Note: Neighbor Island And Uncontested Races Are Not Profiled
District 45: Waianae-Makua
Derek Gapol
Republican
Age: 41
Job: Cadre/ instructor, Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge
Past: Retired Army Special Forces Green Beret
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.
Denise Saylors
Democrat
Age: 49
Job: Civic activist
Past: I use media to highlight community issues
What qualifies you to be a state representative?
I often tell people that the most important attribute that a representative can possess is caring. When a person cares about their community, they take the necessary steps to accomplish the job; they are motivated to seek solutions that will contribute to the health and welfare of the area. I care about my community.
I have been on the Waianae Neighborhood Board and chaired the Planning, Zoning, Housing and Law Enforcement committees. Based on comments from and needs of the community, I have actively sought legislative solutions. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in business from U.C.-Berkeley.
What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?
Building and repairing essential infrastructure provides the foundation for a robust state and creates the jobs that will get us through this daunting economic period.
In Waianae, there is only one road in and out. Being stuck in traffic hurts our community. It would be doubly beneficial to have a second road into Waianae and have the accompanying jobs from such a project.
We should also:
» Seek consortiums to help promote and enhance our IT sector.
» Create more Enterprise Zones.
» Thoroughly review why we are not attracting diversified businesses that will moderate our reliance on tourism.
Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.
I don’t believe that the process or the potential outcomes have been fully evaluated or fully explained. Even though a Con Con can occur every decade, based on what I’m hearing from the public, many people still want more information about the magnitude. The cost of holding a Con Con also has to be considered. Generally, I support the idea of a Constitutional Convention but want to hear more comments from residents and I’d like to have better estimates of the cost.
Do you support Oahu’s planned rail-transit system? Please explain.
The Sierra Club, our congressional representatives, Barack Obama and federal funding support rail. A recent poll shows that 61 percent of residents would vote to have rail. The general excise tax was increased; tourists pay about 30 percent of that. We pay an increased tax of about $1.10 per day. Still we hear objections to rail, mostly to the $3.7 billion cost. This tells me, that even though I support rail, some citizens are justifiably concerned about the cost. The solution: Be completely accountable. While building rail, provide information enabling citizens to monitor spending, giving them opportunity to allay their concerns.
What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii’s public education?
Providing mortgage or rental assistance can enable teachers to live in the community where they work. (I proposed this last year and, combined with some ideas from others, it became HB3409.) When teachers live in the community where they work, their investment in the school and the student is strengthened, which is beneficial to the teachers and the students.
New teachers often express that they don’t receive enough time or training to learn about and become familiar with their new job, surroundings and responsibilities. Greater assistance is needed in helping these teachers acclimate to their new job.
Maile Shimabukuro
Democrat
Age: 37
Job: Lawyer, nonprofit legal services organization
Past: Reporter, law clerk, research assistant, paralegal
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: http://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.
