Sharon Har

Party: Democratic

Age: 39

Job: Attorney at Law, Bays Deaver Lung Rose & Holma.

Born in . In Hawaii since 1978, arrived from (no information)

Lives: Kapolei

Contact: 699-9964, rephar@gmail.com

Web site: www.sharonhar.org

Job history past 10 years:
2006- present: State of Hawaii, State Representative; 2002- present: Bays Deaver Lung Rose & Holma, Attorney at Law; 1999-2002: Office of Lt. Governor, Aide; 1998-1999 State Judiciary, Law Clerk.

Ever run for public office? When? Outcome?
2006 when I became elected.

Other civic experience or community service:
Boys and Girls Club Alliance; Korean American Bar Association; Hawaii State Bar Association; Kapolei Chamber of Commerce.

1) Why are you running for office?
I am running for re-election because I want to fulfill the vision for West Oahu -- a safe place where we can live, work, play and raise our families. As an 11-year resident of Kapolei, I have witnessed the rapid growth and changes in our community. As an attorney specializing in land use and construction, I can fight for Dist. 40 residents to ensure that development occurs properly.

2) With state revenue growth slowing, what are your top three priorities for government spending?
(1) Education as every child is entitled to a quality education; (2) health and safety of our residents as one of government's key roles is to provide emergency response including civil defense during times of disaster; and (3) infrastructure development because government made a commitment to the residents of the Second City and must live up to its promises.

3) What steps should the state take to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel?
In Hawaii, we have an overabundance of natural energy sources such as wind, sun, wave, and and hydro technologies that should be further researched and harnessed into natural energy sources. Measures passed by the legislature such as mandatory solar water heaters in all new homes built after 2010 are one example of ways in which the state is working towards this goal.

4) What's the No. 1 thing needed to improve Hawai'i public schools?
Aside from home and family factors, the single most important factor to positively impacting student achievement is a qualified teacher in the classroom. While I believe that we have many qualified public school teachers in the DOE, our teacher have not been equipped with the tools they need to succeed such as proper induction, professional development, and acceptable working teachers.

5) How should the state respond to financial difficulties at public and private hospitals?
At public hospitals, the state should identify a safety net for services needed such as emergency and acute care. For private hospitals, the state should support efforts to support long-term care through nursing and home care.

6) What is the No. 1 quality-of-life issue facing Hawai'i, and what would you do about it?
Growth management. Our population statewide continues to grow, yet our infrastructure has not kept pace with the current population. Even more disturbing is that our population is expected to increase on the island of Oahu alone to over 1.2 million by the year 2025. Therefore, we must continue to invest in our infrastructure and ensure timely construction in order to improve our quality of life.

7) What's the No. 1 piece of legislation you'd work to pass in 2009?
For District 40, it is imperative that we focus on smart growth development to ensure that our quality of life is no longer negatively impacted. As the chair of the Interim Task Force on Smart Growth Development, I will continue to work on smart growth legislation because if development is slated to occur in West Oahu, we have only one chance to get it right.