Our efforts to jumpstart and strengthen the economy have succeeded in recent years. We believe that even more can be done to drive our economy forward and maintain the blockbuster growth we have experienced over the past few years.
However, in spite of our economic renewal, we have unmet needs that require our full attention, including education, affordable housing, emergency and disaster preparedness, renewable energy, and preservation of our vital agricultural industry. We cannot afford to waste this rare opportunity to find solutions to some of the biggest problems facing our people today. |
SOME OF OUR BILLS
School Improvements
- Education has been a top priority for 2006. The Democratic Majority is working to improve and hasten needed repairs to our schools and to prevent the backlog that has been accumulating because of the slow economy of the past decade or so. The same support is being given to the University of Hawaii to meet many of its infrastructural needs.
Renewable Energy
- We have all seen the dramatic rise in gas prices, despite nationwide calls for the industry to provide relief. One area that shows promise in helping lower our dependence on oil and gas is the increased efficiency and use of photovoltaic systems. This increased use has been brought about partly through a variety of tax credits for residential and commercial properties that install wind or solar photovoltaic panels. Not only do the renewable energy tax credits for photovoltaic systems help, but we could see long-term savings to the state by providing the ability to install photovoltaic systems in public schools statewide. This would probably begin with a pilot project but could greatly decrease the state's reliance on gas and oil in the long run.
Housing and the Homeless
- With the cost of housing rising so dramatically in the last few years, many people have been left without the means to find a home. Even those looking for an affordable rental are having trouble. This has a cumulative effect on those with little or no income, resulting in more people who have become homeless. Many people who work full time are one paycheck away from becoming homeless. The situation has become a major crisis for our state. To address these varied needs, a bill is being discussed that would provide funding for homeless and transitional housing programs, as well as to repair vacant public housing units. In addition, this measure would require the State and counties to partner with nonprofit organizations to locate lands that may be used for temporary shelters. Finally, the allocation from the conveyance tax to the Rental Housing Trust Fund would increase from 30% to 50%.
Agricultural Infrastructure
- Agriculture has always been and remains pivotal to Hawaii's economic growth. Whether pineapple, sugar cane, or diversified crops for export or sale locally, we are fortunate to live in a state with the natural resources to sustain a wide variety of agricultural products. The Democratic Majority has always supported maintaining the infrastructure, such as irrigation systems, that are so necessary to this important industry through direct financial aid or through incentives to the private landowners or even working to improve the zoning process.
School Buildings; Emergency Shelters
- Recent natural disasters have left no doubt with respect to the need to improve disaster preparedness in our state. Leveraging our existing physical assets is one of the most effective ways to increase shelter space for our residents and visitors. House Democrats have pushed for a measure that allows general obligation bonds to be used to retrofit public schools to be used as emergency shelters.
Workforce Development
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With the recent economic turnaround, there are more job opportunities available for those with the proper training. The Democratic Majority has consistently looked for opportunities for job training and supported a wide variety of programs to increase and improve the state's workforce. One example would be the Rapid Response Development and Training Program to assist the unemployed and underemployed find suitable full-time jobs. The Construction Academy is another idea that could provide the construction industry with incentives to hire local workers with the necessary education and training to succeed in the large variety of jobs available in the construction industry.
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