Why Windward Oahu and all of Hawaii is Short Changed on Representation.
District 3- Waimanalo, Kailua and Kaneohe, together the total about 115,000 people.
To compare representation let’s look at Douglas County Oregon which has approximately 107,000 people. Douglas County has a regular county structure (not City & County) which administrates roads, parks, law enforcement, planning and public works, etc. The county is overseen by a 3 person Board of Commissioners, and elected County Assessor, Auditor, County Clerk , Judge, Sheriff, Surveyor, Treasurer and Justice of the Peace.
Douglas County also has 12 incorporated municipalities.
A working definition of an incorporated municipality can look like the following:
Municipal corporations are an important feature of the political structure of the United States. Incorporating a municipality gives it the freedom to form a society that is distinct from other localities in the state and country. This idea of local control is the same concept that animates the constitutional division of the country into a collection of smaller states. By giving municipalities some autonomy, individuals are more capable of participating in politics and gaining a measure of control over their lives than if political activity occurred only on the federal and state level.
Parks and Winward Prosperity
Setting aside land for parks is usually considered visionary by subsuquant generations. Imagine Waikiki without Kapiolani or the Ka Iwi coast by the Makapuu Lighthouse having a hotel.
The windward side is still largely underdeveloped in this aspect and we are fortunate to still have large tracts of open land that could and should become parks.
Maunawilli Valley-Kawainui Park.
Maunawilli Valley between the golf course and the residential area and the entire back of the valley is still largly intact as a potential regional park. It already supports a trail system, Olomana trails Maunawilli to Waimanalo and Maunawilli Falls. As well Kawainui Marsh as part of the contiguous watershed and should first be crossed with a boardwalk trail and circumvention trails system before and any plans for large structures and tourist like “education” faciliites are considered.
Together these two assets would form a basis of an impressive natural heritage.
Haiku Valley Regional Park
The former Omega site in the back of Haiku and the historic Haiku stairway form an opportunity for Kaneohe to have another regional park along with Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens. The Haiku stairs in some repects is like the rock climbing routes of Yosemite or the slot canyons of Zion, both of which are greatly sought after and operate on a reservation system. Preserving upper Haiku Valley and restoring it to a more pritine condtion can be accomplished along with a poetial revenue source like a fee for stair access would secure another special place for future generations.
Parks are open space, recreational opportuniites and preservation that have a value exceeding residential or commercial use, particularly as the land elsewhere is being developed. Parks enhance the life of a community and create greater value for residence and visitor alike and planning for a better future is the best way to achieve it..
RR Zoning (Residential-Recreational Zoning)
Everyone, whether visitor or resident wants to enjoy Hawaii’s natural beauty.
The problem arises what access to such place are in the middle of residential neighborhoods.
Maunawili Falls, Lanikai Beach along with numerous beach and mountain access across the island comes in conflict with neighborhood peace and quality of life.
The idea behind Residential Recreational Zoning is the ability to put the residents interest in first position being so many modern access problems came about long after residential areas were built.
An RR Zoning would be designed to control parking to residents and guest.
This could be done in combination with open parking days and in conjunction with protecting places like Maunawili Falls and the Lanikai Pill Boxes from continuous daily and year round use.
Solving the long term problems associated with beach and trail access suggest better central parking and shuttle access for beach’s. For trail access there need to be designated parking lots and restroom facilities all outside of residential neighborhoods.
Hawaii is notorious for its haphazard maintenance and care of its natural wonders.
RR Zoning is not the end-all solution but can prove to be an important tool to push for better care and preservation of our manmade and natural environment for everyone.
The Constraints of the City & County Model
Waimanalo, Kailua, Kaneohe and all of the windwardside is more than just the suburbs of urban Honolulu.
As a candidate I want to represent Council District 3 as an advocate for Windward Oahu issues.
This means looking at Windward Oahu in the manner needed to support community innovation that builds and helps sustain prosperity.
In mainland states, towns the size of Kaneohe and Kailua would most likely be either separate or a combined city (incorporated municipality).
This means they would have the contractual benefit of a city to support their own unique differences and serve their citizens directly
The only reason this hasn’t already happened is because Hawaii is the only state in the US with a universally combined City & County system established on all islands in 1905.
Bringing greater political innovation to enhance the life of a community should be a goal for all public servants.
Good Luck to the Rail
At 9 billion dollars to go 22 miles and a operating cost over 100 million a year the chances of the rail project ever breaking even seems unlikely.
Rebuilding The Economy Is Job #1
The Covid-19 shut down and its aftermath has helped to highlight the need for a serious look at Hawaii long term economic outlook.
Doing no-harm to the economy must be the watchword for all public servants. Building has to replace banning as the economy takes the forefront with the goal of creating greater prosperity and innovation.
Business, agriculture, and tourism can all benefit from a city government with clear goals and direction to achieve long term high quality growth.
As well, so much of what impacts prosperity and our quality of life, such as a clean and safe environment, begins with giving local people the ability to clean their communities and the support needed to help keep things that way.
If there is a Hawaiian phrase that prepares us for the task ahead it would be the call of Ho‘omakaukau, to get ready.
For the canoe paddler its the call before their combined efforts pulls the canoe from standing still to racing forward.
There is much to be done which will require the combined strength of all of us.
Kaneohe a City by the Bay
Kaneohe Bay serves as the backdrop to all of Kaneohe and is the natural central feature of the town.
Such a beautiful natural asset should be more incorporated into the Kaneohe lifestyle.
A potential method to draw the economic and social life of Kaneohe closer to the bay would be to establish a land trust for a public Kaneohe Bay Shoreline Park.
Doing this builds first on a shared community vision, then using that to empower the process of navigating ways to making it happen.
Establishing goals and working towards bringing them into fruition is the heart of community involvement.
Promoting the Town of Kailua
One of the definitions seperating a town from a city is incorporation.
An incorporated municipality has taxing authority and the ability to enter into contract for city services such as roads and utilities. This gives residents a greater ability to protect their towns uniques characteristics and for government to deliver services better tailored to local requirements.
Kailua with its clearly defined borders and a unique island heritage would, in any other state, have its own municipal government.
There are over four thousand incorporated municipalities in the US of 10,000 – 100,000 people.
The reason Hawaii residence don’t have this ability is further explored in this post: Read More>>>
Kailua or any other part of Oahu should have the ability to incorporate if it makes sense to the local citizens.
Anything that furthers local ingenuity and problem solving would be of benefit to everyone throughout Hawaii.
Promoting Agriculture and Solving Homelessness in Waimanalo
Waimanalo has everything needed to thrive and prosper. It has mountains, beaches, agricultural land and friendly communities.
To have a steadily improving standard of living and to defend Waimanalo’s unique culture means a greater commitment to developing a prosperous agricultural industry.
Access to agricultural methods and markets that can support family farms and provide greater financial incentive to bring more fallow land into production will keep Waimanalo open and build prosperity.
One possible example to consider is Brazil’s method of increasing farm output which took them from a basic food importer to a major exporter.
The method presents technical recommendations for integrated systems in Acre and allows for grain production combined with the renovation of pastures and introduction of tree species. It includes different arrangements of ICLF systems, livestock-forest behavior of native and exotic tree species in Acre, methods of implementation, maintenance, management and economic viability. One of the proposed arrangements includes planting the native tree species Calycophyllum spruceanum (of commercial value) and Samanea tubulosa (source of nitrogen and shade) alongside corn in-between the rows for two years, including during the harvest and mid-season harvest. The forage plant is sown with the third corn harvest. Read More>>
Creating a similar level of commitment to agriculture means more wealth for farmers and preserving agricultural land for locally grown produce.
Why Fast Truly Affordable Housing Matters
The people of Waimanalo have to be empowered to deal with local issues.
Dealing with the homeless people living along Kalanianaole Hwy has a simple answer that has not been allowed to happen:
A small mobile home park on somewhere on much of the unused land would treat people with dignity and as well it is per square foot incredible cheap after infrastructure cost. Fast affordable housing is a important tool to give people a leg up in building a better life.
On Oahu you can only get modular constructed shelter designed to be used for office space but not for living space.