Cover Story continued

Representative Chris Lee

May 27, 2009

Capitol Yearbook 2009

Chris Lee / 51st Representative District
phone 808-586-9450; fax 808-586-9456
repclee@capitol.hawaii.gov

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this session?
“More than anything else, this legislative session was a chance to learn. The biggest accomplishments, and probably most difficult, are yet to come. Despite our economic troubles, we have an obligation to follow through with the new direction Hawaii so desperately needs. This means real and tangible movement forward on our commitment to energy independence, real growth and a paradigm shift in the way the state treats agriculture and farmers, and results in the efforts to diversify our economy and prepare for the future. We can no longer afford to talk about what we are doing to help these efforts. We need results. Class after class of Hawaii graduates continue to leave for greener pastures on the mainland, and if we ever want to live in a Hawaii that has real opportunities for our children, we need to change all these things today.”

2. With which piece of 2009 legislation are you most proud to be affiliated and why?
“I’m proud to be a strong supporter of House Bill 1271, which provides a dedicated source of millions of dollars in funding for renewable energy and agriculture. Hawaii needs to make the transition to being energy independent and secure in our food supply. Today we must import more than 90% of our food and energy, and with prices skyrocketing we cannot afford to wait any longer. Our investment today will pay dividends in the years to come, and give our children a clean, sustainable and affordable future here in Hawaii.”

3. What was the biggest disappointment of the session and how might a similar disappointment be prevented in the future?
“I only wish there was more time to address the myriad issues before us.”

4. Debating which issue turned out to be the biggest distraction from your priorities?
“Standing up to fight the reduction of Hawaii’s water quality standards was a real challenge. Until now, our bays and beaches have been protected by some of the highest water quality standards in the nation, and we should base those standards on best science, not best politics. Allowing the Legislature, instead of the Department of Health, to decide our water quality standards does just that.”

5. What’s one thing you wish voters better understood about you or the political process as a whole?
“I wish voters better understood that their votes and their contributions here at the State Capitol really do make a difference. I think most people expect great things out of our government, and rightly should. However, it won’t happen without support and input from people who care about the direction our state is going. I regularly go door to door to talk to people about their issues and concerns, but there are hundreds of thousands of people, and only so many hours in the day. If people care deeply about an issue, they need to stand up and take a few minutes to make a phone call, write a letter, or rally their neighbors to testify on the bill or issue. Otherwise, no matter how strongly people feel, our decisions will be made in a vacuum because we won’t know how the community feels. Stand up. Get involved.”

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This week

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Breaking The Waves

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Mayumi Meets Mother Earth

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Editor’s Note

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he’s official

Through the years there have been many mayors who’ve aspired to be governor, but for the first time in Honolulu ’s history, a former governor is running for mayor. At Honolulu Hale on Friday, May 18, as he signed the nomination paperwork making him an official candidate for the 2012 race, Cayetano told the room that, back in January, he made his decision quickly.

Rail suit hangs on

Important back stories are huddled behind last week’s Star-Advertiser headline, “Federal Judge Narrows Lawsuit on Rail.” Foremost is that the lawsuit will go forward unimpeded. The same substantive points of contention including the most important historic and cultural sites are still at issue.

wed lockdown

In announcing his support of same-sex marriage two weeks ago, President Barack Obama reinvigorated a vexed debate. Locally, the wrangle has been deadlocked following the contentious legalization of civil unions and subsequent federal court challenge in January.

outsourced LEI

Thailand grows 75 percent of the flowers used in Hawaiian-made lei, but a flooding in the country last fall destroyed 80 percent of its orchid crops, according to Summer Campos, co-founder of the Hawaiian Lei Company. Together with the graduation season and the growing popularity of lei on the mainland, “All lei prices have inflated due to the orchid shortage,” Campos says.

Bus cuts

Lynne Matusow’s letter [“Goodbye Bus, Hello Rail?” May 16] hit the nail right smack dab on the head. The rail may have its attributes but it seems the more we delve into it the bad seem to outweigh the good.

Second “city”

We have a problem with traffic congestion on the major highways leading into the city; we have the controversy over the issue of rail; and we have the concern over preserving prime agricultural lands. It would seem to me that all these issues point to one thing in one way or another and that is the development of a second city in Kapolei.

Traffic mess

Though you didn’t discuss it in the most recent issue, there was a brief mention of how long it took for the Kinau off-ramp to be completed. Ambulances [had] ALWAYS been able to take the exit BEFORE Kinau, and turn left directly into the Emergency Room.

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