Posts from — July 2008

Hawai’i County Council Candidate District 8, North Kona

by Debbie Hecht

PRIMARY ELECTION: Saturday, September 18, 2010

GENERAL ELECTION: Tuesday, November 2, 2010

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead

Building Community By Representing YOU!

Ideas:

Strengthen communication between government and residents by:
- Provide email newsletter on issues
- Hold regular talk-story sessions
- Poll residents on important issues
- Meet with citizen’s organizations regularly
Work with community to create a shoreline park system, from Kailua to Kawaihae using Land Fund money + matching funds, linked by National Park Service’ s Ala Kahakai Historic Trail to create an eco-tourism industry, to protect access, reefs and fishing. Increase care for parks.
Support Eco-tourism and Agriculture as sustainable industries to provide food, create jobs and stabilize our economy.
Address infrastructure shortfalls- roads, sewers, water etc. and pave streets (like Ka’iminani).
Work with business to provide park/ride and bus service for Kailua Village.
Keep youth busy! Work to obtain funding to build Old Airport / Makae’o Park. Work to get 200+ acres makai of Kealakehe HS for the Kealakehe Regional Sports Park to build sports facilities, work to expand youth programs.
Expand alternative energy programs to reduce dependency on oil and reduce costs to citizens and government.

Experience:

Working with community- Working with stakeholders to create the Kealakehe Regional Sports Park, Old Airport / Make’o Park, Hawaii Natural History Assoc, assistant tennis coach Kealakehe HS, Coordinator, 2% for the Land Fund campaign approved by 63% of voters in 2006,.
Writing legislation- I know the job! I know the people, because I worked as a Legislative Aide for the county council, reviewing budgets, doing research and writing laws.
- Wrote the Land Fund charter amendment and presented to Charter Commission. This will be a 1% charter amendment on the ballot in November- PLEASE VOTE YES!
- Worked with League of Women Voters to write the charter amendment on Initiative and Referendum approved by voters 2008.
- IN 2009-2010- Wrote 5 charter amendments for the Charter Commission to consider on Vacancies, Board and Commissions, Recall, Revising the Charter and Impeachment.
Small business owner, licensed real estate broker, property manager, project manager for remodeling and small-scale development since 1978.
Teaching degree, trained facilitator and mediator.

Current projects:

Talking to stakeholders in the Aquarium Fisheries industry. Doing research on possible legislation to preserve our reefs and fish populations. Looking for compromises to enable this industry to continue operating.
Researching open ocean aquaculture around the world and the issues affecting this new industry. Working to formulate recommendations.
Bio-fuels and making our island more self-sustaining by producing our own energy. I visited Cellana at NELHA and I am very interested in the applications of this technology and the spin offs into other industries like fish food and of course people food. I liked that this type of plant could recycle CO2 from other sources. I was glad to see there is extensive controls on environmental disasters and mitgation protocols are in place. I was reassured to hear that no GMO algaes are used at the plant and that only species found in our waters are used. I hope we can see a commercial application in the near future, to make our island more self -sustaining.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MY WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, MY BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANT ISSUES PLEASE REVIEW THE ARTICLES IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN.

All pictures displayed on the banner were taken by Debbie Hecht. Please do not use or publish without permission.

July 5, 2008 No Comments