Derek Gapol

Republican

Age: 41

Job: Cadre/ instructor, Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge

Past: Retired Army Special Forces Green Beret

What is the most important issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?
There are several important issues facing our district. Among the top are cost of living and the quality of public education our children deserve. I work with “;at-risk”; youth daily and see the potential; these kids are our future. I believe we need to decentralize leadership and allow principals and parents the flexibility needed to improve the learning environment.

What qualifies you to be a state representative?
I believe my military background has given me the experience to lead our community. I grew up in Waianae and have seen and experienced the oppression around the world. As an assistant team leader on a Special Forces team, we were trusted to implement changes in the way of life for some.

What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?
Advocating for a more affordable Hawaii by ensuring that the government doesn’t increase the cost of living in Hawaii any more than is absolutely necessary.

Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.
Yes. The Constitutional Convention gives all voters, not just politicians, an opportunity to exercise their right to vote on the foundation on which our laws are based.

Do you support Oahu’s planned rail-transit system? Please explain.
I don’t believe that the planned rail-transit system will help the residents of Waianae, Makaha and Makua. I have been around the world and seen comparable systems; they didn’t seem to alleviate traffic congestion.

What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii’s public education?
Support our public schools by making laws that give every public school the flexibility and authority to spend their money on the priorities for their schools. Then with guidance and support, hold decision-makers accountable for the results.

Maile Shimabukuro

Democrat

Age: 37

Job: Lawyer, nonprofit legal services organization

Past: Reporter, law clerk, research assistant, paralegal

What is the most important issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?
The sense that we are not entirely in control of our own destiny, e.g., in the areas of development, land use and resource allocation, for instance. I like what they've done in areas like the North Shore with land trusts. I am working on organizing the purchase of agricultural land in Waianae for a self-help housing farming co-op. I also want to tap the city's Clean Water and Natural Lands fund to create more parks and restore streams. Further, I am fighting the Lingle administration's attempts to take resources away from community-based nonprofits like Hale Na'au Pono and Aloha Care.

  What qualifies you to be a state representative?
I have served as representative of District 45 since 2003, and have been the chairwoman of the Human Services and Housing Committee since 2007. I have worked as a paralegal and now an attorney at a nonprofit legal services office since 1992, and specialize in public benefit, family and housing law. I am a member of the Waianae Lions Club, MA‘O Organic Farm ad hoc fundraising committee, HI Children’s Trust Fund Advisory Board, Governor’s Affordable Housing Regulatory Review Board; and co-chair of the Health and Human Services Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. Visit: electmaile.blogspot.com

  What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?
Establishing government-sponsored universal health care would make it easier to start small businesses by relieving employers from the high cost of insuring their employees. A universal health-care system could also free individuals from liability fears, and thereby encourage things like medical facilities, professional firms, skateparks, self-help housing projects, construction companies, and other endeavors that are often stalled due to the high costs of liability insurance. Similarly, government-sponsored universal college education would fill the gap we now have in professionals, stop the “brain drain,” and create more home grown entrepreneurs and businesses.

  Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.
Yes. We need a forum for non-elected officials and other minority voices to be heard. Measures that passed, such as the Important Agricultural Lands bill, and measures that failed, such as the ban on genetically modified taro, were very upsetting to many. We need to strengthen the charge to protect agricultural land. Most on the Leeward Coast are distraught by the loss of Aloun and other farms, and the leveling of gigantic tracks of former farm land for thousands of new homes. We must change the makeup of the LUC/Planning Commission and require environmental and Hawaiian culture specialists as members.

  Do you support Oahu’s planned rail-transit system? Please explain.
I support mass transit, whether it’s rail or another version. I have concerns about the steel-on-steel proposal due to the cost implications. Traffic on the Leeward Coast has always been horrendous, and is only getting worse. The rising cost of gas is making it impossible for many to continue to drive. Our bus system is decent, but needs to be enhanced. Anything (within reason) to help make a commute without a car easier is worth supporting. The system must accommodate the needs of the Waianae Coast, perhaps with a station at Ko Olina that would benefit tourists and locals alike.

  What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii’s public education?
Simple — air condition the schools! New school buildings must utilize renewable energy for air conditioning, or be built to take advantage of natural cooling systems like the wind. We should allow more charter schools while balancing the needs of the existing schools. One thing needed is to ensure that staff at conversion charter schools do not lose any benefits. Requiring all schools to budget for the average teacher salary is devastating to rural and hard-to-fill schools like those in Waianae. Our schools are paying over $75,000/year per teacher even though they have a high amount of new teachers every year.