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Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Nov. 5 General 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 Fred Fogel, Libertarian candidate for state House District 5, which covers portions of Keaau and Kurtistown, Mountain View, Glenwood, Fern Forest, Volcano, Pahala, Punaluu, Naalehu, Waiohinu, Hawaiian Ocean View and Hookena. His opponents are Democrat Jeanne Kapela and Republican Ashley Oyama.

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

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

Employment. Reduce regulations on businesses. Encourage agricultural activities. Establish viable trade education pipeline in public schools.

2. How do you feel about the massive income tax cut just approved by the Legislature and the governor? Do you have any concerns that it will force reductions in state services in the years to come?

Step in the right direction, but would have done it differently. Convert Hawaii’s income tax to a revenue-neutral flat tax system. No deductions for anything — money given to nonprofits/churches, marital status, number of kids, number of lawyers on staff, etc. No income tax for people making less than the poverty level.

3. Hawaii continues to struggle with pay-to-play politics and corruption in government. What meaningful reforms do you think would change state government for the better?

The names of people contributing over a certain amount (say $1,000) to a campaign should be public knowledge. No hiding behind the doors of special interest groups.

How elected politicians voted on all bills should be public knowledge. No hiding behind a floor voice vote. Committee chairs should not be able to prevent a bill from being heard. All committee members should have a say, and their vote publicly known.

We also need:

Term limits for all politicians (say eight years — four terms for House, two for Senate). Individuals could run for another office or state position. Retirement after 10 years of state service.

To limit bill size to 20 pages. Include a purpose statement and cost analysis up front. Include in the bill only things that apply to the title/purpose of the bill.

To expand in-session time from four months to eight months, with no increase in the salary of politicians.

To let political parties run their primaries for all offices that are not nonpartisan, and advance a candidate to the general election. Reduce requirements for recognizing a political party, to give voters more choice in the general election. The person with the most votes wins. No ranked-choice voting.

4. Candidates often say they will support reform proposals in the Legislature. And yet major reform proposals don’t pass. Will you back good-government proposals even if it means going against leadership?

Yes.

5. Do you support comprehensive public financing of elections for candidates who choose to participate? Why or why not?

No. The public money could be put to better use. Why should someone help finance the campaign of someone they don’t agree with?

6. Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizens initiative process. Do you support such a process? Why or why not?

Yes. Citizens should have a way to propose laws and constitutional amendments without having to get the support of the governor or Legislature.

7. Thanks to their campaign war chests and name familiarity, incumbents are almost always reelected in Hawaii legislative races. Should there be term limits for state legislators, as there are for the governor’s office and county councils? Why or why not?

Yes. Gives the voters more choices. More choices will increase voter participation.

8. What will you do to ensure accountability at the Legislature? Do you support ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session?

Make all votes public knowledge. The concept of a Sunshine Law should definitely apply to the Legislature, but there may be cases where public release of information is not a good idea.

Banning campaign contributions during session will have little impact. However, all donors during session over a certain amount (say $100) should be public knowledge.

9. How would you make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public? Opening conference committees to the public? Stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists? How could the Legislature change its own internal rules to be more open?

Increase online visibility. I’d open some conference committees to the public but not all. As for stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists, probably not.

10. Many people have talked about diversifying the local economy for many years now, and yet Hawaii is still heavily reliant on tourism. What, if anything, should be done differently about tourism and the economy?

Stop levying extra fees and taxes on tourists. Reduce regulations and permitting processes on businesses and citizens.

11. An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by, a problem that reaches far beyond low-income and into the middle class, which is disappearing. What ideas do you have to help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here?

No taxes on food, medicine or medical care. Said it before, but will say it again — reduce administrative and tax burdens on businesses and families.

Would also like to add that public education should be improved by implementing a voucher-type system to give parents more say in their child’s primary education. Pay good teachers more. Help the poor ones find another job. Give principals more authority to spend money as they individually see fit. Eliminate the statewide school board in favor of county boards comprised of principals, both public and private.

Finally, eliminate the minimum wage mandate. More individual freedom and less governmental intervention will allow people to plant the seeds of improvement that work for them.