Candidate Q&A: U.S. Senate — Eddie Pirkowski
“Protect our children and families for the next generation by completely paying off the national debt.”
Editor’s note:ÌýFor Hawaii’s Aug. 13 primary election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions.
The following came from Eddie Pirkowski, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.ÌýThere are 11 other candidates, including his Republican primary opponents,ÌýKarla Gottschalk, John Carroll and John Roco.
Go to Civil Beat’sÌýElections GuideÌýfor general information, and check out other candidates on theÌýPrimary Election Ballot.
Name: Eddie Pirkowski
Office seeking: U.S. Senate
Occupation: CEO
Community organizations/prior offices held: Eight Hawaii private foundations
Age as of Aug. 13, 2016: 60
Place of residence: Kihei, Maui
Campaign website:
1. This year has seen an outsized influence from people who want big changes in how government is run. What would you do to change how the U.S.ÌýSenate is run?
Stand up for all the great people of Hawaii and the nation, vote 100 percent of the time on all bills, sponsor legislation to create jobs to make HawaiiÌýand the nation great again. Make Hawaii a zero tax state, zero corporate taxes, zero estate taxes, reduce personal and corporate taxes to flatÌý13 percent. Put Hawaii and the nation first in all security, defense, infrastructure, industry, business and domestic and foreign funding decisions.
Follow the U.S. Constitution for the Congress. Eliminate earmarks (adding of items not related to original bills),Ìýpresidential line-item veto, reduce the time required for bills’ creation.
Eliminate gridlock by creating fast tracks for bills important to the nation and Hawaii to be completed and fast-tracked to the president.
2. Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizen’s initiative process. Do you support such a process?
Yes, strong support for a Hawaii statewide initiative process, following the guidance of the US. states with this already in place.
A Hawaii statewide initiative process would give all Hawaii citizens a tool they could use to adopt laws and constitutional amendments withoutÌýthe support of the governor or the Legislature. The Legislature would put a package of constitutional amendments onÌýthe ballot to place more control of Hawaii politics directly into the hands of the great people of Hawaii. This package would included theÌýability to recall Hawaii elected officials, the right to repeal Hawaii laws by referendum, and the ability to enact Hawaii state laws byÌýinitiative.
The initiative is the power of the people of Hawaii to propose statutes and to propose amendments to the Hawaii Constitution that is a properÌýsubject of legislation would become an initiative measure. An initiative measure would be placed on the ballot after its proponents successfullyÌýsatisfy the ballot requirements and it is certified by the Hawaii secretary of state .
3. Hawaii has long been dominated by the Democratic Party establishment. Should this change, and if so, how?
In order to change this in Hawaii, all the parties and people of Hawaii need to stand up and vote for me. It is of theÌýutmost importance to have real balance in the U.S. Senate, a strong conservative core with an eye for innovation, solid growth and change in orderÌýto reach agreements to support all the needs and the great future of all the great people of Hawaii for both today and tomorrow.
4. Voters complain their elected officials don’t listen to them. What would you do to improve communication?
As a U.S. senator I will really listen to all the people of Hawaii, bring new leadship to the Senate and bring all of the people of Hawaii togetherÌýto make our future great again. This starts by creating jobs, jobs. IÌýwill work for all of you 24/7/365, to restore respect to Hawaii and the nation, with the greatest technologies, and communications tools at hand.
5. What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Hawaii? What will you do about it?
We need to reduce food costs, create 100 percent clean energy, re-green the islands, promote local farming, ranches, clean water and the reduce the high cost of living and housing for every family in Hawaii, and make education of all the keiki, and the all the great people of Hawaii our top goal.
We need to raise wages and create lifetime Hawaii jobs with living wages for all the people of Hawaii by creating federal, state and local balanced budgets while freezing, then eliminating, the deficits, and eliminating the associated interest payments.
We need to cut $2 trillion in federal spending thru 2016/7 and redistribute money to all the states including Hawaii to balance budgets, to upgrade infrastructure, transportation, utilities, energy, manufacturing, communications and internet.
Protect our children and families for the next generation by completely paying off the national debt.
Limit credit card interest rates to 10 percent above actual bank borrowing costs for loans, period.
We need investment in private and public partnerships to aid Hawaii and all states to create lifetime economic rebounds.
6. What should America’s role in the world be? What would you do to move us in that direction?
Restore respect in Hawaii for all families and all countries and peoples in America.ÌýRestore Hawaii and America to lead the world again by always keeping its word, treating all people, leaders, countries and religions withÌýabsolute honor, integrity, respect, trust, commitment and love of country.ÌýRestore Hawaii and America to the shining light of freedom and trust as a model of leadership and peace to the world.
Restore Hawaii and America to regain local and world leadership and all people’s respect, status and honor by always doing the right thing, andÌýalways honoring our word and acting always with respect, honor, integrity and trust to all.
Restore Hawaii and America to fight for what is right, and always do what is right for America, Hawaii, and all the people of the world.
Restore Hawaii and the nation’s infrastructure, energy, communications, transportation, roads/rails/bridges, dams, clean water and new clean energy generation, storage and transmission. New permanent waste storage and waste elimination facilities nationwide, and in the oceans.
7. The country is torn apart. What would you do to rebuild bridges?
Hawaii and all the states of the nation need multiracial coalitions to form and produce policy reforms and begin to dismantle structural racism.
Leaders and all the great people of Hawaii and the nation need to stand up and fight for real equality, and real respect for all the people.
We all need to strengthen our families, and teach all our children the need for respect and tolerance, by our words and in all our actions.
Thank you for the opportunity to make a difference for all the great people of Hawaii as a model for the nationÌýand the world.
