4 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE JULY 2, 2022
COVER STORY
Top Democratic Candidates for Governor Speak on Affordable Housing, Economic Diversification, Lowering Cost of Living by Edwin Quinabo
T
he headwinds are heavy for Hawaii’s next governor. The unrelenting force of inflation is slashing income and wages across the nation. In Hawaii the housing crunch leading to skyrocketing real estate and rent is particularly acute relative to other states. Homelessness. Violent crimes. A stronger, diverse economy. Demand for more and better quality jobs – all these challenges exacerbated by the pandemic are waiting for Hawaii’s next top executive. From a glass is half-full perspective, at least Hawaii is not embroiled in the thick acrimony of division over abortion and gun violence as in the mainland. There is relative high consensus locally on both issues and the local laws reflect that and are not expected to change, politicos say. Also the recent passing of the long-awaited and popular minimum wage increase could offer relief for many sectors of Hawaii’s population, including many in the Filipino community who are working in the service-sector. Still, what many Hawaii voters reportedly want is a strong crisis manager-leader because a great number of Hawaii households (some 40 percent) find themselves in crisis, living paycheck to paycheck, even as they hunker down in multi-generational dwellings to offset costs and hold down multiple jobs. Hawaii’s next governor will be the state’s first post-pandemic (ongoing but relatively manageable) governor. Ingenuity. Fresh ideas and new ways of governance are arguably more needed than ever. Politicians and economic experts say the pandemic exposed Hawaii’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Most notably, that tourism – the state’s bread and butter for decades – as reliable it has been, must be complemented by multiple robust industries. The “diversify-the-economy” mantra since the 1990s, finally must be put into motion, economists say. Agriculture. Aquaculture. Research and Development. High tech and science. Small scale clean manufacturing. These are all areas Hawaii could expand in the pursuit of economic diversification, politicians have been saying for a while.
Both as a potentially economic juggernaut industry and a means to preserve Hawaii’s chief asset, its natural beauty – the green movement with goals of bolstering renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro, biomass) or revolutionizing net-zero buildings is an area collectively, any governor of any forward-thinking state cannot ignore when thinking about building a diversified economy. To be successful in such an ambitious string of projects as building a future complementary green economy would take collaborative efforts from all levels of government and the private sector, which means the next governor must also be a collaborator with the social smarts to lead effectively. What COVID-19 has also showed is how dependent Hawaii’s economy is on small businesses, how they employ tens of thousands and contribute to capital flow immensely. The blunt force of the pandemic has many small businesses (those that survived) still not yet fully anchored in economic recovery mode. Our local small business community is depending on the next governor to get the state as quickly as possible out of economic mire and back on track to more prosperous times. Fifty percent of Hawaii residents have experienced income reduction since the outbreak of COVID-19. Social services in Hawaii is becoming increasingly important and it will take reimagining from the next governor to sustain social services and provide efficient access. Experts believe social service is optimal when it encourages self-sufficiency with programs like workforce retraining programs in place. Voters will look to a governor who believes in investing in people – and part of that includes a helpful lift in times of urgency. The sign of the times is clear that Hawaii along with the rest of the nation is in a state of rapid transition. Voters are hoping for the right governor to maximize vertical gains and finally address areas of neglect. Hawaii’s Primary Election is on Saturday, August 13, 2022. Voters will receive their voting packets by July 26, and completed ballots must be received by voters county’s Election Division by election day, 7 p.m. For our cover story this issue we feature three top Democrats in Hawaii’s governors race: Vicky Cayetano, Josh Green and Kai
Kahele. Cayetano is the semi-political outsider in this race (married to former Gov. Ben Cayetano but not having served in public office). She has decades of business experience as an entrepreneur, is the former President of the largest laundry company in the state with over 1,000 employees. Cayetano is the only top Democratic candidate for governor with executive experience in the private sector. Green is Lt. Governor, a former state senator, and a physician. He is leading in fundraising. Green is the only candidate for governor with executive experience in government. Kahele is the U.S. Rep for Hawaii’s Congressional District 2, a former state senator, and a commercial pilot. He entered the governor’s race very late and politicos say he could have difficulty with fundraising. But Kahele already has name recognition and is taking a completely different approach to his campaign which is to accept donations no larger than $100, a truly grassroots campaign, some have said. Kahele is the only top candidate with experience serving in the Federal government. There are other candidates but the HFC editorial board narrowed the list to the top three Democratic candidates, who were asked questions we’ve prepared on some of the popular issues facing our state. The Republican gubernatorial winner of the primary will be featured in the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle in a future article. We know there are many major issues impacting our state but due to space we had to narrow the topics to those we believe are most pressing at the moment. Candidates answers to our Q&A have been edited for space and clarity. (continue on page 5)