Name on ballot:

David Kauahikaua

Running for:

Honolulu city council – District 3

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

votedavidkauahikaua.com

Current occupation:

Music Producer

Age:

68

Previous job history:

Music Producer, Musician, Arranger, Composer

Previous elected office, if any:

N/A

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Oahu.

I am not a career politician.
I bring the perspective of an average resident.
I have common sense.
Born and raised in this community, I see the many problems we have that aren’t getting better, and have not improved over the last four years.
I have no desire to use this office to catapult myself to higher office.
I want to serve my community and make my community better. I will listen to my constituents and put my community first.

What is the most pressing issue facing Oahu residents, and how would you address the problem?

The top issue for most people in Hawaii is the high cost of living. Many people have to work two or three jobs just to pay their bills. In addition, many jobs don’t pay as well as they would in mainland states, and our money doesn’t go as far here. When we go to the grocery store, one bag of groceries costs as much as $100 and fast food is no longer cheap. Many families are struggling to put food on the table and keep their utility bills paid.

Part of the solution is to diversify the economy, attack the problems that cause the high cost of living such as the housing crisis, and ensure food sustainability through new sources such as community gardens, vertical gardens and rooftop gardens.

Hawaii will likely always rely on the visitor and construction industries, however we can develop other industries.

I support the idea of providing tax incentives to a company willing to build a film studio on island.

Hosting more cultural or art events, such as the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, which attracted 500,000 to the world’s largest celebration of Indigenous Pacific Islanders, is a way to generate income and create jobs in our state.

We also need to support companies that contribute to our food sustainability, like farming, aquaculture and ranching, whether through grants or other property tax incentives.

Many people aren’t able to work because they are caring for children or elderly parents. Offering more affordable and safe day care for families through partnerships with non profits and churches will allow more people to go back into the workforce and boost our economy.

Supporting construction of more affordable housing is important, but the housing that is built needs to fit into the community, keep within height ordinances, and offer people a hospitable place that they want to live in.

What are the best ways for Honolulu to alleviate its homelessness crisis and to increase the availability of affordable housing?

Mental illness is rampant among those living on the streets. Like many others, I have a loved one who has had similar struggles with mental health and substance abuse, which led to housing issues. It isn’t healthy or compassionate to allow people who canʻt care for themselves to live in filth on the street, on our sidewalks and in our parks. I am supportive of Gov. Greenʻs comprehensive plan to address these very important issues.
 
Building more partnerships with churches, non-profits and community groups to provide housing, work training, and social services, will help houseless individuals and families get the support they need to get back on their feet. I am really impressed with the work that Pu’uhonua o Wai’anae, Hui Mahi’ai Aina, Kekulanui o Waimānalo and Papa Ola Lokahi are doing to lift people up.

Unfortunately, there are individuals with mental illness or addictions who donʻt want assistance, and they continue to live on the beach or on sidewalks in tent cities. I support exploring other avenues to ensure they don’t take the public’s right away from using these public spaces, such as bus stops or park facilities.

Expanding the City and County of Honolulu’s Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement Program or CORE, the mobile units that assist houseless in need of medical care, would help to reach more people who are struggling with mental illness, health issues and addiction.

What measures, if any, should city government take to regulate short-term vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods?

The city sought to eliminate short term rentals to stop disruptions in neighborhoods (noise, traffic, parking congestion) while also providing more long term housing inventory for local people.

I believe there are sufficient regulations in place to address illegal vacation rentals, for example licensing requirements and fines that can be imposed with violations. However, the laws need to be enforced, particularly if an illegal vacation rental is disrupting a neighborhood.

If a property is licensed, they should be allowed to operate within the scope of the law. I am not in favor of expanding vacation rental unit licenses in our windward community.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make the Honolulu Police Department more transparent to the public?

In general, I am supportive of the police and realize they have a difficult job. They need sufficient funding for training, equipment, hiring incentives and salaries.

The Honolulu Police Commission can provide some oversight, and transparency, however, right from the get go, the police officers who are hired need to be thoroughly screened to ensure they are right for the job.

Any potential candidate with a history of any form of extremism or demonstrated prejudice or bigotry, a history of violence, including domestic violence convictions, criminal history, or misuse of alcohol or illegal drugs, should automatically be eliminated from the hiring process.

Any crime committed on the job by a police officer should be addressed swiftly and with transparency so that the public knows there is accountability. Disciplinary action taken against a police officer for any type of crime should be a matter of public record.

Do you support capping the pay of Council members and removing them from process of approving their own pay raises?

I was disappointed in our six councilmembers who took a 64% pay increase last year in the middle of their term, when so many local families are struggling.

I strongly favor capping councilmember salary increases at no more than 5 percent a year, and the increases should be in line with what other city workers receive.

The council and mayor oversee the city budget, which includes salaries, so they should provide a way to allow the public to testify at the council on any propose pay increases for administrators or elected officials.

As it stands, the council can take a large salary bump and hide behind or blame the salary commissioners, whom they appointed. The council should be transparent and ethical in all decision making, which they were not last year when they accepted the raises without any public input.

Has the city done enough to reduce the building permit backlog at the city Department of Planning and Permitting? What more could it do? Please explain.

The city’s permit backlog is inexcusable and shocking. One of my neighbors has been waiting several months for her home renovation.

Countless people have told me horror stories of waiting as long as two years to get approval for home projects. This also impacts the economy because contractors can’t get to work.

We need to hire more qualified people to approve building permits and upgrade the department’s technology system. It shouldn’t take months or even years to obtain a permit to remodel your house.

Some hiring incentives to fill department vacancies could include offering flex time, remote working and job sharing schedules; bringing back retired workers, and streamlining the hiring process.

Should the city continue to use Waimanalo Gulch Landfill in Leeward Oahu or find a new location? If you favor a new location, where?

The mayor and his landfill commission have tough decisions to make in the coming months about where the landfill should be located. No matter what is decided, I am not in favor of bringing the landfill back to the windward side.

It doesn’t make sense to have the trucks hauling ash over the mountain all the way from H-Power. We don’t have the infrastructure to make it work.

In addition, it rains and floods quite a bit on this side of the island, making it all the more problematic to contain a landfill here.

Do you support the continued construction of Honolulu’s rail system to Kakaako? Do you support extending the rail line to Ala Moana?

The rail cost more than $10 billion to build and will likely go to $12 billion when it ends in Kakaako, but people just arenʻt riding it. There are only 3,000 riders a day, or around what 6-10 city buses could carry in total on their routes per day.

The city estimates when the rail is complete it will carry 105,000 riders per day, but none of their estimates have panned out.

Taxpayers subsidize the cost of the tickets, so all of us pay for their trips. So far the rail has very little impact on traffic. Taxpayers also have to cover maintenance and continued construction. I would oppose any further expansion past what is already approved unless the financial numbers start to pan out.

What more needs to be done to reduce crime in Honolulu? Should more police surveillance cameras be part of that effort?

Throughout the years of growing up in Kailua, I have never felt unsafe walking around at night. This isn’t the case any more. In addition, we have had “smash and grab” attacks on our small businesses, and more property crime and even violent crime in our towns. Kailua, Kaneohe and Waimanalo are unrecognizable to the kupuna who grew up here.

While Honolulu may be considered a “safe city”, it doesn’t feel safe and statistics donʻt matter when you or a loved one have been the victim of a crime.

We need more police and extensive training for them to address a variety of issues. We also need to ensure the officers who are taking on this very difficult job have the highest ethics and protect the public with honor.

Training volunteers to help with community policing and working with small business owners to eliminate crime in our neighborhoods are important steps in the effort to protect our residents and property.

I also support the use of surveillance cameras in high crime areas. Maybe we can stop the revolving door in our courtrooms with more video proof.

What will be your top priority if elected?

If I am elected, I will immediately get to work on fixing our infrastructure whether it is our sewer system in Kailua that can’t handle its capacity, the roads that deteriorate with every heavy rain, or the park facilities in disrepair that have not been fixed for years.

I will also put hiring and work incentive programs in place to recruit city workers, so we can get some of these projects completed.

Some hiring incentives include setting up day care for elderly parents and keiki in close proximity to city offices; offering flex time, remote working and job sharing; bringing back retired workers, streamlining the hiring process and dropping the college degree requirement for jobs where a college degree isn’t necessary.

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

I chose Kalo (Taro) as the symbol for my campaign because it mirrors my heritage and values: and represents my Hawaiian roots, my ancestors, my ʻohana, sustainability, regrowth, and purity.

Kalo is a sacred plant, representing abundance, fertility, and a divine connection between the land and its people.

Integrated into Hawaiian legends and mythology, Kalo represents the birth of the Hawaiian islands and the origin of the Hawaiian people.

As we strive to sustain our culture, land and people, Kalo is the ultimate symbol for sustainability. There is no waste, all parts of the plant are used, including the roots and leaves that are cooked and eaten, and the stalk is replanted to ensure the plant will continue on to the future.