State House District 22 candidate Greg Cuadra answers your questions

MOILIILI—Greg Cuadra is a candidate for State House District 22, which is comprised of McCully and Moiliili. 

The Hawaii Independent presented reader-submitted questions to each General Election candidate. Responses will be published in the order in which they are received.

Cuadra is a realtor who has served on the McCully/Moiliili Neighborhood Board for 2 years. Here are his responses.

Who is your largest campaign contributor?
H. William Burgess.

Where do you stand on civil unions? Would you have voted for House Bill 444?
I do not support civil unions. I have many friends who are either gay or lesbian. Their lifestyle does not bother me and as long as they don’t try to push their lifestyle on me they have every right to do their own thing. But I think being gay is just that, a “lifestyle.” It is not a group that deserves any special rights or privileges. I am married and have been married to the same woman for almost 32 years. I consider myself a Christian and would have voted against House Bill 444.

As an elected official, will you support and enforce the existing State laws that protect and nurture the rights of Native Hawaiians?
Yes.

What kind of tax relief do you support and how else do we lower the cost of living for full time residents?
I would introduce legislation to move Hawaii toward a unicameral legislative system, thereby reducing the size of the Legislature. This alone would save millions of dollars and increase efficiency, allowing us to do business in a more efficient manner. I would propose the City and State combine some positions, and privatize as much as possible. I would ensure all State government offices operate as energy efficiently as possible (i.e. turning off lights, increasing temperature of AC, turning off AC on evenings and weekends, etc.).  There are many ways to save money, then we can reduce the GET to make Hawaii affordable for all.

How do you limit bureaucracy in government and manage civil work efficiently?
Well, we definitely need training on this in Hawaii. Currently our infrastructure management is overseen by 20 different agencies, none of which talk to each other. Just like civil defense, we need to move them all together (federal, State, and City). Again we consolidate and make do with one where there used to be three. Then we plan, we ensure, for instance, when we repave a street that beforehand the sewer and water pipes are serviced, we ensure the electrical, telephone, and cable lines are in place, we plan for sidewalks, ADA ramps, and bike lanes and then, and only then, do we pave. This ensures once the road is done, it’s done. I think we need to have an open competitive bidding system in place with not only union contractors, but non-union as well. This will drive costs down as well.

What ideas do you have for improving our education system?
Appointing the Board of Education (BOE) will make them accountable to the governor. It will also make the governor accountable to the voter and taxpayer. Ensure that there is a system in place to have a panel select candidates from a pool of qualified candidates from all areas of the state. Ensure the superintendant is a member of the governor’s cabinet. I would also seek to have principals who are managers become just that—managers, not union members. Give teachers the option of being union members instead of mandating it. Centralize all purchasing for all schools at the BOE, including books, lesson plans, computers, etc. This gives us buying power and makes our dollars go farther. Finally get the private sector involved and fix up our classrooms and grounds. This ensures our keiki have a place they can learn in.

What’s going to be your input in addressing Hawaii’s “homeless” problem?
This is a complex problem. First when we improve the economy we should see a drastic decrease in the “homeless.” I think this will allow many to get back into homes and off the street. Then we need to break the cycle of “homelessness.” We need laws that make it impossible for them to camp on our sidewalks and in our parks. Then we need to put them in shelters or places where they can live until they get a permanent place. These places would not be free but they would have to work, keeping the place up in order to stay, making them feel like they have some self worth. Finally we need to make jobs and affordable housing that they can afford and get them out of the “place” or shelters.

How would you improve accountability in government?
By applying the sunshine laws to the Legislature and eliminating back-room dealings. This will create openness. Then allow more citizen participation. These two things should bring confidence and trust back into the system.

What is your opinion on Hawaii’s current approach to renewable energy?
It’s too slow. Wake up Hawaii, we are one hurricane or earthquake away from disaster. We depend on almost everything from other sources. We need to move away totally from our dependence on oil. We live in one of the most unique places in the world. We have the sun, wind, waves, and geothermal sources we can draw from. We need to stop bickering and make the move.

Do you support legislation that would establish clear definitions and penalties for human trafficking in Hawaii?
Yes.

Are you aware of concerns Hawaii residents have with the lack of enforcement of child support laws, and do you see a way you could address it if elected?
I am aware of the concerns the residents have with the lack of enforcement of child support laws as well as many other laws that seem to be totally neglected (enforcement wise). I would like to propose a full on review of most if not all the current laws on the books. I would propose we have the William S. Richardson School of Law do the review. Then, do away with archaic laws, rewrite old out-dated ones in plain English, so they can be understood and enforced. Specifically with child support, we need to increase manpower in the collection and enforcement areas.

In balancing the State budget, what specific government programs or services would you cut?
I’m not sure if I would cut programs or services, but I will say welfare, “homelessness,” and some of the human services would be changed drastically to make recipients work before they receive benefits. The free ride would be over. I agree we need to lend a hand to the less fortunate, but not give them a hand out. Over 300,000 people in Hawaii receive some sort of government assistance.

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