What aspect of “good government” does Hawaii do well, and where does it need the most improvement?
Hawaii is truly a dynamic state. Areas of good governance that Hawaii does well include human rights as well as establishing safe avenues for citizen participation in democracy.
However, this is simply not enough as we continue to struggle with participation in democracy, transparency and strategic vision. Perhaps the aspect of good governance that is most missing from our state would be strong and pragmatic anti-corruption safeguards and laws.
How can civic engagement — citizen involvement — be improved?
A critical way that we could uplift citizen engagement would be in diversifying our candidate pool. Often throughout the state many will say that they don’t vote because they “already know who will win.” With money in politics, it’s no secret that it makes it extremely difficult for people from specific socioeconomic classes to participate in the democratic process as a candidate.
How do we improve this? I strongly make the assertion that campaign financing will help. Allowing for public funds to go to support a candidate that has garnered community support removes the obstacle of needing to be wealthy or have access to wealth in order to participate as a candidate in the democratic process. It also ensures that having the biggest bank account will not automatically qualify you to be the lead candidate out of a specific district.
In order to access funds, candidates must go out into their community and receive a percentage of their community support in the form of $5 contributions. Again, this ensures that candidates that have access to public financing dollars are not “fringe” candidates, unlike our current system.
We see time and time again, under the current system: If you could financially sustain a campaign then you have a chance at winning an election, sometimes regardless of what the candidate’s values are in relation to the community that they are vying to represent.
Thus, in the wake of what we have seen politically from the rise of fringe and extreme candidates, it is even more important that we allow statewide comprehensive campaign financing to drive statewide civic engagement.
What issues most concern you that are now before the Legislature?
The issues that most concern me are the bills relating to campaign financing, artificial intelligence protections, and ensuring that our state ethics office has all necessary resources and legal teeth to operate effectively.
I would conclude with safeguarding our elections from foreign money influence.
What do you see as the danger in a state with government so dominated by one party?
The danger in a state being dominated by one party, we see consistently no matter the state, is corruption. In supermajority states, it is common to see abhorrent corruption; what seems to be missing are checks and balances into the two-party system.
Governmental reform is often extremely difficult, regardless of the party, in supermajority states. Many will not see the benefit in changing a system that aids them and their party.
Oftentimes, supermajority states run parallel with low voter turnout, thus increasing the feeling that the democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people, in fact is not.
Looking ahead, what are your hopes for Common Cause in the next five years?
My hopes for Common Cause in the next five years would be to expand our presence statewide. We are looking to host more town halls like we did this past December on the Big Island.
We will also be endeavoring in hosting nonpartisan political debates on city, county and state levels. We seek to engage with our Native Hawaiian community, to ask the long-overdue question of what conscious participation in democracy looks like for kanaka maoli.
We seek to establish an advisory board of exclusively Native Hawaiian voices to aid us in the execution of that answer. We will be engaging with up-and-coming generations by going into schools, formulating clubs in these schools, and promoting civic engagement for the youth in meaningful ways.
We also want to find ways to initiate engagement by meeting our citizenry where they are, including hosting events at local farmers’ market statewide and alike.
We also seek to continue to be flexible in responses to unforeseen needs of our statewide community, and our final goal is to see an increase in election participation on all levels.
THE BIO FILE
>> Position: Program manager, Common Cause Hawaii
>> Education: Tuskegee University; master’s degree studies at Hawaii Pacific University (diplomacy, military strategy)
>> Background: Former disability rights advocate; commissioner on the city Grants In Aid Advisory Commission; past representative on the McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board
>> Interests: Hiking; coaching soccer and track at Punahou School; “a big Disney dad (adoptive and foster dad), and a Swiftie.”
>> One more thing: Our democracy can never be intact fully so long as Native Hawaiian voices and needs are not properly heard, respected and acted on. The status of our democracy is directly tied to the indigenous people of this land.
