 This is Think Tech Hawaii. Community matters here. Oh, I'm so happy to be here. Community matters on a given Wednesday with Sharon Moriwaki. Are you still the co-chair of the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum? For a while, yes. We're still going with energy. Clean energy is still our... She's been dedicated to that for how many years? It's a long time already. She has seen and shepherded Hawaii's entry into renewable energy. And she's really an important person in that regard. But also, she ran for the primary. She is running for Senate District 12 in the Hawaii State Senate. And that's why she's here today. So we can examine her reasons for running and how it's been for her and what it's going to be like going forward. PS, she won the primary. This is the important thing. Thank you. Thank you. Nice to be here, Jay. I miss being on our usual Wednesday show for clean energy. So it's nice to be here under different circumstances, of course. We miss you intensely from that show. Thank you. Thank you. But your shadow is the long shadow. It was the shadow that designed that show in the first place. And it is with us all the time when we do that show. Thank you. Anyway, so why in the world would a nice person like your own self run for the State Senate? What made you do that? Well, you know, this is what I keep telling people. It really depends on what your cause is, what your mission is. And for me, it started five years ago in Kakaako, as you know, with all the high-rise development. A lot of the buildings were getting through variances, building too close, too high, too densely, not following the rules that were in place. And so the community got together and we did topple that board and we made changes to the law. But it still wasn't the same because we still had to be vigilant about the senator who was supposedly representing us. And it didn't change. And I was really afraid that it would not change and we couldn't stand another four years. So it was based on that cause that we the people need to speak and you've got to stand up for what you believe in. And I felt that it was a time to step forward on behalf, take it for the tea. It's a really perfect example of civic engagement. You know, it's somebody who feels that the neighborhood ought to talk to government, ought to get government to respond. Somebody who goes out and goners a group, a coalition, if you will, from the neighborhood and then runs for office with them supporting her. It's really what Mr. Smith goes to Washington is all about. I mean, it's perfect civic engagement in my observation and I'm so glad you did, really. Well, it was a challenge. I didn't know what I was in for, the amount of work that's involved and what it takes and what it costs to do it. But I'm glad I did. I met a lot of very good people in the community. Smart people, committed people, wanted to be connected people, but have never had the opportunity. So it's exciting. It's very exciting. I watched you and you know, you really enjoyed it. You loved meeting people. There's a psychic benefit in that. I've campaigned that way, not on my own behalf. And I know what it means to knock on somebody's door and introduce yourself to walk the neighborhood that really is important. I've done it for so many people and it's different when you do it for yourself. I mean, you're the product and you're selling yourself. You're very vulnerable. I remember some of the doors I knocked on and you know, if he wasn't going, what are you selling? And you say, it's me. I'm selling me. I'm just ready for the sale. I'm just here personally introduce myself and they open the door and say, well, nobody came to talk to me before. And so you start a conversation, a relationship. So very interesting. I really, I did enjoy it. I would have guessed you'd be perfect for this because you're so relatable and you do engage with people and you're likable. And so if you knock on the door, it's hard for them to shut it in your face. And it's easy for you to have a conversation where you try to tell them who you are. And I think that's the psychic benefit of it. You're connecting with someone who you haven't connected with before who you probably wouldn't connect with except for the fact that... That's true. But there's a lot of people to talk to in this district. District 12 runs all the way from Kakaakura Waikiki and what, up into... Up into Makali. It's a huge district. And this is really the heart of the city. It is the urban core, basically. Yeah. And it's very diverse. There are basically three separate, like you mentioned, three separate neighborhoods, communities that are different, quite different. They're diverse. Yeah, so you have to reach people in all kinds of situations and there are different issues in the different neighborhoods. And you have to do a lot of walking. Some people go out of their way to give a little exercise. That is walkable. So it's 70% condo dense. You can't get into condos now. So you've got to find different means of getting to the condo dweller. Who I think sometimes are too isolated. They don't know the issues because no one gives them information and they get a lot of junk mail. So they won't read it. So I think the real challenge is to let condo owners know that they're part of the community and they have a voice and they really should be much more aware of what's happening and get more engaged. Yeah, sure. We want people to be engaged and to vote. We had a 38% voting in this last election day. That's not enough. That raises a very interesting question because the state more and more is condos. Condos have security. Somebody walking the streets is not going to be able to get in and they're not going to hear what you have to say. That's right. How do we fix that? How do we make a connection between the people who live in the condos and beating the candidates? How do we do that? That's what the challenge was for me and what I've done is a couple of things. One, that's where all my expenses were, to send out the mailers. Hopefully people will read it. And my mailers were identifying issues that I heard in the district, flipping it over and giving them a possible solution so that there was something of substance that they would be receiving. I also met people through chats. I'm in the community once a month. I try to be in each of the neighborhoods. Neighborhood board meetings, sure. And neighborhood board meetings as well. And when I met people in various condos and if they had especially the transient accommodations and people being really concerned about rentals that are less than 180 days, I would take my treasurer, Jane Sugimura. I call her the condo queen. I would take her. And it would be terrific because she could answer every question that they had. And that's one way of educating condo dwellers because they had a lot of questions. And they had no place to go to ask. The condo animal is a very complex animal. So I think what I hope to do when I get elected is to be out there in the community, have these kinds of sessions if people are interested but I am planning to be in the community once a month and in fact I have places I found Margaritas in Cali, Ili, Ili Waikiki cheeseburger in Waikiki and Kakaako Social experience. You just sit there for an hour on a Saturday at a given time and people have concerns can just come and meet me. Gosh, that reminds me of Frank Fosse. That's what I'm going to do. Theo's back in the day back to the future. Yeah, they would come and talk to him and he would talk to them. What a wonderful idea that is, no kidding. Because I think people will come to my office. Who is going to go up to the Capitol and try to find parking? So in the community it's my community as well as their community that we have a chat. What a wonderful idea Sharon. That don't really be special. So what issues did you find they cared about? I know you covered a lot of issues. You took a lot of positions on many issues but what were the ones that surfaced? Number one is everywhere across the state housing that people can afford. Housing. It's housing. Even when you look at the homeless issue it's housing. I mean they're homeless because there's no housing. So that has to be the number one issue. And it's across the board. They may come in different forms in the three districts but whether it's not having to work or having to have some low cost loans I can fix up my home. It's all relates to housing. Affordable housing so people can keep their kids here. They're all going. We are the one state Sunbelt state that has lost population and that's unusual for any Sunbelt state to lose population. Terrible because the human capital is the most important capital we have. We train them and then they go and we lose all the benefit we might have from them. It's more than the brain drain. Dave Heenan wrote a book called Flight Capital and we're talking about capital and talking about human capital and Hawaii has that problem. And not only that the legislature said oh well they gave 200 million to build 1600 rentals 18,000 that's you know what I mean that it's got to be that amount every single year for the next 10, 11 years. And that it's not only rentals. I think we have to help people as Peter Savio says rent to build equity because if you have a rental your salary could go up but so does the rent and so you don't have that kind of discretionary income but if you rent your own then that mortgage that you're paying is your building equity and you have a more stable community so I really want to push that as a major, major issue that we have to solve. And Kakaako is a great laboratory for this it is the center of the city it is the new city if you will it is a laboratory it is a place where these issues can and should be tested because there will be other communities elsewhere we should learn all the lessons we can learn from Kakaako and apply them elsewhere so you're really in a perfect spot to invent to shape the new Honolulu from where you are it's really an important place so what happens from here now we're just going into September, there's September there's October and boop there's election day in November so the big challenge for me was the primary of course because I was up against a 10 year incumbent so of course that was very, very challenging incumbents always have an advantage they have a big advantage named recognition they've got all the connections to the money they have connections to a lot of resources and I was basically building the grass planning the grass roots at that level with people and relating to people as we discussed earlier but there's still two months left and I do have a Republican opponent so I'm not taking it for granted or I really need to continue not at that kind of intense pace that we had but certainly I'm continuing to campaign we will have a fundraiser so that we can continue to send our message out of hope, change and that we will be representing we the people and not those that are only those that are well connected so that message has to go out that I'm here to represent my district, all of them yeah well I was telling you before the show that's my perception why you are different than a lot of people who run for office and who hold office because you really do represent the people you don't represent special interest groups you represent the right and that's impressive and refreshing I might add that should be the model that all our legislative candidates follow and and when elected they follow in the legislature so this is really special I'm able to get that message across to people because it's a little sophisticated to say I'm different because I really represent you I see myself as your agent and there's a certain purity involved in that I mean I think people want to have hope that I mean a lot of people say I'm not voting because it doesn't really make a difference you know and others say you know when I vote for you and you get it are you still going to remember me others I mean the people are frustrated with government and government not representing them they get jaundiced about it frustrated about it so I really promise and pledge that I will represent the people and that is my pledge from day one to whenever they put me out because I'm not representing their interest anymore and they've moved on but I'm not I don't feel that I'm entitled to this position like I tell them we are working for the people because it's your tax dollars when I should get in that pay for me so you should be looking at what I do and my performance like any other employer and if you say Sharon hey you know you're not doing the job for we the people then boot me out I'm not paying yourself anymore I want to get some other employee I don't I really think that we've forgotten there's other way around it's not we have to go up to the capital and talk to the senator it's like they have to come talk to me lovely idea lovely idea that really resonates for me I know a lot of times you find you're represented by somebody you don't even know and you never get to see that person and you know it's high on a hill somewhere but not in your neighborhood really you're different and that's wonderful and I hope that other people find the same way to achieve that sort of proximity to the voters one other thing is so this year you changed your life I did you were in the university for a long time you were running the energy policy forum for a long time you were dealing with a fairly large group of people you know stakeholders in the energy community and all of a sudden stop you run for office and then you changed your life and then you ran successfully for this primary for the past six months it was really something to watch all that energy I saw happening in the energy policy forum was now happening you know in your candidacy okay so here we are it's you know the end of almost September and I have a question okay you've been through a lot you've had life altering you look great to me you look wonderful actually maybe you relaxed after the primary election but how have you changed you must be introspective have you changed? I don't think so it's the same me I think I think I'm the same me what I think has changed is my perspective because I talk to so many people just like you and me out in the community and you know when you're at the university it's not ivory tower so much because the kind of work we did was you know you're an outreach from day one but it was wonky people people in business in industry in the renewable energy sector you I've enjoyed that and it's policy development but these are people struggling with their life they're working two jobs but others like I met a doctor she wants to do more in the community this couple that I met my theme is let's care for each other how can we do more of that and they have some ideas and some programs I mean it's how do you make the connections of these people are such really energizing and real kinds of contributions that they want to make and they've never made that connection empowerment empowering the people so I want to work on that and see how that connection connect more of the dots between people and government to study in democracy which is very important in our time to fully appreciate how it works so I can visualize you there in your office not good wait wait kind of chickens but I can visualize you and I can visualize people coming to talk to you and you going out to talk to them and you have a thought and ideation about what it will be like what it would be like should you win the general what sort of senator would you be what sort of agenda would you have I know housing would be one of those things energy would definitely be one of those things the elderly okay talk about that will you well that's about 56% of my district are elderly 65 and older and many want to stay at home live at home but you know your health goes and we've got to find ways in which we can support that in a bigger way so that you can help them stay at home and live their life fully and their own homes and familiar surroundings so working on that I just talked to senator hihara today and he's you know he has this kupuna caucus and so talking with him about the possibilities of what kinds of things we can do to support the elderly more to be more vibrant in their older years their aging years and to make it much more fulfilling even if you you know you're in the the autumn of your life well that's such an important question the demographics are changing regrettably a lot of the young people are leaving leaving you know the kupuna to fend for themselves somebody has got to take care of them because the economy is tough on them you know things are more expensive housing is more expensive the dollar doesn't go as far and so forth and it's really important to create a state that will take care of them and so you know one more question along the same line what kind of a state would you like to see us have what kind of state well as I say in my motto it's caring for each other this is returning to other times earlier times when we did we cared for the least of us and how can we do that in a more equitable way in a way that we can still have a vibrant economy but that economy then takes forth and appropriates for those who are you know in need the homeless you know and we haven't quite gotten that equation right some people think we've lost that equation maybe you can help us regain that equation the other thing is infrastructure everything is aging not only people but you know like in kakaaka we feel we've got the drain system the sewers the storm drains are you know when it rains big issue in kakaaka and I think it's across my district it's the Makalimo Ili Ili Waikiki and the environment the shoreline and how we're over building on the shoreline so having to look at that and caring capacity and seeing what can be done one figure I know is $17 billion a year comes in from tourists Waikiki gets only $7 billion of that and they generate a lot of it so why can't we get more in to build up the infrastructure in this area this urban core it is so central to our generating a strong economy and why not invest in what is really precious the engine that drives our economy we should take care of it we should not marginalize it in any way one other thing it comes to mind you mentioned Senator Ihara and of course I know him too but I'm thinking that over the years especially the years you've spent in the energy policy forum and because of the legislative briefings you've done on an annual basis and sometimes more often you know the legislature you know the long standing members you know the Senate pretty well how does that help you in terms of doing what you want to do how do you see your social engagement among the existing members of the state senate well I don't know the internal workings of the senate yet I do know my relationships with senators as we had issues and I've been able to get along with most of them and able to get some of the bills that we thought were very important energy bills for example and so I think my position on and real value is looking at collaboration looking at how we can get along with everybody so everybody can't get everything they want but let's work together and I'm going to push that as my approach to getting things done to the senate there may be internal workings that I'm not aware of just yet but I'm hoping that everybody's there for the same reason we want to make Hawaii the best place that we can so I'm looking at mutual interest in getting the work of the people I really like to hear you say that because you know when you were with the energy policy forum you know that's what you were doing you were getting people together to collaborate in a neat way all friends here we all work together for years and years I mean it was really quite something it has been quite something and now you can do it again you can do it in the senate where it's very important but the other thing is that you just alluded to a minute ago is that you worked on energy bills for however many 15 or 20 years and you saw the bills being drafted you saw them being revised and amended however the case may be with testimony and all the data coming in so you know the legislative process of course it's energy but it's much more than that because you saw the process happening in so many ways that's got to help you being a senator to facilitate this collaboration and therefore the passage of good legislation I hope so I really do hope so I am hopeful that there will be that kind of dialogue among my colleagues that we all want the same thing and in different ways and different committees but that there is this mutual respect for serving the people of the state well I know you've been in the media a lot recently yes your success in the primary has been covered by many many media really a wonderful surprise a delight a new face a new entry into the senate campaign and I'm so delighted you came down here and talked to me so thank you Sharon wish you well in the two months to follow and I hope we can have another show soon soon yes thank you thanks for inviting me Jay it's always a pleasure