Name on ballot:

Dan Johnson

Running for:

State House – District 12

Political party:

Republican

Campaign website:

Votedanjohnson.godaddysites.com

Current occupation:

Project Manager

Age:

34

Previous job history:

Layton Construction, Hawaii Unified Industries, Castaway Construction

Previous elected office, if any:

N/A

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people in your district.

I was born and raised here on Maui, and have worked in the construction industry for my entire career. I hold a degree for UH Manoa in Finance and have firm understanding on how our state allocates and spends our tax dollars. In project management I have worked with several state departments, and have learned how the state government operates. What we need in a representative is someone who both understands these things, but also wants to improve them.

What is the most-pressing issue facing residents in your district and how would you address the problem?

A lack of a sustainable water supply is directly contributing to the cost of housing and food production. Too many years have gone by with long water meter waiting lists and empty promises for solutions. As defined by Hawaii Revised Statutes §174C-2; “it is recognized that the waters of the State are held for the benefit of the citizens of the State… It is declared that the people of the State are beneficiaries and have a right to have the waters protected for their use.” However, in reality, the state has been disregarding this right for a lot of upcountry residents and landowners, and leaving it up to the county and private water board to maintain and distribute water. As a legislator I will push the state to fund and work in collaboration with the county to upgrade our water collection and distribution systems and end the stale waiting lists.

What would you propose to be done at the state level to help residents cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living?

The cost of living has continued to be one the largest issues facing most residents, and unfortunately, it’s trending even worse in the wrong direction. When a family brings home a six-figure income and can barely afford to pay rent or a mortgage and buy groceries, there is a big problem. More and more people that I speak to are sacrificing things they would have normally afforded a few years ago, just to get by. We desperately need incentives for affordable housing, and lower food costs. I would also propose a GET tax exemption for all food sales to lower grocery costs as done in many states.

What can the state Legislature do to help Hawaii home and condo owners with rising property insurance rates?

This is primarily tied to the rapid increase in housing prices. If the assessed value keeps rising, then the premiums will as well. We need to work to stabilize the housing market, and insurances rates should adjust to the market.

Can Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy be diversified, and, if so, what can state government do to support the effort?

We need to return to encouraging agricultural and food production. One simple way that I’ve heard through the agricultural community is to require the State DOE to purchase 30% (or more) of their school means through Hawaii based producers. This both supports the health of our community and our food production industry. Furthermore, deregulation and decriminalization of commercial hemp production would bolster potential exports from the state and create a new tax revenue stream as well.

What would you propose to help increase affordable housing in Hawaii?

There is no one cure all, but there are a few things that would help tip the scales back in favor of Hawaii residents:
1) Issue tax credits for sales of real property to owner occupants with a price point under a certain amount (established as affordable). This same philosophy is how the renewable energy industry got buy in from the community, and lowered the costs to the end user.
2) Increase the conveyance tax on real property sold to non-owner occupants. This will discourage entities from buying our housing as investment properties. Funds generated from this could be used for affordable housing programs.
3) Make adjustments or exemptions to the state land use commission to expedite the recovery and reconstruction of Lahaina. This will help with the lack in housing supply that is a major contributor to the inflated housing costs.

What can state government do to better support and improve public education in Hawaii?

Teacher retention is difficult because public school teachers aren’t paid enough to be able to afford living in Hawaii. I would support increasing salaries which will attract more quality to the positions and benefit the students. I would also support a voucher system where parents would get back the state’s cost in educating their child by way of letting them select the school of their choice with those funds to assist. In states where this is done the outcome actually improves the public schools because they are less burdened with the quantity of students and can focus on quality of education.

Should the state continue to pursue building a replacement for Aloha Stadium in Halawa? Please explain.

I would place more priority on rebuilding Lahaina first and foremost. I would then like to see a feasibility study done to weigh the costs vs benefits of attracting a major sports team to our state.

Should members of the state Legislature have term limits like Honolulu’s mayor and City Council members?

Yes, absolutely. I don’t see any benefit in having career politicians.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make local government more transparent to the public?

We should be able to vote and elect our own sheriffs, attorney generals, and school superintendents. Having these positions subject to election would create more accountability.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Reducing the cost of housing.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I love skateboarding, hiking, climbing, hunting, and just about anything outdoors. I see my self as a natural conservative and conservationist, so when I talk about any sort of development, it must have provisions to preserve our natural beauty and cultural heritage of Hawaii.