Jan Shields

Party: Republican

Age: 55

Job: Registered Nurse; Patient Advocate, AIHM - Association for Improved Healthcare on Maui; Inventor of Neonatal Products and Equipment, Clinical Consultant, Neotech Products & Millenium Medical.

Born in Detroit, Michigan. In Hawaii since 2005, arrived from Part time since 2000

Lives: Lahaina

Contact: 808-250-9060, Jan@JanShields4Senate.com

Web site: www.JanShields4Senate.com

Job history past 10 years:
Please see attached resume - it's just easier that way (smiles).

Ever run for public office? When? Outcome?
No.

Other civic experience or community service:
I have worked as a volunteer nurse for the high school band. I worked for several years with Dr. Ron Kwon to bring private hospitals to Maui. I am a Rotarian and do community service wiht them.

Anything else you'd like voters to know about you?
I am an inventor, therefore, one of my strengths is creative problem solving, I bring a fresh set of eyes to old problems due to different life experiences. I care about the people of Hawaii.

1) Why are you running for office?
The main reason I am running for office is due to our hospital system being in crisis. Neighbor islanders are not receiving proper care. The HHSC system is going to bankrupt the state if we do not take action now. I understand what needs to be done and want to help the people of Hawaii. Another reason is that our schools are rated poorly. I would like to part of the solution to this problem.

2) With state revenue growth slowing, what are your top three priorities for government spending?
We need to improve our infrastructure, including airports, harbors and water infrastructure. We must continuously improve and repair the infrastructure or else we end up with everything needed to be fixed at the same time. Our schools need improved and repaired campuses. We need to increase the traffic carrying capacity of the pali in West Maui. We need the Lahaina bypass started.

3) What steps should the state take to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel?
We are surrounded by abundant energy in Hawaii. Energy doesn't just go away; it changes forms. We need to harness our wind, hydro (waterfalls), wave and solar energy and convert it into usable energy. By doing this, we will create new jobs which will help our economy. For immediate fossil fuel reduction, we need to increase our public transportation services using low cost bus service.

4) What's the No. 1 thing needed to improve Hawai'i public schools?
We need local school boards. This will give the schools more control and also, will get more money into the classroom. We are top heavy on administration and therefore, not enough money is getting into the classrooms. We need to pay our teachers a higher salary for them to afford our high cost of living. We could also then attract, hire and retain more teachers. We need more charter schools.

5) How should the state respond to financial difficulties at public and private hospitals?
The state should not respond to financial difficulties at private hospitals. Hospitals are businesses. The government should not bail out private businesses. However, we do need to increase reimbursement levels to all of our hospitals and our physicians. We also need medical tort reform. Public hospitals should be privatized. We could sell them for a low price and profit by our savings.

6) What is the No. 1 quality-of-life issue facing Hawai'i, and what would you do about it?
The economy is our number one issue. We rely too heavily on tourism. We should bring in technology to diversify our economy. We need to use our unique physical location to our advantage. We can save money by privatizing our government hospitals. This is also a good time to improve harbors, airports, schools, roads, and build hospitals. We need to create a more business friendly atmosphere.

7) What's the No. 1 piece of legislation you'd work to pass in 2009?
Abolish the Certificate of Need (CON) laws. I have the bill already written and ready to go. The CON stops competition. If there is no competition, then there is no reason to provide quality healthcare at reasonable prices. The CON keeps advanced healthcare only on Oahu. It is not fair that the neighbor islanders have poor outcomes because delays in receiving high level care.