 Aloha, and welcome to today's show, The State of the State of Hawaii, on ThinkTech Hawaii's live streaming network series. ThinkTech Hawaii broadcasts from our downtown studio at 1164 Bishop Street at the core of downtown Honolulu. I'm your host, Stephanie Stowe Dalton. As you know, election season is fully upon us here in the state of Hawaii as it is nationally. And today our guest is former Congresswoman Colleen Honobuso who is seeking election as Honolulu city and county mayor. I'm pleased to introduce and welcome Colleen Honobuso to the program. She brings in her campaign for the third highest executive office in Hawaii. Welcome, Ms. Congresswoman Honobuso, and thank you for joining us today for this interview conversation. Thank you for having me, Stephanie. It's very wonderful you could make it in given our weather and our other conditions. So clearly you're interested in increasing the awareness of our mayoral election and all those that are in it and striving to be elected. So as an elected official, you have much experience on the campaign trail and in elective office, considerable experience. So how is this run for mayor special for you? And can you tell us a little about why you are the best candidate among the field of office seekers? You know, that's a question that I get all the time, which is why are you doing this? And some people also ask me, well, you know, it doesn't seem like you were out there launching a campaign as, I guess, as broadly as some of the others were. And let me explain that. I've always viewed that from the time I ran for office for the first time. And some people may think that I've been around for a very long time, but relatively speaking, I have not. I was first elected to office in 1998, took office in 1999. And I tell people that, you know, it's been an amazing journey, a political journey, but an amazing journey. I was in the Hawaii State Senate for 12 years, the last four as the first woman Senate president of the state of Hawaii, but the first woman to lead either, either body and the first Asian woman in the United States to lead a legislative body. And then I was fortunate that the people of congressional district one voted me in 2010 to the House of Representatives and Congress of the United States. So I had an amazing experience there on the federal level. And then of course, you know, I lost an election for, for United States Senate after Senator Inouye passed, and then took on the reins as the, on the heart board, including its chairmanship. So I was there for 15 months, about six months as the, as the chair of heart returned to Congress. And now I'm running for the mayor of the sitting County Honolulu and people say, why do you want to be mayor? And I tell people, it's because of this amazing political journey that I've had, I tell people that the constituents, the voters voted me in and, but they've invested in me, they've, they believed in me and they've invested in me and they've given me this amazing experience. I don't know of anybody else who's been able to be fortunate enough to have the experience that I've had. Your experience is extensive and it's federal, as you said, as well as state. And with all of, of your involvement at these many levels of government insensitive roles and then with the heart and other activities, I know you've pursued vehemently. I wanted to know, how do you use all of that experience to inform your, your, your leadership in the role of mayor? How are you thinking about capitalizing on all, all that you've experienced and performed and now to direct it into this, this new role you're seeking? Can you tell us a little bit about your thoughts there? You know, Stephanie, at first I was, when we, when we first started to consider the running for mayor, what tipped the scales in favor of doing it was the fact that I was getting very concerned that I thought public confidence was at an all-time low. And without public confidence, without people believing that you can make a difference, but more importantly than that, that government is listening and government cares about what's going on and what you think, people are just going to be totally disenchanted. And that to me was a great concern because when you think about it, we haven't had, for example, public corruption at the level that we have right now in the city of Kani Honolulu. You have the top law enforcement people under either indictment, target letters, or, or they have been convicted. And we're still waiting to see what's going on. We hear about FBI subpoenas, FBI raids, and people are going, well, you know, what's going on? And now to add another layer of all of this is the issue of the coronavirus and COVID-19. And how is it that, that the government is going to handle this? And as we know, watching it nationally as well as on the state level and the Kani level, all you know is that it's so dynamic, it's so fluid. Things change on a daily basis. And where people say, oh, we're not going to do this because there is no, for example, community spread, then like today we say, we have community spread, so now what do we do? So what we need to have is we need to have people believing that government knows what they're doing. We don't want to heighten and make people afraid or fear in the worst way without any kind of validity to it. However, however, we do know just from watching this in the short period of time that government has got to be responsive and government has got to recognize that the failure to do so is really going to raise these concerns and the people will never feel that they can ever be safe again. And that's a critical issue. It really is. It is. And as the third highest executive office in the state, you really do have that position to step out up and speak to the people and provide them with guidance that's recommended according to the policies of the state and the federal, and you have to put all of that together in your good position to do that because you've mastered these different levels of lawmaker and leader. So what would it look like? What would be some markers of your leadership in the role of mayor? In general, theoretically, or in relation to any specific incident you'd like to talk about? Well, one of the things that we all do know is that especially for the city and county of Honolulu, what people are concerned about is real. And they need to have a sense that whoever is going to be mayor not only understands it, and it is a complex situation, but understands what it is that rail is all about, but more importantly can address the challenges that we are faced with and that there be no mistake. When it comes to rail, it is a federal issue, it is a state issue, and it is a county issue. The funding comes from the state. So you have to have a good relationship with those in the state legislature who have actually funded it, because we are talking about the general excise tax, and they did after a session in 2017 when they just refused to do it, they did come back in a special session and did fund it. I actually testified before them. And then you also have the issues of the FDA, because you have $1.55 billion that's still supposed to be part of the financing. We only have about $750 million that we've actually received. And there's this whole issue of changes in the charter that have happened. How does that then affect whether you can do this P3? What kind of legislation is going to be there? And can you tie future legislators? These are all critical issues to the success of the project that so many people have lost confidence in. I believe that with my experience, and what I've shown them when I was the chair, is that they can have a better sense of comfort. And that's what we're talking about now. More than anything else, we have to give people the sense of the belief that, you know, you can do it. You have the experience, and we can rely on you, as opposed to someone who has no experience. Yes. I think you're coming into what was going to be my next question, which was to ask you about your fiscal strategies. And so interesting that you brought up what we already had mentioned in your background. You've got this multi-level major positions you've served the country and the state in. So how have you learned, or what do you know now to do, or how do you intend to manage the budget for it maxing it out? Of course, that's needed. But how to be efficient in using what monies are available. The budget's rather, I guess, no budget is large. No budget is large enough, but it is a large budget, as you say. That's appropriately said. No budget is ever large enough. And the real issue really is that what is the primary functions of the city in County Honolulu, for example? What projects can you do, and what projects can't you do? And what projects are we obligated to do and to finish? That is where why rail always becomes such a major situation, because rail is something that people look at and they say, well, it's costing us so much money. So maybe that's not something that we should proceed with. But we've invested so much money in it now. And it depends on how one views rail and what one thinks rail's purpose is. I happen to think rail is not only a transportation mechanism, it really is something for the future generations, and that's something that we have to be cognizant of. So I think when we start to look at it and we start to look at the limited funds that we have, one thing we need to be aware of is that you've got to be honest with everyone and tell them. These are the funds that the city has. And not play games with, OK, we're not going to raise property tax, but guess what? Your assessments are going to go up. So the rate may not change, but your assessments are going to go up. And so you have all of this, and people are going to have to be part of the decision as to exactly what is it that's important to us and what is it that we need to do. So with the assessments, you're talking about the property values and therefore the taxation on that. And it's typical that when these new infrastructures go into place that the values change dramatically the closer you are to what becomes access to being able to do business in the city and the state. So I wondered if you would talk a little bit about how that ties in with what your goals are for making Hawaii a quote, better unquote place, but making Hawaii the place that maintains its global reputation, but also locally is livable and affordable and the kind of place we all want to be with our aloha. Can you talk a little bit about those kinds of goals you have and how maybe rail fits into that and other projects and initiatives too? You know what we all have to realize is that the city and county of Honolulu as my my supporters on the big island told me where the city and county of Honolulu goes the rest of the state goes because you've got the bulk of the population here and the bulk of the income generation. And as you know, the money that's created in Honolulu, a lot of it. And remember the city and county Honolulu basically has real property tax. That's what it has. But the other incomes that's generated for the state, whether it's general excise tax or other kinds of special assessments along the way. Those are generated, given to the state, and then they are shared. Transit accommodation tax, for example, where the hotel revenues come from. So we have to realize that for the city and county of Honolulu, what the revenue source is. And then within that revenue source, we have to prioritize what it is that we need to do. And what we need to do for the people is we need to recognize that what the mayor does is the mayor affects everyone on a daily basis, more than more than anyone else on a daily basis. The things that you expect government to do for you is usually what the mayor and the city and county would do. No, that's really interesting. Yes, yes. It is that. And you know, people and you can't tell people and you shouldn't tell people as an excuse that, you know what, that's a state issue or that's a federal issue. They expect their elected officials to be able to respond to them. And that's where I think I have the greatest advantage. And then I understand all the levels of government. That clarification would be a gift that is for sure. And I also just have to mention that Hawaii's excise tax is generally considered in whatever reading I've done to be low. Compared to other states. So where are you on that issue of would you be promoting or proselytizing for an increase in that excise tax, which would affect all of us so much? But maybe you could chat about that a bit. Well, you know, to be perfectly honest with you, I don't believe there's another state that has a general excise tax. Hawaii is unique in that it has a general excise tax. Most other jurisdictions have sales taxes. And of course, where we are said to be low is in the real property tax. That's true. People think real property. Because remember, a lot of it is because of the fact that most jurisdictions, except for Hawaii, the real property taxes pay for education, except for Hawaii. And that is where the general excise tax and our different revenues that the state has comes into play, because that's what makes Hawaii very unique in that sense. So I think that when we talk about the general excise tax, the reason why people react to it is because of the fact that there is probably no tax that has such a pyramiding effect as the general excise tax. And that's when people say, well, a simple 0.5% increase is not 0.5%. It's really a multiplier of that. And I think that that's why you have this sense. And of course, for the sitting counting Honolulu, the only time it even comes near a general excise tax is in the 0.5%, 1%, which has been basically given to the counties to initiate and to have accepted. And that was for rail on the sitting counting Honolulu. As you know, all the other counties had the same rights. But until very recently, the last 2017, I think they all declined, except for Honolulu, because Honolulu in 2007 is when it started actually chose to do rail and chose at that point initiated the general excise tax of 0.5% of 1%. That's really interesting. I wanted to know that's very helpful. I wonder if the unique situation of Hawaii's single school district arrangement, does that put the mayor's budget or the city and county budget? That relieves the city county budget of considerable expense, doesn't it? So how do you make hay out of that, so to speak? You know, it's never been. I shouldn't say it's never been because I think early on, and I think it may have been Governor Oroyoshi's time that changed it, where the city and county of Honolulu had the interface with the Department of Education was they actually built the schools. Sitting County Honolulu, the counties built the schools. Oh, the construction part of the budget. And then it changed, and then it became completely something within the State Department of Education facilities management. They started to do that. So in a sense, I guess the correct answer would be something along the lines that the city and county of Honolulu or no county and government really does have a direct payment into education process in terms of the DOE. The state is a, the DOE is the only state education system in the United States. However, having said that, the one, I guess you could say, benefit that the city and the counties that you could provide for schools are like parks if they use the park system. And if you look at the way schools were constructed back when the city and county did it, and I always thought that this was really a maximum use of space, they were built a lot of them next to parks, so you didn't need school grounds. However, having said that, that's not anymore the way the DOE and the city and county operate, that may be something they should consider. Because it really is. Well, it sounds like an efficiency. It's an efficiency. That's very, yeah, very good to hear that we've had some practice at that, because we could go ahead and do more where we can. Right, yeah. Well, I'd like to focus specifically as you can, although this is, of course, I'll just prediction, but what do you see are outcomes that will be there at the end of your mayoralty or mayorship? So what outcomes would be clear that you have accomplished some of your goals, or as many of your goals as you can? You know, I believe that anyone who wants to be there, and for me in particular, I think what we need to concentrate on, and we have been a measure of success, would be if we can have the city and county of Honolulu that so many people crave for, or believe that they wanted or they were a part of. I think there is a great sense now among our people that we've lost that sense, that sense of place, that very important sense that, you know, we are all part of this, this and we need to move together. I think the most important thing at the end of a term as mayor is that you've got to have the people feel that they're with you and that they agree, they may not agree with you on specific policies, but they need to feel that they understand and that we are moving Hawaii and the city and county of Honolulu in particular in the right direction. I think the saddest statement is when people feel that we're not moving anywhere or worse than that, we are going in the wrong direction. So one of the basic benchmarks that I would like to see in the process is people's sentiment changes and they feel that they are part of this great place and they feel comfortable and they want to invest in their future. And it is their future. It is about them. It's not about us elected officials who tell people, this is what we're gonna do and it's not that. It has to be something that they believe in and they buy into and they want to see a part of it. Well, with people's frustration fairly high at some of our critical issues here, I mean, in particular homelessness or houselessness, how are you thinking to go about that challenge and what resources do you bring to that? You know, I think the most important issue when we talk about homelessness and houselessness, this is something that I referred to earlier, that the problem is that so many people, it's a problem and it's an issue. And what elected officials tend to do is say, well, jurisdictionally, that's the states or that's the city's problem. And the best example I can give you of that is for example, Kakaako. You know, where they buy John Byrne School of Medicine. Kakaako. Kakaako is basically what we call an HCDA, a community development authority, but it's state. And just recently, I think early last year sometime, they transferred it to the City and County of Honolulu, the jurisdiction over Kakaako. And then the homeless issues came along with it. But homelessness and how we proceed has got to have a complete look at in terms of what kind of services are necessary to really address the cause, to the extent that the cause can be addressed. The problem I think we have is that most people think of it at that issue as something that's applicable to everyone and we broad brush it, but they're not. The different reasons for why people are homeless is something that we need to peel away at and get to there. So you have people who have drug and alcohol problems who don't want to be in any kind of group situation. And you know, and of course now with the coronavirus, we also have to re-look at that. And we also have those who are families, sometimes single parents, who should be off the streets. And we need to take care of that. We have children who should be off the streets. And we also have a group that someone has come to talk to me about that's very disturbed about. It's like teenagers. So they're not children per se. They may not be with a parent, any parent, but they're on the streets. And that poses a different set of criteria problems and how we address it. So I think the most important thing, and I hate to put it this way, but we have to prioritize. We have to prioritize exactly who it is that we can do something about. And then a lot of it is that old adage about you have to have people who want to help themselves who are going to be there that you can probably service a lot quicker. And we also have those that we have the major obligation for. And I'm talking about, of course, children. Yes, yes, certainly that that's an issue. Well, as these campaigns go and this pursuit of elective office has it some double-edged sword, right? And there's always history. So how are you gonna manage your history issues because you're a person who has to have history because you've been elected numerous times and you've run numerous times and you've had a lot of experience. So do you have any particular strategies or what are you thinking about going forward and making sure that people understand what all of your intentions have been? You know, I think that's exactly the way you phrased it is very correct. I believe that what, if we've made a mistake in the past, it's that we have not had a consensus about addressing whatever people may raise. And I will tell you right now, anybody wants to raise any issues, we will address it head on and we will give our side as opposed to we've had, you know, we've had great consultants who have said, oh no, no, no, you don't have to say anything, just let it pass. And so at least people with the wrong impression. So I will, I intend to fully tell the stories that people wanna hear about. And if they wanna raise it, fine, we will address it. And we hope that you have all of your information correct because we have, you know, we know what happened, we know where people are on these various issues and we know who've been helped in the process and we will bring all of those things up. So if they want to raise it, then you know, be my guest and we will answer it and people will get to the truth. Yes, and you are courageous, but importantly, you're substantive. So I'm very pleased to hear of your openness and being trying to be an open book and get that clarity there for your campaign's sake. Well, we're about at the end of our time so we're gonna need to wrap up. And I am the host for this show, Stephanie Stoll Dalton. This show is the state of the state of Hawaii on the Think Tech live streaming network series. We've been talking with former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa as she makes her case for becoming the Honolulu City and County Mayor. I'll see you again in two weeks on the next state of the state of Hawaii and mahalo for your attention everyone. And...