[ STATE HOUSE ]

32

Foster Village-Mapunapuna

Benjamin C. Cabreros

Democrat

Age: 54 Job: Former mortgage broker Past: State representative; ex-president, St. Anthony School PTG

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

I have worked in the banking industry for about 21 years and active in many community organizations in Kalihi and Aiea district. If re-elected, I will continue to serve my constituents and to address their concerns in our district.

How would you improve Hawaii's public schools, and how would you pay for it?

Public schools must be a top priority in our state budget. There is a long backlog of repairs and maintenance of our public schools. I believe that each school should be responsible of repairing and maintaining their own needs. We also need teachers who are qualified and dedicated to teach our children. We want to make sure that our schools are equipped with computers, textbooks and other supplies to train our students to be competitive with our mainland counterparts.

What, if anything, should be done to improve Hawaii's business climate?

I believe that our government should give a significant tax incentive to attract big corporations to invest here in Hawaii. At the same time we must cut the red tapes to our small businesses in order for them to expand and become profitable in their business ventures.

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G. Lynn Berbano Finnegan

Republican

Age: 31 Job: Senior mortgage loan officer Past: First vice chairwoman, Hawaii Republican Party

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

The desire and ability to affect change through people/relationship skills such as leading, motivating, compromising and uniting, coupled with hard work, high morals and integrity. I will do this with experience I have in business, as a member of my daughter's public charter school board and as a parent.

How would you improve Hawaii's public schools, and how would you pay for it?

I support locally elected school boards with decision-making closest to those who have the biggest stake in the results. This would eliminate the need for intermediate bureaucratic district organizations and the associated costs of staffing and supporting them, leaving more money to be spent directly on our students.

What, if anything, should be done to improve Hawaii's business climate?

Without businesses, there are no jobs. By minimizing regulation of businesses to those which are essential to the health and safety of workers, businesses will be free to grow their businesses and be in a better position to offer well-paying jobs to their employees.

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