Note: Neighbor Island And Uncontested Races Are Not Profiled
District 18: Waipahu
Clarence Nishihara
Democrat
Age: 65
Job: Retired public school administrator, state senator
Past: 30 years special education teacher, school administrator
What qualifies you to be a state senator?
I have served the past four years as the senator representing Waipahu, Pearl City and Crestview. During those four years, I have offered legislation that addressed some of the issues raised by the community as well as met personally with various groups to resolve other community concerns.
What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?
I would seek solutions to help small businesses in Hawaii, especially the micro businesses which probably represent the largest share of the business enterprises in my community.
Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.
The cost estimates for the convening of a Con Con is cause to be concerned. I am concerned that measures that call for stopping improvements to traffic gridlock could, if accepted, adversely affect our children’s future. Because of that, I am not in favor of it at this time.
Do you support Oahu’s planned rail-transit system? Please explain.
I am in full support of Oahu’s planned rail-transit system. I believe that it will provide the mobility and effectiveness to address our traffic challenges into the future. It will offer opportunities for creative development for urban sprawl, reduce the environmental degradation of automobile use as well as preserve our values for the land.
What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii’s public education?
The Legislature has enacted numerous laws and supported the DOE’s budget as much as possible. At the end of the day, it will take the efforts of parents, teachers, administrators and students as well, to make improvements. The mandate of No Child Left Behind has exposed the fallacy of ill-conceived testing standards. I believe we need to refocus our attention on what student achievement means and how we will prepare them for a changing and dynamic future.
Alex Sonson
Democrat
Age: 48
Job: Attorney, Hawaii Pacific University teacher, state representative
Past: Waipahu Neighborhood Board member
What qualifies you to be a state senator?
Hawaii needs public servants with proven accomplishments, a can-do attitude, and passion to help people. I served six years as a representative and we accomplished much to advance our communities’ need for education, health care, social services, and jobs. Today we face an economic decline, cost of living increases, and a budget crisis. I can help us out of this new challenge as a state senator.
What is one thing you would do in office to improve the local economy?
When private sector investments slow down, the government must step in by investing into our local economy for continued long-term growth. We must fully fund the education of our workforce to compete in the global economy. We must increase capital investments to improve our infra structure as this will result in job creation and economic activity.
Do you support convening a Constitutional Convention? Please explain.
Yes. We need a broader forum to discuss possible amendments to our Constitution. Public issues arising from our Constitution continue to multiply. Our legislators are either unable or unwilling to take up controversial public issues proposed by the people of Hawaii for many reasons. Maybe it is the fear of the unknown. It is likely that some stakeholders are afraid of losing control or fear losing hard-earned gains. There is a risk, but the risk can be minimized, if not controlled, by an open and accountable process which can be established as ground rules for the convention.
Do you support Oahu’s planned rail-transit system? Please explain.
Yes, I support rail-transit for the following reasons. A capital investment in rail transit will help sustain our people’s need for jobs, create new businesses around the proposed transit stations, and revitalize aging infrastructure to accommodate a state-of-the-art rail system. New money from federal and private sources will combine to purchase goods and services for the construction and result in a healthy local economy. Lastly, after we build it, our electric rail transit will provide an environmentally friendly alternative to pollution spewing, gas-guzzling cars and buses.
What can the Legislature do to improve Hawaii’s public education?
The state must invest in the hiring and retention of highly qualified teachers. Research done by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future of more than 1,000 school districts concluded that every additional dollar spent on highly qualified teachers netted greater improvements in student achievement than did any other use of school resources. I can personally attest to this through my personal experience as a student at Leeward Community College where Dr. Ernie Libarios inspired me to reach beyond my self-imposed limitations and achieve beyond my own expectations.
