Tom Berg

Republican

Age: 44

Job: Community volunteer

Past: Vice president, Ewa by Gentry Community Association

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

Traffic. I cannot think of another major metropolitan city other than Honolulu that has only one way in and one way out. If an emergency evacuation were necessary within my district, we have a problem. All over the world, where topographi-cal features have prevented expan-sion of their own highway network similar to ours, planners have de-termined that: A) Either you stop building/expanding development that's exasperating the situation; or B) Deploy the latest technology to build reversible expressways or tunnels to keep the ratio of lane miles at par with the level of popu-lation growth. Build the roads first.

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

  Nine years at state Capitol creating legislation and solutions that benefited Ewa and Waipahu residents. Previous work involved bringing Weed and Seed to district and park improvements with Vision Team. Co-founder Ewa Pedestrian Coalition. Presently serving as director on the Oahu Resource and Conservation Development Council, and member of Ewa Neighborhood Board since 2003 as Legislative Committee chair. Volunteer on Rules Committee for Kalaeloa Advisory Team to create requisites for that region. These experiences have given me the ability to lead, listen and understand the issues important to people in my district. 

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

  Cease tax collections on food and clothing. Also, hold public hearings to determine if businesses would thrive better in conditions whereby our state exercised a federal exemption to the Jones Act which in turn could enhance the transfer of goods and freight at a lesser cost benefiting the consumer. It's time Hawaii fully examine the potential of utilizing the ocean as a super highway in which to be more conducive to the needs of those businesses that are constantly seeking more viable ways to get their goods to the marketplace as efficiently and inexpensively as possible. 

Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.

  Yes. The degree of technological advances over the last 30 years could play a significant role in how government could be more efficient. It's time to re-examine what has been working and what hasn't. We tune up our cars, get medical check-ups and evaluate our own allotment in life regularly when we can. So finetuning the engines of government would be a sound practice to administer for Hawaii's constituency. My recommendation would be to mandate what the Legislature would not pass out, and that is to prohibit the Legislature from ever raiding the state's Special Highway Fund ever again. 

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

  Yes, so long as rail operations do not hinder us from being able to advance a new highway to augment the H-1 freeway. A pro-rail position should not translate into an anti-highway position. We are severely lane deficient and need to increase highway capacity since rail will not bring resolve to traffic conditions on the H-1 as a stand-alone solution. For those of us who cannot take rail, government's social engineering us out of our cars is not the American way; especially when cars of the future will be eco-friendly and their popularity soar more so than today. 

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

  Air-condition the schools in need and offer the same quality of environment we expect from our employers when working in an office setting to excel and increase productivity. Return to the basics by providing each student with the textbooks necessary to call their own and make libraries throughout the state more accessible by expanding their hours of service to cater to those with a yearning to learn beyond a school's closed doors. 

Rida Cabanilla

Democrat

Age: Not given

Job: State representative

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

Traffic congestion will prevail to be a burgeoning issue in my district for many more years to come. I will work on phasing growth so that the growing pains it invokes will not be so drastic and inconvenient to all. I will continue to propose and support initiatives to alleviate the same.

For Waipahu, I will work on improving the blight, the trash situation and the shoreline cleanup from the Navy.

What qualifies you to be a state representative?

  I am very honest, sincere, open-minded and sensitive to others. I have an arsenal of experiences that will enable me to relate to various issues that come to play. I know the people and issues in my district. I am very familiar with the legislative process and equipped with foresight. 

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

  We should continue our efforts on building our own renewable energy initiatives and building infrastructures to advance it. I am interested in the furtherance of geothermal energy as one of our energy source. With the slowing down of our economy due to increasing cost of oil and decreasing tourism, we should consider reverting to agriculture rather than building houses on them. Employment through construction is a temporary means that will be catastrophic financially in an economic downturn such as now. 

Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.

  A Con Con will help us focus more on what kind of policies we currently have in place and how it impacts us all. I look at it as a tool to correct the stern if we are out of course. 

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

  I am an Ewa legislator. Traffic congestion is at our corridor. We need to implement all available means to dig us out of congestion. I do not believe that the rail will solve all of our traffic congestion problem, but I do believe that it will help. We need to stop worrying about the cost and just do it! 

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

  Public education is now at $2.58 billion a year. The biggest expenditure the state has. We just need to have DOE accountable and accept that this is what it is. If $2.53 billion a year will not do it, then let us privatize public education. Private schools can do it, and even better at times, why not?