terez’s platform is grounded in the belief that the Senator should serve the people, not corporations or lobbyists.
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She has made a firm commitment to refuse corporate or lobbyist donations, to avoid undue influence.
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She highlights the environment as the foundation of the local economy, noting Hawaii’s dependence on imported food (90%) and fossil fuels.
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Terez advocates for Maui to become a model of sustainability and renewable energy, but identifies corporate money as a major barrier to progress.
[03:37 → 07:16] Political Influence, Environment, and District-Specific Issues
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Terez explains how corporate money from lobbyists often buys political influence, skewing priorities.
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She supports renewable energy, self-sustainability, and environmental protections.
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Having grown up in Maui since 1980, Terez has witnessed many changes and shifting community plans, often altered to favor development rather than preserving open spaces or the environment.
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She is a strong supporter of agriculture and highlights two district-specific concerns:
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South Maui: Opposition to toxic cane burning, balancing jobs with environmental health; exploring alternatives like crop diversification and soil remediation.
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West Maui: Focus on healthcare access, especially critical care and hospital availability, as the area can become isolated if key roads are blocked.
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[07:16 → 11:49] Healthcare, Wellness, and Education Challenges
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Terez acknowledges the need for wellness programs and alternative healthcare options.
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She references the Certificate of Need law, which affects hospital development, particularly in South Maui.
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On jobs, she opposes reliance on low-paying, exploitative plantation jobs, advocating for diversified agriculture and high-tech industries.
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She stresses the importance of education as the foundation for economic and technological growth.
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Terez describes public schools struggling with underfunding and poor facilities, citing an example of an overcrowded classroom in a portable building reaching 94°F with no air conditioning allowed due to budget constraints.
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She calls for audits and reforms in the Department of Education to improve conditions and integrate sustainable practices such as solar energy in schools.
[11:49 → 15:58] Political Reform, Transparency, and Campaign Experience
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Terez expresses a “ferocious desire” for change in the political system.
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Key goals include:
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Removing corporate money from politics.
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Ensuring transparency and accountability in government.
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Giving the people a stronger voice at the state level.
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She supports mandatory labeling of food products, highlighting the need to protect small farmers from unfair burdens compared to large corporations.
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Terez criticizes the current political environment for passing responsibility between state and federal levels, particularly on issues like food labeling.
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Regarding election campaigning, Terez notes the lack of equal forums where all candidates debate together, pointing out an unfair format where incumbents and challengers appeared separately.
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She decided to run because she feels the people’s voices are not adequately represented and wants to restore their power.
[15:58 → 19:02] Youth Engagement, Future Focus, and Community Unity
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Terez emphasizes the importance of engaging youth and young adults in politics, acknowledging their general discouragement and feelings of helplessness.
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Although she is middle-aged, she sees her role as paving the way for future generations by protecting Maui’s environment and resources.
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She stresses the need for long-term vision and stewardship for the island, ensuring it remains viable for children and grandchildren.
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On the issue of Native Hawaiian sovereignty and tribal recognition, Terez expresses:
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Support for restoring power to the people with a unified voice.
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Skepticism about current approaches from OHA (Office of Hawaiian Affairs) and the Department of Interior.
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Willingness to work collaboratively with both Native Hawaiian and broader U.S. governance structures.
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She views the Senator’s role as a mediator and unifier, bringing diverse groups together to find solutions.
[19:02 → 22:25] Campaign Events, Collaboration, and Technology
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Terez recently participated in community events such as the Kupuna Aloha luncheon with senior citizens, emphasizing community connection.
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She values collaboration between county and state governments, lamenting the lack of coordination.
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Even if not elected, Terez aims to be a catalyst for unity and focused progresson Maui’s challenges.
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She enjoys technology and notes how her children and their peers are skilled with computers but often feel hopeless about local opportunities.
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Terez wants to inspire youth to engage and believe in making a difference in their communities.
[22:25 → 23:31] Conclusion and Call to Voters
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Jason thanks Terez for her time and spirit.
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The interview closes with a reminder of the importance of the upcoming primary election on August 9th.
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The choice is framed as a decision between:
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Continuing the status quo, or
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Voting for new leadership with a fresh approach for a vibrant and thriving Maui.
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Jason endorses Terez Amato as a candidate who works for the people, not corporations or lobbyists.
Key Insights
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Corporate influence in politics is a major concern, with Terez pledging to reject corporate and lobbyist funding.
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Environmental sustainability and renewable energy are central to Maui’s future prosperity.
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Community-specific issues: South Maui’s cane burning vs. West Maui’s healthcare access.
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The education system is underfunded and outdated, impacting students’ ability to succeed.
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Terez advocates for transparency, accountability, and direct representation of the people’s will.
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The political process currently lacks equal candidate engagement forums.
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Youth disengagement is a problem; Terez seeks to reinvigorate civic involvement among younger generations.
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A collaborative, unifying leadership style is needed to address complex island issues.
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The primary election on August 9th is critically important to determine Maui’s direction.
Timeline Table of Key Points Mentioned
| Timestamp | Topic | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| 00:16 | Candidate introduction | Terez Amato running for Senate District 6 (South & West Maui) |
| 01:29 | Motivation to run | Shocked by 2013 hearing’s unprofessionalism; desire to get involved |
| 02:37 | Campaign platform | Reject corporate donations; environmental sustainability; serve people, not corporations |
| 06:23 | District issues | Cane burning in South Maui; healthcare access in West Maui |
| 08:29 | Healthcare & wellness | Certificate of Need law; need for wellness programs |
| 09:12 | Jobs & economy | Need for good jobs beyond tourism and plantations; support for tech and agriculture |
| 10:44 | Education challenges | Overcrowded classrooms; lack of school resources; need for audits |
| 12:17 | Political reform | Transparency; removing corporate influence; food labeling |
| 14:29 | Campaign forums | Lack of equal candidate forums; desire for open discussions |
| 15:30 | Representation | People’s voices not heard; running to bring change |
| 16:39 | Youth engagement | Encouraging young people to get involved; paving way for next generation |
| 18:08 | Hawaiian sovereignty | Support for unified voice; skepticism on current OHA/Interior approach |
| 19:36 | Community events | Kupuna Aloha luncheon; senior outreach |
| 20:46 | Collaboration & leadership | Need for state-county cooperation; mediator role |
| 22:25 | Technology & youth perspective | Youth feel hopeless; need inspiration & engagement |
| 23:03 | Election call to action | Primary on August 9th; choice between status quo or new leadership |
Summary Table: Terez Amato’s Key Positions and Concerns
| Issue | Terez Amato’s Position/Plan |
|---|---|
| Corporate Money in Politics | Opposes corporate/lobbyist donations; seeks to eliminate influence |
| Environment & Sustainability | Prioritizes renewable energy; wants Maui to lead by example |
| Agriculture | Supports diversification; opposes cane burning pollution |
| Healthcare | Advocates for better hospital access and wellness programs |
| Jobs | Promotes good, sustainable jobs in agriculture & technology |
| Education | Calls for audits, better funding, and improved facilities |
| Political Transparency | Demands accountability; supports food labeling reform |
| Youth Engagement | Wants to inspire youth involvement and hope |
| Native Hawaiian Issues | Supports unified voice and collaborative solutions |
| Governance Collaboration | Seeks better state-county cooperation and mediation role |
This comprehensive summary captures all major points Terez Amato made during the interview, strictly based on the transcript provided.
00:16
aloha aloha I’m Jason Schwartz and I have a great pleasure I’m here with Terez Amato it’s great to be here Jason thank you you’re welcome thank you Terez Amato is running for Hawaii State Senate District Six office District where is that area so that encompasses South and West Maui so it’s all the way from a hihi kinau you know all the way the southernmost tip all the way up North pastelua to honolulua and you know napili bay honokohau up that way wow so in other words all the whole west side and all
00:56
the whole South Side that’s correct the whole coastline State Senate yeah you don’t look like a career politician what you’re running I am not a career politician quite frankly running for state senate was the last thing I ever thought that I would consider doing but you know I started paying attention my children are getting older now and I started taking more of an active role in what’s been going on in our Island and you know quite frankly I watched a hearing last session in 2013 and what
01:29
happened in that session made me you know quite upset it shocked me in a manner in which that meeting was being conducted it just it blew me away and I thought whoa wait a minute what’s really going on around here and I started paying attention and thought hey I need to get involved we spend a lot of time saying someone has to do something so you know maybe it’s my turn so what is there anything about what you saw that you want to identify or if you know really it was just the manner in
01:59
which the meeting was being conducted more than anything you know just just the whole atmosphere in the room it just it blew me away it did not seem very professional or open or courteous to those who had taken time out of their day to come and testify I see well I should probably start most candidates have a few issues or have ideas of what they’d like to be addressing when they go in anything like that for you I’m sure yeah okay so my basic platform is that I believe that the people of South and West Maui
02:37
deserve a senator who’s working for them not the corporations or lobbyists so I made a solid commitment never to take corporate or lobbyist donations now going beyond that you know our environment is truly our economy here and I know that’s kind of becoming a buzzword almost right now but it’s true here on an island we have the opportunity to be entirely sustainable yet we’re not we’re importing 90 of our food we’re still dependent upon fossil fuel we have the opportunity to be
03:06
leading the way for the world to to be an example to the world and yet that’s not happening and once you start looking at why we have so many issues here why there’s pollution why you know we’ve got archaic practices of burning oil for for fuel and and coal burning you know when you start looking at that you start realizing hey you know the corporate money is really the underlying cause of all of these issues so for me it’s you know you start by taking out the corporate money so that no longer
03:37
influences what’s going on and then you can begin working on the real issues that need to be addressed and actually serving the people of the island and providing for their needs when you say corporate money you mean that somehow it supports the candidates you know it does so quite often you know what happens is lobbyists make a donation and it’s essentially buying favor you know it’s buying influence and and I’m not against lobbyists you know they’ve got a job to do but what I am
04:07
against is the money in our politics influencing votes and having more favor with our Senators and elected officials than say you or me an everyday person um I guess you know politics has done two ways um one is to attack the opponent another would be to be able to put out your position on different things anything you’re obviously into renewable energy technology self-sustainability that’s correct we’ve been reading my mail I’ve been talking about that for a long long time and uh clearly we need some
04:47
new blood in there to be stronger Advocates because these things should have been here already they should have been yes a long time ago you know like I said we should have been leading the way for the world we should be an example you from here so my family moved here in 1980 from San Francisco I was four years old and I grew up here so I wasn’t born here but I definitely grew up here and so you’ve been here and seen all kinds of changes and things proposed and although uh County stuff I always am
05:20
amazed this a community plan they spend time creating these General plans and then they keep amending that so it’s like how is that a plan for the future when the future keeps changing keeps changing yes well okay so you do have to be able to adapt and evolve but you have to stay stick to your basic premise and for me that always goes back to looking at what the state constitution says or what the charter you know the county Charter says and looking at what it is that the people actually want for their
05:49
community and yet we’re not seeing that happen so much we see it being amended and changed so that you know development can happen more easily without maybe much more sight to what people want to preserve as open spaces and you know Steen environment so you’re a strong supporter of Agriculture yes but um would you say you know we have a thing coming up here locally anything specifically that you want to be able to do for the people in the South and the West any specific things for your District well I can tell
06:23
you that the people in South Maui are very concerned about cane burning in General yet we also seem to understand that yes there are jobs there you know people need to have a job you know there’s nothing wrong with that we need to work we need to survive yet at the same time we don’t need to be breathing toxic cane smoke or you know dealing with the Ash and so for South Maui in particular that’s a big issue and there are viable Alternatives you know we know that they can cut a certain percentage
06:50
of the pain or they can look at bringing in other crops or maybe doing some soil remediation efforts and maybe growing food there are a number of other possibilities so for South Maui that’s a big issue West Maui’s a little bit different you know they have different needs for West Valley it’s a little more Health oriented you know they need access to health care they need access to the hospital you know right now you get cut off if the Polly’s down then hey you get Meda back to Maui Memorial and
07:16
that’s great but that’s one person at a time so if you have multiple Critical Care issues you’re kind of stuck there so for the west side it’s really a hospital and Healthcare and South Maui’s a little more concerned about the environmental impact of what’s going on I see um I oftentimes have seen you know talking about health care this is a kind of a new time in healthcare I was bringing up to someone that anything needs to have Wellness component yes um have you looked it possible I don’t
07:54
imagine you’ve looked specifically but legislation somehow needs to be promoting to be able to encourage Alternative Health care because I watch how people are getting sick and like we’re talking about there’s not enough facility here yet they have the certificate of me that may be something you can take a look at at a state level the certificate of need is particularly interesting yes that came into play when they were examining the need for a hospital in South Mountain in particular so that is
08:29
something worth investigating and we do need to have more Wellness programs for sure it needs to be accessible for the community um any thoughts about incentives for people to develop more jobs here that are not tourist days and are not can I say shallow low paying slave type jobs oh my I you know most people work for a plantation this is a plantation system here because we have big corporations that have lots of people in fact it’s like the GMO issue oftentimes they bring up about there’s possibility about losing jobs
09:12
and so someone’s health and their basic sense of what they really should have is Twisted by a need for job that’s why I’m bringing a sense of panic and appear in urgency that oh no we’ve got to preserve our jobs no matter what they might be you know whatever the impact is well you know we can have good jobs you know great you can have agriculture people can still be Farmers why not grow different food why not grow food for the people so we’re not importing 90 you know if we started having many more
09:43
small-scale Farmers more people will be put to work you know we can we can do this it’s not impossible and you can’t have good cutting-edge jobs we should be Leading The Way with technology you know how about how about advancing technical jobs you know the research Park was a great idea never fully got off the ground got hit hard by the economy but we can keep going with that you know and quite honestly it starts with education education is the foundation you know if we can give our students better
10:12
opportunities then they can stay here and create those new high-end tech jobs you know where where we are living a fulfilled sustainable life cycle where we’re not importing everything I I imagine when you said the education I thought about people talking about an audit of the Department of Education which hasn’t been done in 8 zillion years you know I mean I was talking to one of the candidates and we talked about how the property taxes here which everyone was moaning about are going up up up up
10:44
among the lowest in the country and this candidate brought up that’s because certain things are State you have a feeling about education about decentralization I I actually do so my children all attend public schools and um and you know what I find is that quite often the schools themselves have a hard time getting the money that they need so I have one teacher in particular who has contacted me a few times where she’s been teaching for a number of years a very long time and she is not sure she
11:19
wants to go back and part of the reason is her classroom by the end of the school day she teaches them a small portable she has 31 students so her each one of her periods of her classes are at capacity or overloaded and she teaches in a small portable and by the end of the day the temperature in her classroom is 94 degrees now here these students are expected to compete and and be able to keep up with the standards yet they’re in sweltering heat so for her she’s tried bringing an air conditioner
11:49
to the school she’s offered to provide her own air conditioner for her classroom for her students and she was told no because doe won’t pay for the for the electricity that’s just outrageous to me I’m sorry you know why aren’t our schools covered in solar panels you know so yes there needs to be an examination and an audit to figure out what exactly is going on and how we can improve for our students well I feel that I want to cause I’m not the words right a ferocious desire
12:17
to see change you’ve seen things kind of going on and you’re looking to get in there because you want to mix the bottle that’s right Stir It Up and Stir It Up not in any kind of antagonistic way you want to get there and kind of get things going on bring a positive change for Hawaii in general but yes for Maui Maui needs that Focus um any things that if I were to say what do you want to be sure that when you get off as you accomplished some basic things so some basic things you know for
12:51
me it’s really taking it back to the people and being sure that the people have their voices represented there at the state level right now that doesn’t seem to be happening um and also you know getting that corporate money out of there now people want labeling the majority of the population here in the state wants clear food labeling I don’t think that’s too much to ask let’s give a label for the food you know why should our small farmers bear the burden of the Cross to prove that they’re organic yet our big
13:19
corporations are able to get rid of you know get all these tax breaks and loopholes and then say oh well we can’t afford to put a label on our food well I heard actually from another candidate that the attorney general in the state thought it was a federal issue it’s a pass the buck game yeah excuse my pet that’s what I often feel that if they don’t have to make a decision and be the one on record for standing for something but rather not that’s right well I have no problem s and being
13:53
place where the buck stops here you know it doesn’t look like but you know there needs to be accountability and there really needs to be transparency it’s severely lacking lacking the last time I tried to ask a direct question I got that same little dance around well shoot just answer the question you know be and be straightforward have you had opportunity to sit with other candidates in your race and somehow you know I always wondered the public probably is hungry to see all of you in one place
14:29
and they have forms but I never know what’s being taped and got to be more than a couple of questions have you ever had that go on yet no that opportunity has not been presented yet uh the closest we got to that was the KCA meeting but that was set up in such a way that the incumbents were featured one month and then the Challengers were featured the following month separated yeah well you know unfortunately that’s the way it was it was arranged it was a little unfair to the incumbents I’ll say
14:58
that because they weren’t really presented with the opportunity that they were campaigning whereas The Challengers were allowed to really be campaigning I see yeah so I would like to see that equal Forum where we can all sit down and let’s talk about the issues let’s really be upfront so on I would say I don’t know if I would say I often myself said if I could find someone in these offices that was doing what I felt needed to be done I wouldn’t run would you say you’re doing it because you feel there’s
15:30
something missing and you’d like to see that change that’s right I feel like the people’s voice is not adequately being represented and I do want to see that change I want to see the power given to the people who elect us as senators and representatives and you know all these various government positions our role is to be a civil servant we’re there to advocate for the people on their behalf and I don’t feel that’s happening and that is why I decided to run um it’s it’s important so that’s that’s
15:58
my focus well I’m I’m really happy that there are people you guys won’t understand young people except I’m not so young yeah yeah four of them I’m just older you could be my daughter how about that okay but what I mean is it’s nice to me when I look around and most things around here I see old people people meaning the young people need to be more active and young you’re in that category yes I’m very happy to see well thank you for your spirit in our youth because
16:39
I kind of seen it kind of washed out and there’s most people are kind of politics we’re not going to be able to make a difference and I don’t need to vote and you know I always I’ve always voted but that has been my mentality in the past you know it’s like oh well don’t even talk to me about politics you know it’s it’s broken we can’t fix it but you know now that I’m a little older I’m like wait a minute we can fix this and momentum is growing you know we’ve seen
17:04
a number of young people starting to get involved in it’s it’s amazing now for me personally I’m middle aged I’m not saying young you know but my role is really to pave the way for the Next Generation because that’s what this is about it’s not about us today it’s really about looking down the road and preserving our land and our our beautiful island for for our children and our great grandchildren and the generations that aren’t even conceived of yet you know we only have one Maui we
17:30
gotta protect it here’s a funny question I don’t know if there’s a good answer recently the department of interior okay came here and they were trying to ask some questions of the Hawaiian people to be able to talk about OHA setting up something for the Hawaiian sort of in a I want to say a tribal recognition and there was a huge huge some say for the first time coordinated effort by Hawaiians to make it clear to the Department of interior that we want our country back that’s right
18:08
any thoughts about that I’m obviously we’re here in America but I just thought just to get a hit on it it’s it’s particularly interesting to me my children are part Hawaiian so this impacts them as well um you know there’s a lot that’s broken and needs to be fixed and and I don’t necessarily agree that the ojas approach and the department of the Interiors approach is the correct way you know it needs to be brought back to the people and and the people need to come together
18:34
with one voice and once they have one voice then we begin advocating and working on what we can actually do to make things right sounds like you could be a representative for the nation of Hawaii or the United States you know I would be happy to work with them yeah I mean we need to work together it’s it’s I think a senator’s role quite often is about mediation and more than anything because you need to bring people together from all sides of the issue to sit down and really figure out what’s
19:02
best for everybody you know I I just don’t see that happening very often lately of anything specifically because I think you’ve been on a campaign Trail and you’re still on it I’m still on it I feel very fortunate to have been able to get some time here with you we I’m the one that brought it here to the shops at Wailea I thought it’s this is a nice beautiful spot we got a little green behind us she’s been running you work to see the the seniors today today I was at the kupuna Aloha luncheon it was held at
19:36
the Grand there were about 812 seniors as I understand it and it was a lot of fun you know they they got together they had a lunch and they were brought in from all around the island so I got to meet a number of very nice people and pass out tomatoes you guys know that right Tia Amato yeah you say tomato I say tomato get that that’s a great way to remember yeah these are challenging times and no matter what election results we see I know that the people out there want to know new leaders and if you’re fortunate
20:14
enough to be our state senator yes I know that everyone will come together and give you a level of support that I would say is unrivaled because you are local and you have a spirit that a lot of people have been really you know really excited about that’s a very nice compliment thank you I mean really it’s about working together and I’d like to see more collaboration between the state and the county you know sometimes it feels like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing and we need we need
20:46
more of that we need more collaboration and if I can be that voice and help bring people together then yay I feel like I’m one you know and and even if I’m not elected if I can help bring people together so that we’re focused and working to create the best island we have then then that’s what it’s all about you know just doing our best and always leaving our surroundings better than we perceive them and inherited them see if she was my daughter I’d say good going thanks I’ll share the
21:15
compliment with my mom that’s right um oh wasn’t it that was an interesting job he did um as you can tell we travel right here in television land okay you know technology keeps moving and I’m sure you’ve seen it you know your kids are probably Wizards on the computer right yeah sometimes sometimes I’m quicker than that I’ve been playing with the computers since I was in third grade I just love computers so sometimes I teach them a few things but they’re pretty quick when it comes to an iPhone what do
21:53
they think of what’s happening these days you ever get a any words from kids them and their friends or what they think yeah they they feel like hopeless and opportunities for her here and it’s disappointing because it’s that way for a number of our students our children you know and we’re supposed to be able to be one Ohana and provide for our youth and give them a hope for the future and it’s sad that that’s not happening you know and so it it’s about getting them involved
22:25
and getting them encouraged and inspired and and willing to take an active role in their Community it needs to have it and it starts from a young age thank you for taking Precious Precious time it’s been my pleasure thank you this has been fun thank you thank you guys for joining us we hope this helps you make your decision on who you’d like to vote for thank you some say Tomatoes some say tomato thank you thank you aloha so the primary race we decided to come back for a second because there is want
23:03
to tell you something that we think is very important yeah so the future of Maui in this election there are you know you have a choice either we can stick with the status quo and make the same old choice and not change anything or you can vote to make a new decision you know a new Choice that’s the only real question in this election is do you want to keep with the same old or do you want to go with a new approach where we have a future that’s vibrant and thriving and the decision will really be decided on
23:31
Saturday August 9th in the primary many of you who think ah primary is not important for this candidate primary is important and a number of the candidates for a number of the candidates the primary is often the most important election in the state so please get yourself out there on Saturday August 9th thank you Aloha do you want a senator who’s working for the people one who’s working for the corporations?
Transcript
00:16
aloha aloha I’m Jason Schwartz and I have a great pleasure I’m here with Terez Amato it’s great to be here Jason thank you you’re welcome thank you Terez Amato is running for Hawaii State Senate District Six office District where is that area so that encompasses South and West Maui so it’s all the way from a hihi kinau you know all the way the southernmost tip all the way up North pastelua to honolulua and you know napili bay honokohau up that way wow so in other words all the whole west side and all
00:56
the whole South Side that’s correct the whole coastline State Senate yeah you don’t look like a career politician what you’re running I am not a career politician quite frankly running for state senate was the last thing I ever thought that I would consider doing but you know I started paying attention my children are getting older now and I started taking more of an active role in what’s been going on in our Island and you know quite frankly I watched a hearing last session in 2013 and what
01:29
happened in that session made me you know quite upset it shocked me in a manner in which that meeting was being conducted it just it blew me away and I thought whoa wait a minute what’s really going on around here and I started paying attention and thought hey I need to get involved we spend a lot of time saying someone has to do something so you know maybe it’s my turn so what is there anything about what you saw that you want to identify or if you know really it was just the manner in
01:59
which the meeting was being conducted more than anything you know just just the whole atmosphere in the room it just it blew me away it did not seem very professional or open or courteous to those who had taken time out of their day to come and testify I see well I should probably start most candidates have a few issues or have ideas of what they’d like to be addressing when they go in anything like that for you I’m sure yeah okay so my basic platform is that I believe that the people of South and West Maui
02:37
deserve a senator who’s working for them not the corporations or lobbyists so I made a solid commitment never to take corporate or lobbyist donations now going beyond that you know our environment is truly our economy here and I know that’s kind of becoming a buzzword almost right now but it’s true here on an island we have the opportunity to be entirely sustainable yet we’re not we’re importing 90 of our food we’re still dependent upon fossil fuel we have the opportunity to be
03:06
leading the way for the world to to be an example to the world and yet that’s not happening and once you start looking at why we have so many issues here why there’s pollution why you know we’ve got archaic practices of burning oil for for fuel and and coal burning you know when you start looking at that you start realizing hey you know the corporate money is really the underlying cause of all of these issues so for me it’s you know you start by taking out the corporate money so that no longer
03:37
influences what’s going on and then you can begin working on the real issues that need to be addressed and actually serving the people of the island and providing for their needs when you say corporate money you mean that somehow it supports the candidates you know it does so quite often you know what happens is lobbyists make a donation and it’s essentially buying favor you know it’s buying influence and and I’m not against lobbyists you know they’ve got a job to do but what I am
04:07
against is the money in our politics influencing votes and having more favor with our Senators and elected officials than say you or me an everyday person um I guess you know politics has done two ways um one is to attack the opponent another would be to be able to put out your position on different things anything you’re obviously into renewable energy technology self-sustainability that’s correct we’ve been reading my mail I’ve been talking about that for a long long time and uh clearly we need some
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new blood in there to be stronger Advocates because these things should have been here already they should have been yes a long time ago you know like I said we should have been leading the way for the world we should be an example you from here so my family moved here in 1980 from San Francisco I was four years old and I grew up here so I wasn’t born here but I definitely grew up here and so you’ve been here and seen all kinds of changes and things proposed and although uh County stuff I always am
05:20
amazed this a community plan they spend time creating these General plans and then they keep amending that so it’s like how is that a plan for the future when the future keeps changing keeps changing yes well okay so you do have to be able to adapt and evolve but you have to stay stick to your basic premise and for me that always goes back to looking at what the state constitution says or what the charter you know the county Charter says and looking at what it is that the people actually want for their
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community and yet we’re not seeing that happen so much we see it being amended and changed so that you know development can happen more easily without maybe much more sight to what people want to preserve as open spaces and you know Steen environment so you’re a strong supporter of Agriculture yes but um would you say you know we have a thing coming up here locally anything specifically that you want to be able to do for the people in the South and the West any specific things for your District well I can tell
06:23
you that the people in South Maui are very concerned about cane burning in General yet we also seem to understand that yes there are jobs there you know people need to have a job you know there’s nothing wrong with that we need to work we need to survive yet at the same time we don’t need to be breathing toxic cane smoke or you know dealing with the Ash and so for South Maui in particular that’s a big issue and there are viable Alternatives you know we know that they can cut a certain percentage
06:50
of the pain or they can look at bringing in other crops or maybe doing some soil remediation efforts and maybe growing food there are a number of other possibilities so for South Maui that’s a big issue West Maui’s a little bit different you know they have different needs for West Valley it’s a little more Health oriented you know they need access to health care they need access to the hospital you know right now you get cut off if the Polly’s down then hey you get Meda back to Maui Memorial and
07:16
that’s great but that’s one person at a time so if you have multiple Critical Care issues you’re kind of stuck there so for the west side it’s really a hospital and Healthcare and South Maui’s a little more concerned about the environmental impact of what’s going on I see um I oftentimes have seen you know talking about health care this is a kind of a new time in healthcare I was bringing up to someone that anything needs to have Wellness component yes um have you looked it possible I don’t
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imagine you’ve looked specifically but legislation somehow needs to be promoting to be able to encourage Alternative Health care because I watch how people are getting sick and like we’re talking about there’s not enough facility here yet they have the certificate of me that may be something you can take a look at at a state level the certificate of need is particularly interesting yes that came into play when they were examining the need for a hospital in South Mountain in particular so that is
08:29
something worth investigating and we do need to have more Wellness programs for sure it needs to be accessible for the community um any thoughts about incentives for people to develop more jobs here that are not tourist days and are not can I say shallow low paying slave type jobs oh my I you know most people work for a plantation this is a plantation system here because we have big corporations that have lots of people in fact it’s like the GMO issue oftentimes they bring up about there’s possibility about losing jobs
09:12
and so someone’s health and their basic sense of what they really should have is Twisted by a need for job that’s why I’m bringing a sense of panic and appear in urgency that oh no we’ve got to preserve our jobs no matter what they might be you know whatever the impact is well you know we can have good jobs you know great you can have agriculture people can still be Farmers why not grow different food why not grow food for the people so we’re not importing 90 you know if we started having many more
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small-scale Farmers more people will be put to work you know we can we can do this it’s not impossible and you can’t have good cutting-edge jobs we should be Leading The Way with technology you know how about how about advancing technical jobs you know the research Park was a great idea never fully got off the ground got hit hard by the economy but we can keep going with that you know and quite honestly it starts with education education is the foundation you know if we can give our students better
10:12
opportunities then they can stay here and create those new high-end tech jobs you know where where we are living a fulfilled sustainable life cycle where we’re not importing everything I I imagine when you said the education I thought about people talking about an audit of the Department of Education which hasn’t been done in 8 zillion years you know I mean I was talking to one of the candidates and we talked about how the property taxes here which everyone was moaning about are going up up up up
10:44
among the lowest in the country and this candidate brought up that’s because certain things are State you have a feeling about education about decentralization I I actually do so my children all attend public schools and um and you know what I find is that quite often the schools themselves have a hard time getting the money that they need so I have one teacher in particular who has contacted me a few times where she’s been teaching for a number of years a very long time and she is not sure she
11:19
wants to go back and part of the reason is her classroom by the end of the school day she teaches them a small portable she has 31 students so her each one of her periods of her classes are at capacity or overloaded and she teaches in a small portable and by the end of the day the temperature in her classroom is 94 degrees now here these students are expected to compete and and be able to keep up with the standards yet they’re in sweltering heat so for her she’s tried bringing an air conditioner
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to the school she’s offered to provide her own air conditioner for her classroom for her students and she was told no because doe won’t pay for the for the electricity that’s just outrageous to me I’m sorry you know why aren’t our schools covered in solar panels you know so yes there needs to be an examination and an audit to figure out what exactly is going on and how we can improve for our students well I feel that I want to cause I’m not the words right a ferocious desire
12:17
to see change you’ve seen things kind of going on and you’re looking to get in there because you want to mix the bottle that’s right Stir It Up and Stir It Up not in any kind of antagonistic way you want to get there and kind of get things going on bring a positive change for Hawaii in general but yes for Maui Maui needs that Focus um any things that if I were to say what do you want to be sure that when you get off as you accomplished some basic things so some basic things you know for
12:51
me it’s really taking it back to the people and being sure that the people have their voices represented there at the state level right now that doesn’t seem to be happening um and also you know getting that corporate money out of there now people want labeling the majority of the population here in the state wants clear food labeling I don’t think that’s too much to ask let’s give a label for the food you know why should our small farmers bear the burden of the Cross to prove that they’re organic yet our big
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corporations are able to get rid of you know get all these tax breaks and loopholes and then say oh well we can’t afford to put a label on our food well I heard actually from another candidate that the attorney general in the state thought it was a federal issue it’s a pass the buck game yeah excuse my pet that’s what I often feel that if they don’t have to make a decision and be the one on record for standing for something but rather not that’s right well I have no problem s and being
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place where the buck stops here you know it doesn’t look like but you know there needs to be accountability and there really needs to be transparency it’s severely lacking lacking the last time I tried to ask a direct question I got that same little dance around well shoot just answer the question you know be and be straightforward have you had opportunity to sit with other candidates in your race and somehow you know I always wondered the public probably is hungry to see all of you in one place
14:29
and they have forms but I never know what’s being taped and got to be more than a couple of questions have you ever had that go on yet no that opportunity has not been presented yet uh the closest we got to that was the KCA meeting but that was set up in such a way that the incumbents were featured one month and then the Challengers were featured the following month separated yeah well you know unfortunately that’s the way it was it was arranged it was a little unfair to the incumbents I’ll say
14:58
that because they weren’t really presented with the opportunity that they were campaigning whereas The Challengers were allowed to really be campaigning I see yeah so I would like to see that equal Forum where we can all sit down and let’s talk about the issues let’s really be upfront so on I would say I don’t know if I would say I often myself said if I could find someone in these offices that was doing what I felt needed to be done I wouldn’t run would you say you’re doing it because you feel there’s
15:30
something missing and you’d like to see that change that’s right I feel like the people’s voice is not adequately being represented and I do want to see that change I want to see the power given to the people who elect us as senators and representatives and you know all these various government positions our role is to be a civil servant we’re there to advocate for the people on their behalf and I don’t feel that’s happening and that is why I decided to run um it’s it’s important so that’s that’s
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my focus well I’m I’m really happy that there are people you guys won’t understand young people except I’m not so young yeah yeah four of them I’m just older you could be my daughter how about that okay but what I mean is it’s nice to me when I look around and most things around here I see old people people meaning the young people need to be more active and young you’re in that category yes I’m very happy to see well thank you for your spirit in our youth because
16:39
I kind of seen it kind of washed out and there’s most people are kind of politics we’re not going to be able to make a difference and I don’t need to vote and you know I always I’ve always voted but that has been my mentality in the past you know it’s like oh well don’t even talk to me about politics you know it’s it’s broken we can’t fix it but you know now that I’m a little older I’m like wait a minute we can fix this and momentum is growing you know we’ve seen
17:04
a number of young people starting to get involved in it’s it’s amazing now for me personally I’m middle aged I’m not saying young you know but my role is really to pave the way for the Next Generation because that’s what this is about it’s not about us today it’s really about looking down the road and preserving our land and our our beautiful island for for our children and our great grandchildren and the generations that aren’t even conceived of yet you know we only have one Maui we
17:30
gotta protect it here’s a funny question I don’t know if there’s a good answer recently the department of interior okay came here and they were trying to ask some questions of the Hawaiian people to be able to talk about OHA setting up something for the Hawaiian sort of in a I want to say a tribal recognition and there was a huge huge some say for the first time coordinated effort by Hawaiians to make it clear to the Department of interior that we want our country back that’s right
18:08
any thoughts about that I’m obviously we’re here in America but I just thought just to get a hit on it it’s it’s particularly interesting to me my children are part Hawaiian so this impacts them as well um you know there’s a lot that’s broken and needs to be fixed and and I don’t necessarily agree that the ojas approach and the department of the Interiors approach is the correct way you know it needs to be brought back to the people and and the people need to come together
18:34
with one voice and once they have one voice then we begin advocating and working on what we can actually do to make things right sounds like you could be a representative for the nation of Hawaii or the United States you know I would be happy to work with them yeah I mean we need to work together it’s it’s I think a senator’s role quite often is about mediation and more than anything because you need to bring people together from all sides of the issue to sit down and really figure out what’s
19:02
best for everybody you know I I just don’t see that happening very often lately of anything specifically because I think you’ve been on a campaign Trail and you’re still on it I’m still on it I feel very fortunate to have been able to get some time here with you we I’m the one that brought it here to the shops at Wailea I thought it’s this is a nice beautiful spot we got a little green behind us she’s been running you work to see the the seniors today today I was at the kupuna Aloha luncheon it was held at
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the Grand there were about 812 seniors as I understand it and it was a lot of fun you know they they got together they had a lunch and they were brought in from all around the island so I got to meet a number of very nice people and pass out tomatoes you guys know that right Tia motto yeah you say tomato I say tomato get that that’s a great way to remember yeah these are challenging times and no matter what election results we see I know that the people out there want to know new leaders and if you’re fortunate
20:14
enough to be our state senator yes I know that everyone will come together and give you a level of support that I would say is unrivaled because you are local and you have a spirit that a lot of people have been really you know really excited about that’s a very nice compliment thank you I mean really it’s about working together and I’d like to see more collaboration between the state and the county you know sometimes it feels like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing and we need we need
20:46
more of that we need more collaboration and if I can be that voice and help bring people together then yay I feel like I’m one you know and and even if I’m not elected if I can help bring people together so that we’re focused and working to create the best island we have then then that’s what it’s all about you know just doing our best and always leaving our surroundings better than we perceive them and inherited them see if she was my daughter I’d say good going thanks I’ll share the
21:15
compliment with my mom that’s right um oh wasn’t it that was an interesting job he did um as you can tell we travel right here in television land okay you know technology keeps moving and I’m sure you’ve seen it you know your kids are probably Wizards on the computer right yeah sometimes sometimes I’m quicker than that I’ve been playing with the computers since I was in third grade I just love computers so sometimes I teach them a few things but they’re pretty quick when it comes to an iPhone what do
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they think of what’s happening these days you ever get a any words from kids them and their friends or what they think yeah they they feel like hopeless and opportunities for her here and it’s disappointing because it’s that way for a number of our students our children you know and we’re supposed to be able to be one Ohana and provide for our youth and give them a hope for the future and it’s sad that that’s not happening you know and so it it’s about getting them involved
22:25
and getting them encouraged and inspired and and willing to take an active role in their Community it needs to have it and it starts from a young age thank you for taking Precious Precious time it’s been my pleasure thank you this has been fun thank you thank you guys for joining us we hope this helps you make your decision on who you’d like to vote for thank you some say Tomatoes some say tomato thank you thank you aloha so the primary race we decided to come back for a second because there is want
23:03
to tell you something that we think is very important yeah so the future of Maui in this election there are you know you have a choice either we can stick with the status quo and make the same old choice and not change anything or you can vote to make a new decision you know a new Choice that’s the only real question in this election is do you want to keep with the same old or do you want to go with a new approach where we have a future that’s vibrant and thriving and the decision will really be decided on
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Saturday August 9th in the primary many of you who think ah primary is not important for this candidate primary is important and a number of the candidates for a number of the candidates the primary is often the most important election in the state so please get yourself out there on Saturday August 9th thank you Aloha do you want a senator who’s working for the people one who’s working for the corporations?
