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Cynthia Thielen

Representative Cynthia Thielen

Cynthia Thielen / Assistant Minority Leader
50th Representative District
Phone 808-586-6480; fax 808-586-6481
repthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov
http://www.cynthiathielen.com/

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this session?
“Thanks for asking. Biggest accomplishment—renewable energy. Co-sponsored HB 1464, which will identify renewable energy zones (including wave energy areas) and facilitate efficient permitting of renewable energy projects. Co-sponsored HB 1271, which places Hawaii Clean Energy Initiatives into law and establishes and funds renewable energy branch and staff within Department of Business and Economic Development.

Worked for one year with scientists, beach preservation experts, deputy attorney general and agency staff to draft HB 593 to preserve Kailua beach. Out-of-state beachfront owners are constructing closer to the water, placing houses on sand dunes. As the shoreline migrates due to episodic changes or sea level rise, the property owners will demand to construct sea walls to protect their property from rising sea. Kailua beach would be at jeopardy, if any sea wall is authorized. HB 593 would have created an interim coastal construction control line, to allow Department of Land and Natural Resources to determine best management tools for Kailua beach. While the bill was a result of a year’s work, it also turned out to be my biggest disappointment. (See #3 below).”

2. With which piece of 2009 legislation are you most proud to be affiliated and why?
“See above. Am co-sponsor of all three.”

3. What was the biggest disappointment of the session and how might a similar disappointment be prevented in the future?
“Death of HB 593. House Conferees, including myself, were ready to vote to pass HB 593, CD1. Chair Clayton Hee refused to come to the table. How might a similar disappointment be prevented in the future? Don’t assign the bill to Sen. Hee’s committee. He killed other good measures too.”

4. Debating which issue turned out to be the biggest distraction from your priorities?
“The need to justify my vote in favor of HB 444, which was a vote to give civil rights to all.”

5. What’s one thing you wish voters better understood about you or the political process as a whole?
“I wish voters better understood the unfair, undemocratic power that is given to committee chairs. Chairs can refuse to hear a bill, can refuse to agree or even come to the table in conference committees. The Hawaii Legislature has allowed Chairs to be all-powerful, and some truly abuse that power. The voters suffer and our state suffers from such supreme arrogance.”

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This week

Game Changer

After retiring from public service in 2002, Ben Cayetano seemed to be taking it easy on the political scene–until 2005, that is, when then-Mayor Mufi Hannemann revived the long-lapsed idea of a Honolulu heavy rail project. Needless to say, Cayetano did not concur.

Geo Gold Rush

Last Thursday, the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection had a busy session hearing several controversial bills relating to geothermal energy. Chairman Denny Coffman introduced HB2689, which seeks to exempt slim-hole, or exploratory, geothermal test wells from any sort of environmental review as is currently required under Chapter 343 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Stop Stalling

On Feb. 1, the Hawaii State House Agriculture Committee heard testimony on HB2703, dubbed the Food Self-Sufficiency Bill.

Farm Friends

Mega-developer Castle & Cooke has re-filed an application with the Land Use Commission (LUC) seeking to convert approximately 768 acres of Ag land–currently in cultivation–into a “master-planned community” entitled Koa Ridge. If successful, the project will consist of two parcels–Koa Ridge Makai and Castle & Cooke Waiawa.

Civics

Office of Hawaiian Affairs holds a second round of community meetings to discuss the latest updates on the Kakaako land settlement. Stevenson Middle School, 1202 Prospect St., Wed., 2/8, 6:30pm; Waimanalo Community Center, 41-253 Ilauhole St., Thu., 2/9, 6:30pm City Council committees on Zoning and Planningand Transportation will take public testimony on agenda items.

Kinda Hawaii?

[Feb. 1: “Kinda Kona”] The trade secret argument would fall to the wayside if it would read “10 percent Kona Coffee 90 percent Foreign Coffee,” or something to that effect.

Duplicating Crap

If they are choosing the cheapest coffee from anywhere, then the “trade secret” is that they are adding crap and not a sp

No HART

[Feb. 1: “Rail Boss Wanted”] $300,000?

Future Politician?

[Jan. 4: “Boss GMO] Dean Okimoto is a sell out and a criminal.

Oust Monsanto

Monsanto is a major component of the NWO drive to reduce the world’s population in a global genocide program that includes the poisoning of the water, air and food. This criminal activity must be stopped.

Okimoto VS Small Ag

Lets be real here, Dean Okimoto is not interested in anything other then keeping the status quo of industrial Ag. He is merely a puppet, playing it safe, a small game of following the money and corrupt political trail.

Locals Know Best

[Jan. 25: “Weaving the Future on Molokai”] Good luck to all those who possess the ability to balance long-term vision with short term opportunity.

We’re Being Railroaded

[Dec. 21: “Underground Railroad”] This is, indeed, a “lunatic project,” as pointed out by a professor at the University of Hawaii.

Rail = Ego

This is such a bad idea for the overall architecture of Oahu. I visit here because my family is here and part of the charm is taking the bus or driving.

Plain stupid

I cannot imagine how anyone can think this is a smart idea. I’ve lived in places with rail, but this Honolulu Rail Transit is stupid, plain stupid.