Schools top priority for four House candidates

Candidates in House District 35 need look no farther than Waipahu Intermediate School to see the area's most pressing problem.

The school has seen enrollment increase every year over the past decade as the area's population has surged. With its 1,300 students, the school already uses five portable classrooms but needs five more. Meanwhile, six teachers without classrooms of their own are forced to "float," making use of any classroom that is otherwise empty.

Other teachers are forced to share rooms, with two classes conducted simultaneously, side by side, hardly ideal conditions for learning and teaching.

Alex M. Sonson (D) • Address: 94-323 Kahuawai St., Waipahu • Occupation: Attorney • Family: Married, two children • One big idea: Exportable agriculture: "We need to be better than a one-industry economy. Tourism is important, but we all need to look very hard at alternatives or supplements to that. I think agriculture is something that hasn't been seriously looked at yet."

Julie R. Duldulao (D) • Address: 94-940 Kuhaulua St., Waipahu • Occupation: Child-support enforcement and public policy specialist, Department of the Attorney General • Family: Married, three children • One big idea: "We need to have a healthcare system that's affordable, accessible and effective in our state. I believe that healthcare, or your health, shouldn't be compromised with a hard decision between food and other necessities."

John Nuusa (R) • Address: 94-212 Aniani Place, Waipahu • Occupation: Sales executive • Family: Married • One big idea: "I would try to propose ideas or any bills to revitalize the economy in the state because that may lower the cost of living in Hawai'i."

Jacinto Pablo (D) • Address: 94-461 Hiapa'i'ole Loop, Waipahu • Occupation: Retired from U.S. Navy • Family: Married, five children • One big idea: In addressing the district's top priorities — education, the economy and crime reduction — there should be "continuous involvement with the community, having an open dialogue to come up with possible solutions to the problem."

"We're overcrowded now and I hate to even think what our enrollment will be like next year. We could use immediate and long-term help," Oshiro said.

Dealing with crowded schools is a top priority for all four candidates competing for the House seat in the district, which encompasses upper Waipahu, Crestview and Waipi'o Uka.

Of the more than 23,000 residents in the district, nearly 18,000 are eligible to vote.

And 75 percent of those voters are Asian. About 53 percent of the total population are Filipino, 13.2 percent are Japanese and 5.7 percent Caucasian.

"The government has an obligation to fund education," said Democratic candidate Julie Duldulao, 54. "They say they don't have money, but that depends on the government's priorities. If they prioritize education, and it comes first, and you earmark the money for adequate classrooms conducive to learning, (the needs) can be fulfilled."

Despite the lack of classrooms, Waipahu Intermediate has seen signs of academic improvement. Recent test scores show significant increases in reading, writing and math scores.

"We feel we're making tremendous progress, not only socially but academically," Oshiro said. "We're really pleased to know the students are really learning. ... But we're not satisfied. We want to become better and better and better."

But the school needs improvements to its infrastructure as well.

As chairman of the school/community-based management council at Waipahu Intermediate, Democratic candidate Alex Sonson has worked to get the road behind the administration building paved. Sonson successfully lobbied the city for $2.9 million to build a sidewalk and pave the road, which many students use to walk to and from school.

"The sidewalk gives them a place to walk safely," said Sonson, 43. "Since there isn't any (sidewalk), the children walk down the middle of the road, especially when it's raining. It's not safe."

It's difficult to get the state to approve improvement projects, so Democratic candidate Jacinto Pablo says the solution would be to decentralize the Department of Education.

"Local education levels should manage the local schools," said Pablo, 43, who finds that schools have problems that differ from district to district, along with different student needs.

"Addressing issues at the local level ... will benefit the students most," Pablo said.

Steady growth

Growth here has been steady, unlike the explosion of development in neighboring Kapolei and 'Ewa, but residents still must deal with some of the same issues, though on a smaller scale.

Traffic remains a problem for commuting residents, who spend more than an hour in rush-hour traffic in both directions daily. And residents in upper Waipahu and Waipi'o Uka must endure additional congestion due to industrial development in the area, which now includes Costco and the Tony Honda Autoplex.

"I'm very worried and concerned about the traffic gridlock in the Leeward area," said Duldulao, who has lived in Waipahu since 1970.

Instead of resisting development in the district as some residents in the 'Ewa region have, Duldulao welcomes the growth, saying it has improved the aesthetics of the neighborhoods.

"The appearance of the community has been enhanced by the new homes and the way they upkeep their surroundings," said Duldulao, who represented Waipahu in the House from 1988 to 1994. "Hopefully one day (the developments) will increase the property value of the homes in lower Waipahu. So that's a plus. We welcome new neighbors."

Growth brings economic opportunities, said lone Republican candidate John Nuusa, who feels turning around the district's struggling economy will provide benefits for the community beyond just creating job opportunities for residents.

"We have a very poor economy right now and that hurts a lot of people," said Nuusa, 37.

"People are out of jobs, not paid enough, looking for second jobs to make ends meet and feed their children."

Cutting taxes and decreasing the cost of living are solutions that Nuusa sees as critical in revitalizing the state's economy, which he feels relies too much on tourism.

"Our mistake was getting rid of our pineapple and sugar industries without having a substitute for them and only thinking tourism is a substitute," Nuusa said.

Sonson believes that stimulating the economy may alleviate Waipahu's crime problem.

"This district actually has the biggest crime area in Waipahu," said Annette Yamaguchi, Waipahu Neighborhood Board chairwoman, referring to "the Pupus," a high-crime area where street names begin with "Pupu." That area has been the target of anti-crime programs, such as the Weed & Seed law-enforcement program, which began in late 2000. Since then, drug crimes have fallen by 78 percent.

"We don't want crime in our area; no one does," Sonson said. "It can be cured by making the community a better place. And this starts with giving parents better jobs and better wages. ... I would be advocating an expansion in the economy. I think everything is tied to that."

Pablo believes that community involvement and programs such as Weed & Seed are key in reducing crime.

"Prevention is better than (finding) the cure," he said. "The community needs to be involved. They need to report crimes. That will help solve the problem."

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