I wrote to Colleen Hanabusa with questions about her campaign. I wasn’t sure she’d respond. To my surprise, she replied within a couple of days and gave thoughtful answers to each and every question. And her answers are good!
I do wish her statement on Climate Change went further. She intends to protect infrastructure, which is good and necessary. But what about offering an aggressive plan to get the city to zero emissions? And currently her website literally fails to even mention “climate change” once.
But I’ve decided to vote for her. Here’s her letter:
Dear Mr. Bloom,
Thank you for your questions.
My answers to your questions are below, and you can also go to my website for additional information: https://www.colleenhanabusa.com/.
Do you believe that climate change is real? If so, what will you do about it.
Yes. In 2017, I hosted a Climate Change round table with climate change experts, including Dr. Chip Fletcher from UH, to discuss the impacts climate change will have on Hawaii. The goal was to bring general awareness to the issue and focus attention on the steps Hawaii must take to prepare for climate change: https://climateadaptation.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SLR-Report_Dec2017.pdf
As Mayor, I will use all the resources of my office, including the Office of Climate Change, Resiliency and Sustainability (Resiliency Office), to responsibly combat climate change and continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, during my first term, my highest priorities would be to: 1) finalize an assessment of the most vulnerable City and County infrastructure and a list prioritizing (ranking) City projects, and 2) develop a capital plan to begin implementation during my first term. The projected project implementation costs are significant and I will draw upon my state and federal experience to bring in state and federal resources to partner with and assist the City and County of Honolulu in implementing Honolulu’s resilience strategy.
Do you believe in listening to science and following the recommendations of public health officials? If so, how will that impact your approach to COVID-19?
Yes, I believe in science-based decision making when it comes to public health matters. It is important that we rely on facts and evidence when carrying out our duties as elected officials.
Do you believe that black lives matter? If so, how will that be reflected in your administration?
Yes. As a former member of the Democratic Caucus Leadership in the US House of Representatives, I have a strong record on equal rights. I was saddened this week by the passing of my dear friend, John Lewis. It is important that government leaders continue to educate our electorate on the issues and promote equality in all we do. There are important initiatives underway in Hawaii including, but not limited to, The Popolo Project. There are also local organizations with relevant information for those who desire to take an active role in eliminating racism in Hawaii: African Diversity Cultural Center Hawaiʻi, the Honolulu African American Film Festival, NAACP Honolulu Branch and the Hawaii Community Bail Fund. My goal as Mayor would be to help the NAACP: Eliminate disparate treatment of minorities in all aspects of law enforcement and criminal justice systems; Accelerate economic growth in our communities and eliminate existing racial and ethnic economic disparities; Ensure all students have access to an equal and high-quality education by eliminating education-related racial and ethnic disparities; Increase access to quality healthcare for all citizens and promote policies and practices to reduce health-related disparities for minorities; Increase minorities’ participation in the democratic process by removing roadblocks and disincentives and Promote fair and equitable human rights and economic justice for people of color across the globe.
Do you believe in food sustainability? If so, what will you do to preserve the island’s ag land? Do you have any plans to fight over-development?
Yes. I was Senate President when the “Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan” was published (2008), which included the following goal: Local foods and products: 30% of food consumed can be grown locally, 85% of fruits and vegetables we consume can be grown locally. When the plan was rolled out, my biggest concern then was that the plan would generate a significant buzz followed by the plan ending up on a bookshelf with little to no implementation.
In 2018, the Hawai‘i State Auditor issued a report entitled “Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan – Ten Year Measurement Update” (March 7, 2018), which found that many of the state’s sustainability efforts lacked coordination and the report called on the state to focus on implementation. While I always support good, robust, community-based planning, I prioritize implementation and I have a long history of working with Hawaii’s food and agricultural industry to provide the necessary resources to encourage and facilitate locally grown sustainable agriculture. I also support responsible development.
Do you believe that gun control is imperative to protect the lives of school children? If so, how do you intend for Honolulu to lead the nation in stopping guns from being used to take innocent lives?
Yes. I have been a strong advocate for reasonable, responsible, and constitutional gun control at both the state and federal levels. While the Second Amendment confers an individual right to bear arms, that right is not unlimited. For example, the Second Amendment does not bar States from adopting reasonable measures to reduce firearm violence. In fact, the Second Amendment preserves States’ authority to enact firearm restrictions in furtherance of public safety. States have primary responsibility for ensuring public safety, which includes a duty to reduce preventable firearm violence and to minimize fatalities and injuries. See United States v. Morrison, 529 US 598, 618 (2000) (“[W]e can think of no better example of the police power . . . reposed in the States [] than the suppression of violent crime and vindication of its victims.”). As Mayor, I will continue to advocate for policies at the local, state and federal levels which constitutionally protect our citizens, including our keiki, from gun violence.
Aloha,
Colleen Hanabusa
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