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Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Aug. 10 Primary Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following came from Ikaika Kailiawa-Smith, candidate for Hawaii County Council District 6, which includes Kau, portions of South Kona and Volcano. The other candidates are Michelle Galimba and Kyle Jones.

Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the Primary Election Ballot.

1. What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what would you do about it? 

We have a few issues. Roads need paving, wastewater treatment plants are not built, our park lights do not work, we don’t have a gym or park that is big enough for our children to host games in South Kona and there are constant threats of development on our shorelines.

I believe one of the biggest issues we face in my district is transfer stations being open only two days a week. Due to this a lot of trash ends up on our roadways or dumped on private property. I would push for a director who would open the transfer stations seven days a week, remove abandoned vehicles in a timely manner and have a green waste disposal system. 

2. Overtourism can degrade the environment, threaten biodiversity, contribute to wear and tear on infrastructure, generate traffic and disrupt neighborhoods. What do you think about the amount of tourism on the Big Island and how it’s managed? 

I believe the amount of tourists is very high and unsustainable. More importantly though I would like to drill down to where the money from the tourism industry is going.

With the amount of taxes raised from tourism we should have better infrastructure that is able to meet the demand, but we do not. I think we need a better understanding of where the money comes in and where it goes. Then use the funds to invest in our communities that make tourists want to come here in the first place. 

3. What needs to happen to relieve traffic congestion in and around Kailua-Kona and along the Puna-Keaau-Hilo corridor?

I am not running to be a representative of those areas.

I believe that the county council members from said area would have the best idea on how to fix the issues in their district. I would support what they think is best. 

4. The cost of living on Hawaii island is rising rapidly. How are working and middle-class people expected to buy a house or pay the rent as well as take care of other expenses? And how can the county government help? 

Taxes, taxes and taxes. First, we must lower taxes to help offset the rising cost of living for the families that live in Hawaii full time.

We must also raise taxes on the people that are using Hawaii as a part-time residence. They are taking up housing that could help others find a home and they are not paying into our system. That needs to change.

We need to work with our state and federal counterparts to fix the shipping industry that is being controlled by a few corporations. We need to lower taxes on businesses and become a more business-friendly county. The more businesses come here the more competition between them, and that will help lower the cost of living along with job opportunities. 

5. Do you support the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea?

I do not support the construction of the telescope, but not for political or emotional reasons.

My reason is science-based. We live on an island and all of our water comes from underground. Adding the telescope could endanger our water supply. After Red Hill and the Haleakala incident, I do not want to take that risk. 

6. Homelessness remains a problem statewide, including on Hawaii island. What would you do to come to grips with this persistent problem?

During Billy Kenoi’s time as mayor he had a program that sent homeless people back to the state they came from in hopes that they would be closer to family for help. That program was defunded; I would support re-funding that program.

I think we also need to separate the homeless population. For the drug-addicted they need to be sent to jail for breaking the law, for the mentally impaired we need to get them the medical assistance they need. We also need to hold nonprofits accountable that are sending these people to Hawaii from states like California.

The county has spent upwards of $21 million in taxpayer money on this issue and it’s only gotten worse. We need to stop throwing money at the problem and address the root causes. 

7. Half of Hawaii’s cesspools are on the Big Island, some 49,300. Seepage from cesspools can make people sick, harm coral reefs and lead to a variety of ecological damage. By law, cesspools must be upgraded to septic systems by 2050. What can be done to help people who may not be able to afford the conversion? 

I think it is important to work with the federal government to ensure that we get federal funding to help offset the cost if not completely cover the cost of septic systems.

In our district of Kau the sugar cane industry left and the county government didn’t hold them responsible for the failing cesspools. Now the government is putting it on the citizens. I believe that is wrong and the government needs to fix the mess they willingly took from the plantations. 

8. What is the first thing Hawaii County should do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting to it?

The county government can’t fix roads, open the dump seven days a week or meet EPA standards for wastewater. I think it’s a joke to think that they can do anything to fix the climate.

Down at the beaches of South Point in Kau 90% of the plastics on the beach are from foreign countries. The government here can’t fix anything if other countries are not doing their part.

I will focus on things like roads, transfer stations, wastewater, getting running water to people in my district, park lights, etc. I think the people of my district are more concerned about making sure they can put food on the table and have a safe park for their children to play in than they are about something the climate may or may not be doing.

9. Should the Hu Honua biomass energy plant be allowed to start operating? Why or why not?

I would have to speak with people closer to the issue and make a better-informed decision. I would be lying if I said I knew the ins and outs of the plant.

The only information I have is what is available on Google. That isn’t the way I make decisions. I make well-informed decisions by talking to people on both ends of the table.

I will say that it does not matter who makes the power if there is only one company that gives it to the consumer. We need more energy providers. That will create competition and drive costs down.

10. How would you make the county administration more transparent and accessible to the public? 

Letting citizens know as far in advance as possible about community hearings. Making sure that as a representative of the public I am available to discuss questions that the public taxpayers have. Any directors who stand in the way of transparency should be removed from their positions.