Are you the candidate thats going to end homelessness on Oahu once and for all? Theyre tired of the same old politicians running for office and making the same type of decisions that arent improving the lives of working-class families. We just lost Loretta Sheehan, we just lost Steve Levinson, highly critical about the commission not really having oversight over (the Honolulu Police Department). We need to change our mindset. Theyre experienced in leaving their office to run for another office during the term that theyre sitting in office. You got two plum endorsements recently: HGEA, the white collar public workers union, and UPW, the blue collar public workers unions. Im open to that, and I know cities like Singapore place a huge fee or surcharge to even have the right to buy a car. Most people, most politicians are saying they want to bring back a lower level of tourism. So, I empathize with other families who have to deal with that, and I think we need to do more as a society to address it and not just sweep it under the rug. Since then, the family has lived a rather ordinary life within the walls of their Pauoa home. The police were sent in, and now those windmills are going up, those wind farms. Give us something different, something that would bring down the number of tourists, other than Airbnbs and get you this high spending tourist you keep talking about it. As a state, we have only scratched the surface in terms of our potential as a hub for media production. Hillary Clinton got the other two-thirds, but you basically told one-third of the voters out there, Republican who did not vote Democrat, you know, These are the guys Im going with, cause by the way, David Ige and Scott Saiki and Ron Kouchi, and all of the members of the delegation in Congress, are Democrats too. Mayoral candidate @keithamemiya joins me to discuss all of the issues we as a community are dealing with in the unprecedented time. Homelessness Mental He. They provided a lifeline to me, they provided love, compassion, they provided structure to me, they proved to me that all it takes is one family or one person or set of people to show they care and it can uplift you and change your life trajectory. What was your connection to that project? Well, by all accounts, they rushed it. Priorities such as building water and infrastructure capacity for housing, down payment assistance, and investing in diversified industries are all important for our continued economic recovery. Weve known about this problem for a long time, and nothings really been done. One of the cornerstones of his campaign addresses Honolulus severe housing deficit, which he says is 22,000 units short of demand. To fix this issue, hes vowed to curb activities such as illegal vacation rentals, which he argues increases the cost of housing. Number two, requiring an affirmative duty of an officer to intervene if a fellow officer is engaged in wrongdoing, especially in the use of physical force. The public needs to pay attention more, too. The more dialogue, the more feedback, the better for everyone. There are hardly any services in Chinatown. Mauna Kea is a special place for Hawaii, for spirituality, and for the universe. [18], Amemiya's biological parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and he was raised afterward by a friend's family. Ive been able to bring people together, Ive been able to collaborate, and Ive been able to find solutions through team work. All rights reserved. Both situations, theyre not good. Well, theres a couple of other ways. I dont like it, when people say that things cant be done. When I served on the commission, Chief Kealoha wasnt the chief and I wasnt involved in the selection of Chief Kealoha. No, not the law, so much. Thats not genuine. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. And thats why Im running. I know the Hawaii Community Foundation has been helping a lot, Aloha United Way has helped a lot, the Hawaii Foodbank, and just us as a citizenry, we always come through for each other. We have heard in the middle of this pandemic from behavioral health specialists that they are deeply concerned that depression will get worse, domestic violence, all of these other issues will get worse because of the pandemic. We need to have someone who will bring people together to find solutions to it and just build more affordable housing. Number one is crack down on the illegal vacation rentals; theres too many out there. They already are in Kaaawa and places like that. Essentially, they told him that although they had welcomed him into their home and raised him since his early teenage years, he the childhood buddy of their son Christopher and someone whom Bert had frequently coached in youth sports leagues needed to learn to stand on his own. I dont wanna say somethings gonna be cut until we know the true situation in terms of the citys finances a year from now. Keith Amemiya is on Facebook. Well, one area to look at is the city has approximately 1,000 vacancies right now, and theyve had that out of their 10,000-employee workforce for several years. Commissioner, right, you actually ran that back under Mayor Hannemann, if I remember correctly, Hannemann. Theres a lot of city employees that are retiring in the coming years. Sometimes youre not gonna come to an agreement, but when the public feels that at least theyve had a say in the matter, it makes life a lot easier now to add to that. Did you ever stand up for a young female athletes while you were there? Umm, there must be some issue I changed my mind on, and I need to think about it a little more. I dont know if its the same degree or not, but Im a firm believer in you can always be better, you should always try to be better. I agree with her that the vast majority of our officers in Honolulu are honorable law-abiding people who care about our community, but theres always room for improvement. Today, she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai High. There were no sparks during their initial encounter, in which they initially found themselves working on opposite sides of a lawsuit. Yes, its gonna cost money to the city in terms of more sewage and more water infrastructure and the like, but I like to tell people, they ask me, How can we afford to? And I say, How can we afford not to? The longer we delay these tough decisions, the harder its gonna get to build more housing. Keith we wanted to change a little bit of direction and get to know a little bit more personal side, a side that a lot of people don't know about. Many residents and business owners often and rightfully felt confused, fearful, and uncertain with restrictions and recovery plans. Thats the way I look, when you have a cold, you go to the doctor. #7-500 Well, to me, were at the point where we need to do what we can to finish the project. Keith Amemiya (born September 1, 1965)[2][3][4] is an American business executive and politician who ran in the 2020 Honolulu mayoral election,[5][6] and in 2022 for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. he is one of famous business executive and politician with the age 55 years old group. We also need to look at more third-party review. Everyone on Oahu thinks they need their own car, and that everyone else should ride the bus or walk, and we need to all do our part. I mean, why not? When you say that rail was ill-planned, who do you blame for that? Why cant we have online submittal, or registering for testimony? Those are three areas we can be successful in, but it takes political will, explains Amemiya. Were fortunate. Theyve had their chance. Im the only candidate for lieutenant governor who is not a career politician or a lobbyist and who has executive leadership experience leading large statewide organizations. We cant afford to pay back over $800,000,000 in federal subsidies that weve already received for the rail project, and we also need to ensure that rail is completed, so that we can proceed with transit oriented development. One of the more difficult parts was during my high school years. Amemiya is a member of a number of boards, including the Aloha Stadium Authority, Marcus Mariotas Motiv8 Foundation, and Assets School. Hey, were gonna possibly redevelop Sherwood Forest. I dont know, I have to think about it. So that, number one, will create more efficiency. Theyre entitled to what they say. Younger people in general are more open to change and new technology, so I think its a great opportunity to utilize that. There are shelter beds available, we need to get the homeless people to the shelter. Therefore, following graduation from Punahou School, he would be expected to fend for himself. How do you answer those two questions? Theres enough checks and balances in DPP and the permitting process, where if you approve a permit, as long as you have the enforcement and compliance mechanism after, I think well be okay, because there are professionals like architects and engineers looking at the plans as submitted. The ATS program is a 66-bed licensed and accredited residential treatment facility for men and women offering confidential assessment, individualized treatment planning, private one-to-one counseling, group counseling sessions, cognitive restructuring, family education and counseling, alcohol and drug education, life skills seminars, HIV prevention and education, 12-step support services, drug testing, professionally prepared meals, and continuing care. I sympathize with the public. To his credit, he didnt buckle under pressure. I have no opinion on that. As Bonny puts it, When you spend a lot of time with someone, I guess they just grow on you.. Are you gonna tell a hotel, Hey, you gotta move a mile inland, or 500 feet. What are you gonna do about that? They had a lot of engagement in the community that said, We dont want it. And the developer said, Well, too bad. The ethics commission should have more enforcement powers. We talk with Keith about the reasons why he's running for lieutenan. I was on their board for many years when I was a practicing attorney. I also believe we need to improve in the following areas: Clearer, more consistent communication to the public, with coordination from all levels of government and business and community leaders. For the past 10 years, the CPB Foundation played a leading role in supporting The Salvation Army with their Angel Tree Campaign and 4-Corner Red Kettle Challenge. After graduating from Punahou in 1983, Amemiya studied finance and law at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa, where he earned his degrees. Beyond using our islands as a site for filming, there are creative tax credits that would incentivize the development of brick-and-mortar studios locally that could generate significant funds. What makes you the leader that voters should trust to lead Oahu out of this pandemic crisis? Keith Amemiya is 56 years old today because Keith's birthday is on 09/01/1965. I worry about her today, shes in a care home now, but still, I think about her constantly. And thats what I intend to do as mayor. You know Keith, I was looking back, you place so much importance on your role running the high school athletic programs. There are shelters available, but not enough for the 2,000-some un-sheltered folks that are on the street right now. She was living independently, but clearly needed help. I am running to change the status quo, end political corruption, and put our local families interests first. Amemiya earned his BBA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his J.D. When you look at the Mauna Kea movement and how it has sparked conflicts over projects, what do you tell the nervous developers who have already received the green light by government, and what do you tell the police who have to enforce the law, and native Hawaiians who are willing to protest and put their lives at risk for their causes? I want change, and the people want change. So as mayor, if you find yourself in the middle of it, what do you say to each of those factions, when people are putting themselves on the line? Were also coming out of a remarkable situation, the police chief convicted, his wife, the former deputy prosecutor, theres a loss of confidence in the part of the citizens, the City and County of Honolulu, whether they can trust an HPD officer. How does that comment make you feel? The Amemiyas already own a Nuuanu home and Keith Amemiya is a senior vice president of Island Holdings Inc--not exactly the target buyer for affordable units. from the William S. Richardson School of Law. I think my career has shown that. You need to be proactive and you need to get out there constantly. Now if I can add to that, the pandemic has taught us that maybe everyone doesnt have to go to downtown to work, that maybe you can work from home, maybe we can have four-day work weeks across the board with rotating days off, so that traffic is spread out over the week. [19], Amemiya met his wife, Bonny (ne Suzui), in 1995 when she was the CFO of a local fast food chain. Id rather look at cutting those positions, then positions held by live bodies, so to speak. To leave our site for the link you selected, click PROCEED. Well, we need to do what we can to find them alternative places to live. At a time when we could face a financial struggle in the city government, you mentioned building more infrastructure and allowing more density in the urban core for affordable housing? As a business leader, I have been able to bridge gaps between our businesses and our communities. All rights reserved. I know their issues. 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