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Kalihi-Kapalama

Felipe "Jun" Abinsay

Democrat

Age: 55 Job: Full-time state legislator since 1995 Past: Former branch manager and vice president, City Bank

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

I've been living in Kalihi for over 25 years, and I've seen and have been a part of transformation through the years. I was appointed to my current position, elected and re-elected four times because of my commitment. ...

What is the most pressing issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?

Kalihi is a beautiful place to live. One issue that I will continue to work on is about the future, not only for my district, but for the whole state. Improving our educational system by way of continued funding, hence addressing the needs ...

Do you support or oppose Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to break up the statewide Board of Education? Explain.

No. The existing board composition has been around for a long time. There's no silver bullet to reform it. The legislation passed during the 2004 session is I believe the first step in the right direction to address ... our education system.

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Ken Harding

Republican

Age: 63 Job: Operator, tutoring service Past: Educational leadership, economic development and community service

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

I offer a lifetime of community service involvement, a deep personal commitment to community justice and a keen knowledge of the legislative process. As a former Peace Corps volunteer ... I am a dedicated social entrepreneur. ...

What is the most pressing issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?

The biggest problem in Kalihi is a lack of educational support resources, closely followed by a lack of economic opportunity and a lack of environmental quality. ... I will work hard for Kalihi for better schools, better jobs ...

Do you support or oppose Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to break up the statewide Board of Education? Explain.

Gov. Lingle deserves great credit for raising public awareness about Hawaii's overriding need to improve public schools. I vigorously support all efforts to push educational authority and financial resources down to the school level. ...

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