Jon Riki Karamatsu

Democrat

Age: 33

Job: Attorney; owner of Internet retail business

Past: Real estate license, Waikele Elementary Community Council

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

Transportation is an important issue for my district. I have supported mass transit, widening of the H-1 freeway, H-1 freeway contraflow, Nimitz Highway contraflow, car-pool lanes and highway improvements. I am working on renewable energy and fuel-cell technology to back up our traffic lights just in case we get another natural disaster. I have bills to create a mass-transit station zone that has incentives to encourage the development of affordable housing and businesses near the mass-transit stations to make it convenient for passengers.

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

  In my six years as representative, I passed legislation that: floated bonds to help Hawaii renewable-energy companies build facilities; expanded grants for startup Hawaii technology companies; amended our sexual assault law to include the use of a substance on a victim to commit a sexual assault; protects people from harassment by impersonation; protects our personal information within the state government; and restores our beaches. I helped appropriate hundreds of millions of dollars to my district to build and maintain infrastructure and support programs for our community.  I have had my share of success and happiness. On the other hand, I have made mistakes and experienced sadness. As a result, I created a strategy for compassion, happiness and peace. By sharing with you my life and strategy, I hope I can play a small role in helping you attain happiness and peace. 

What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?

  I will continue to support incentives to attract investments to the technology, science, digital media, film and agricultural research industries. I was recently awarded the “;2008 Champion of Small Business”; from the National Coalition for Capital. I want Hawaii to be a leader in innovation, and export many products and services throughout the world and bring home billions of dollars. With a healthy economy, we can support our infrastructure, services and all the positive community programs to achieve a more healthy society. 

Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.

  I don't think we need to convene a Constitutional Convention. I believe our Constitution should be as broad as possible. When we place mandates in the Constitution, the state government is required to act on them, and most mandates cost a lot of money. The details should be created through laws where there is a lengthy democratic process. 

Do you support Oahu's planned rail-transit system? Please explain.

  I support Oahu's planned rail-transit system. I am not just a short-term strategist, but a long-term strategist as well. I am thinking about our grandchildren and beyond. Hawaii's population will continue to grow and the engineers and planners have told us that there is not enough land to build more roads. Even if we built a double-decker freeway, there will be a bottleneck on the on-ramps and off-ramps. The rail-transit system will supplement the bus system, ferry system and automobiles. Maybe 50 years from now, we will come up with a prototype hovercraft system that is guided by a computerized traffic management system? 

What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii's public education?

  Not all students are good at standardized tests because of difficult time constraints and its emphasis on memorization. Therefore, I want to expand learning that is project-based in areas of computer programming, science projects, robotics, computer graphics, film, art, electronics, carpentry and auto mechanics. 

Rito Saniatan

Republican

Age: 48

Job: Insurance broker/Realtor

Past: Waipahu Neighborhood Board treasurer; Board of Public Accountancy

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

People are worried about the rising cost of living in Hawaii. We need to make Hawaii more affordable for our citizens. Our government taxes our citizens too heavily in many areas. We need to cut taxes on food, medicine and health care.

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

  I am a family man, a business man and a proven community leader. I work and live in my district. I have served my community in leadership positions on numerous civic and athletic organizations for the past 20 years. 

What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?

  Small businesses are the heart of Hawaii's economy. They need to be supported, yet they continue to suffer from government red tape. As a representative, I will cut that red tape so that small businesses will be free to innovate and prosper. 

Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.

  Yes. A Constitutional Convention will give the people of Hawaii an opportunity to shape the future of our state, and address such important issues as education reform, energy use and government accountability. 

Do you support Oahu's planned rail-transit system? Please explain.

  I support a rail system. I believe it should be up to the voters to decide which system is acceptable for Hawaii. 

What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii's public education?

  We need to ensure that our education dollars are spent at the classroom. We have been promised that this would happen, but it has not happened. Too much money is still being spent at the administration level. I will work to ensure that 90 cents of every dollar devoted to education is spent in the classroom. We need to give parents more control and options by fully supporting charter schools.