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SERVICE
US
Senate – Congressional Intern
The summer of 1992 was an interesting one. I had an opportunity
to spend a summer in Spain to complete the final two semesters
of my foreign language requirement, and Spain was host to
both the Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the World’s
Fair in Seville. However, I had also succeeded in landing
one of the most coveted slots for a college student majoring
in political science: an internship with United States Senator
Daniel K. Inouye in Washington DC. I went to DC.
It was a summer that allowed me to attend the Democratic
National Convention in New York City with US Senator Inouye,
Former US Senate Sergeant at Arms Henry Giugni, and Press
Secretary Nestor Garcia. I went to New York City a week
before the Senator to work at President Clinton’s
Campaign Headquarters in Times Square. I was invited to
attend all of the meetings and functions with our senior
senator during that amazing week. It was an honor and a
privilege to observe the interactions of our national leaders
in an intimate, casual, and social setting.
I was provided the opportunity to work on issues that were
assigned to different staff personnel. I worked with legislative
assistants on World War II reparations, Native Hawaiian
concerns, and transportation, and drafted legislation and
correspondence on behalf of the Senator. It was big stuff
for a lowly legislative intern. The true value of this incredible
summer wasn’t the access to the Supreme Court or the
Library of Congress, although that was hard to beat, but
the sincere friendships and personal relationships that
were established.
State House – Legislative Aide
My first job in Hawaii upon graduating from the University
of Massachusetts was as a Legislative Aide to State Representative
Les Ihara Jr. The 1993 Legislative Session was an exciting
one because of the Hawaii Convention Center controversy.
Representative Les Ihara Jr.’s responsibilities included
Diamond Head, Waikiki, and Kaimuki. I immersed myself in
the legislative process. On one hand, I was able to represent
the office at Neighborhood Board meetings throughout his
district, and on the other hand I was able to draft legislation
and assist constituents in introducing and tracking legislation.
Rep. Les Ihara was instrumental in establishing the Public
Access Room at the State Legislature. He felt that citizens
are entitled to participate freely and openly in the legislative
process. It was incumbent upon government to assist in encouraging
greater participation. We also worked tirelessly on drafting
summaries for every single bill being considered by legislators.
This required reading every bill and accurately and succinctly
summarizing these bills for review by all legislators. Because
final bills were not submitted until midnight Friday and
votes would be conducted on Monday morning, there were some
sleepless nights over the weekend.
I was very appreciative for the mentoring and friendship
of Les Ihara and Heather Bolan, his Office Manager, for
allowing me to become familiar with the legislative process.
State Senate – Legislative Aide
During the 1995 and 1996 Legislative Sessions, I worked
at the State Legislature as a Legislative Assistant. Again,
this was a very educational experience because so much happens
so quickly involving so many different constituencies within
a short period of time. From January through May, nearly
4,000 pieces of legislation are introduced. It is up to
the 51 State Representatives and 25 State Senators to sort
through it and to hopefully pass the most meaningful and
important bills to become laws. Sometimes it works and sometimes
it doesn’t.
I was also in Law School at this time so there was a lot
going on during these legislative sessions. But, because
of my educational background, everything seemed relevant,
interesting, and important. One of the more interesting
projects outside of drafting legislation and working through
the legislative process was assisting in the Ala Wai Watershed
Project. This required me to track the three streams entering
the Ala Wai (Manoa, Makiki, and Palolo), and to conduct
an analysis of the waste and trash in the area. Finally,
to coordinate the communities and organizations in a community-based
clean up effort. It showed me the power of community cooperation
and collaboration.
County of Hawaii – Executive Assistant
In 2001, I was asked by Mayor Harry Kim to return to Hawaii
Island and serve as his Executive Assistant. At first,
I hesitated to accept the position because I enjoyed being
a trial attorney. Also, my wife and I had just purchased
our first home (a two-bedroom condominium that felt palatial
after years of living in a studio) and we were raising
our two young sons and had established strong relationships.
However, after a personal meeting and a discussion with
Mayor Harry Kim, and meeting with judges, attorneys, and
mentors, I was convinced that it would be a privilege
to serve the Hawaii Island community.
I once heard the analogy that being an attorney and an
advocate for an individual is to retail work, as being
engaged in public service and advocating for entire communities
is to wholesale work. It is what makes public service
meaningful. So many people can be helped in a relatively
short period of time.
One of the first assignments I received from Mayor Harry
Kim was to come up with a comprehensive strategy to address
the crystal methamphetamine problem or ICE. It was a daunting
task and assignment. In 2001-2002, it seemed like our
entire state was being overwhelmed by the violence, the
crime, and the personal tragedies of ICE addiction. However,
we focused on mobilizing our entire community, committed
ourselves to a federal, state, county, and community partnership,
secured substantial resources to address the issue of
capacity building, and ensured that we followed through
on our commitments to the public.
We were careful to avoid any false promises or establishing
unrealistic expectations. It was important to be open,
honest, and transparent in our efforts to ensure long-term
support for this initiative. We focused on building our
enforcement capacity, expanding our treatment options
for Hawaii Island residents, and implementing multiple
prevention programs in every community to protect our
children. Thankfully, everyone agreed that this was a
problem and everyone has been working successfully together
for over five years to solve it. US Senator Daniel K.
Inouye recently came to Hawaii Island and recognized our
community as a model for the rest of the country in the
fight against drug abuse.
Another challenging assignment that I received from Mayor
Harry Kim was to come up with a comprehensive strategy
to address the coqui frog problem on Hawaii Island. The
Caribbean tree frog arrived as early as 1992, and by 1998
was establishing populations on Hawaii Island. We formed
a Coqui Frog Working Group made up of the United States
Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research
Center and Wildlife Services, the State Department of
Agriculture, the State Department of Land and Natural
Resources, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University
of Hawaii at Hilo, private nurseries and community representatives.
This was a challenging invasive species that the County
of Hawaii had never tackled but we were committed to establishing
a strategic framework that would be successful.
We created an incident action plan that focused in developing
three critical areas: Eradication and Control, Research,
and Community Education and Outreach. The USDA was the
lead on Eradication and Control, the USDA and UH took
the lead on Research, and the County took the lead on
Community Education and Outreach. Like the Meth Initiative,
we listened to what the community needed and we responded.
When they needed financial support, we created the Coqui
Community Grant Program. When they needed equipment, we
created the Community Loan Sprayer Program. When community
efforts needed support, we contracted with the USDA to
provide Eradication and Control support teams. This problem
is going to need a commitment of substantial resources
from our Federal and State partners to be successful.
Mayor Harry Kim has also tasked me with issues surrounding
homelessness and housing. I was assigned to coordinate
the restoration of the shoreline area in Lehia/Puumaile
that was a refuge for the homeless on the coastline outside
of Hilo. I was assigned the legislative advocacy for the
West Hawaii Homeless Shelter. I was tasked to coordinate
the Kawaihae Homeless Transition Program Renovations utilizing
community volunteers. I worked closely with the Office
of Social Ministry to secure resources for their homeless
programs. We were able to work together with Po’ailani
Inc. to establish a 66-unit housing program in West Hawaii
for those battling substance abuse. Our housing capacity
has been increased through the efforts of many for those
most in need of shelter and support in our community.
Other projects include establishing Speed & Quickness
Clinics on the island for our youth, assisting in the
development of the Pohoiki Park project, and bringing
the NFL Pro Bowl Youth Clinics to schools. We established
grant programs for our communities and neighborhoods and
continue to support the expansion of the Boys and Girls
Club to rural areas of our island. Using data and recommendations
from the community we will significantly increase the
amount of transportation services we can provide through
the Mass Transit Office.
Transportation will continue to be the most important
issue facing our communities. How do we give our youth,
our families, and our residents access to employment opportunities,
programs, and services if they are unable to travel to
and from areas on our 4,028 square mile Island?
Although education isn’t a County function, it plays
a critical role in the quality of life of our community
and is the framework for the future of our Island. I have
dedicated myself to supporting the educational system
at all levels in our community. Whether it is elementary
schools, middle or high schools, community colleges or
university, our educational system is the infrastructure
that determines the future of our society. Education instills
hope and opportunity in our youth so that they may realize
their potential and possibilities. Education is critical
to business, leadership, government, and a value-based
community. Finally, education is the great equalizer of
our society. It allows everyone, regardless of socio-economic
status, relationships or influence, to attain their goals,
hopes, and dreams. We all must do everything we can to
ensure that those who work hard in our educational system,
at every level on a daily basis, are provided the tools
and the support to fulfill their mission.
Another non-County function that is critical to the quality
of life in our community is our Healthcare System. Another
assignment from the Mayor was being the point person for
the County in the establishment of a Rural Residency Program
for Hawaii Island. I worked closely with Dr. Neal Palofax
and Dr. Chip Hixon, both Professors of Family Medicine
at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and Private Practitioners
of Family Medicine on Oahu. They are some of the most
compassionate and committed professionals I have ever
encountered. With their already busy schedules, they have
made it their goal to increase the capacity of physicians
in rural communities by establishing rural residency programs.
Over the past 12 months, they were successful in securing
resources from US Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s office,
the HMSA Foundation, and from the Hawaii State Legislature.
Hopefully, the Governor will be releasing those monies
to begin the process of establishing the Rural Residency
Physician Program here on Hawaii Island within the next
twelve months.
We are also in the planning stages of the Hawaii Island
Healthcare Initiative which is a long-term plan to increase
the capacity of our Island community to address the current
dramatic shortages in our healthcare infrastructure. The
Hawaii Island Healthcare Summit will be held next month
followed by intensive working groups to establish priorities
that will serve as the basis for our funding requests
at the Federal and State levels.
Our Island will also be hosting the Hawaii Rural Health
Conference in October that will begin the process of coordinating
our rural healthcare system toward a strategic process
that will improve the quality of care for Hawaii residents
through the next generation. We cannot be under any illusions.
Healthcare is a global issue, a national issue, a state
issue, and most importantly, a community issue.
This is a challenge that will take time and resources.
More importantly, it will take everyone’s commitment,
cooperation and collective effort.
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