Country lifestyle is voter theme

• 2002 General Election Voter's Guide

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

Candidates for House District 48 and Senate District 23 are ready to take on the broad issues of education and the economy, but they are not losing sight of concerns specific to their area, including traffic congestion, crime, Kane'ohe Bay and the environment.

The candidates are Lacene Terri and Melodie Aduja in Senate District 23 and Sam Moku and incumbent Ken Ito in House District 48. All say that "keep the country country" is a theme they hear throughout their communities and they will work to do that.

The 23rd Senate District includes part of Kane'ohe with homes north of Kea'ahala, Waikalua and Waikapoki roads all the way to Kawela Bay.

The breakdown of the population of 45,155 includes 23 percent Caucasian, 13 percent Japanese, 12 percent Native Hawaiian — with Filipino, Chinese and Samoan making up the next largest groups, respectively.

Aduja and Terri both want to focus on education, with Aduja incorporating the issue into a campaign that she says centers on children.

"In addition to improving our education system ... is the correlating issue of substance abuse," Aduja said. "My own personal agenda would be to stress education programs to instill in our children's minds that drug use is abnormal, uncool and something they should not venture into."

Aduja said she would introduce bills to legislate programs to teach children this lesson, with the program supported by money from the state's tobacco settlement.

Terri said the Legislature came close to changing the school system last session and she feels that the measure could have passed if there were more like-minded senators. She said she would work to build a consensus with them and win over the doubters.

"People know the schools are hurting, the teachers are hurting, the students are hurting and they are not going to stand for it," she said. "I'm sure the legislators feel the pressure."

With the weak economy on everyone's mind, Aduja and Terri offered their ideas for improvement.

Terri, 32, said government must become more efficient and reduce expenses. Taxes should be lowered, specifically the general excise tax on food, rent and medical care, she said.

"Give people more money and they'll spend it, save it, invest it — and that creates a stronger economy," she said.

Aduja, 42, said schools should focus on training students to be entrepreneurs for locally owned businesses that would sustain Hawai'i's economy and keep the profits in Hawai'i.

The University of Hawai'i should elevate its standards so it attracts the best and brightest in the field, Aduja said.

Both Aduja and Terri believe their background and experience would serve them well in the Senate.

Aduja, who considers herself a moderate, opposing same-sex marriage and promoting family values, said her tax and business background makes her a total package for the district.

Terri said nine years working at the State Capitol, including two years as an aide to the Republican caucus, has given her valuable knowledge about the legislative process.

The 48th House District includes homes mauka of Kamehameha Highway to the Ko'olau Range from Pali Highway to H-3 and Ha'iku Road and from Pali Highway along Kamehameha to He'eia, Alaloa and Kalali streets. Makai of Kamehameha the district stretches from H-3 to Kane'ohe Bay Drive and Moakaka Place.

The district also includes homes within a triangular wedge bordered by Kamehameha, Kane'ohe Bay Drive and Pu'ohala, Makalani, Pua Alowalo and Pua 'Inia streets.

The breakdown of the district's population of 23,933 includes 16 percent Caucasian, 27 percent Japanese and 10 percent Hawaiian — with Chinese and Filipino making up the next largest groups, respectively.

Some 41 percent of district residents are 50 or older, and Ito said these people want guarantees that their pensions won't be taxed and have voiced concerns about long-term care, housing and the cost of prescription drugs.

Ito, 58, said as long as he's in office he won't support taxing retirees' incomes, most of which are fixed.

"I tell them don't worry because my wife just retired from DOE and I'm retired too," Ito said. "I share their concerns."

Moku, 38, said people want change and he'll advocate that by pushing to balance the state budget and eliminate the general excise tax on food and medicine to help the economy. He'll propose a low-level flat tax for earned income, he said.

People in Kane'ohe want no new development and they're concerned about crime, Moku said. One solution is for the state to allocate more money to Police Department.

On statewide issues, Moku said the Legislature will probably address a health fund bill that would force all government unions to belong to a statewide medical plan, which unions say is more expensive than they can purchase.

"Unions want it repealed and I support unions getting their own medical coverage," he said.

At the Legislature, Moku wants to see a limit on the number of bills that can be introduced. Each year about 2,000 bills are introduced but only 200 get passed, often with little public input because of the huge volume lawmakers must deal with, he said.

"They suspend the rules to make sure the bill gets to the next committee, and the public doesn't get their fair share in," Moku said.

Ito's remedy for the economy is diversification. Attracting high-tech businesses, granting tax credits and offering incentives will help, he said.

In Kane'ohe the state has laid a foundation for economic growth with the Castle High School and Windward Community College theaters, H-3 and the Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery, all of which bring outside dollars to the community, said Ito, who was first elected in 1994. But more can be done to expand opportunities, he said.

Ito also said the community needs a major traffic study to deal with congestion. One-way streets are a possible solution, which could also open the door to beautifying the area. But making changes isn't easy and many hurdles have to be cleared, he said.

"You have to change the culture, the mindset in Kane'ohe," Ito said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.