FILL
THE HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL SEAT
FOR DISTRICT FOUR.
THAT'S AFTER BEATING INCUMBENT
TREVOR OZAWA THIS PAST WEEKEND,
IN A
SPECIAL ELECTION.
SO WHAT'S NEXT?
WATERS JOINS US NOW WITH THAT.
Q-CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
VICTORY. WE SAW YOUR REACTION
WHEN THE NUMBERS
CAME OUT SATURDAY. IT LOOKED
LIKE A SPECIAL MOMENT WITH YOUR
KIDS.
A-IT WAS VERY SPECIAL. EVERYONE
ONE IN THAT ROOM WAS SO HAPPY. I
WILL
NEVER FORGET THAT EMBRACE FROM
KAI AND EMMA THAT NIGHT. THEY
HAVE
BEEN THERE BEFORE, IN 2014 WHEN
WE LOST BY JUST 41 VOTES, AND
THEN IN
NOVEMBER 2018 WE WERE AHEAD BY
72 VOTES IN THE FOURTH PRINTOUT,
AND THE
NEXT MORNING IT HAD SUDDENLY
FLIPPED TO 22 VOTES DOWN. IT'S
BEEN SUCH A CLOSE RACE FOR SO
LONG, AND SO THANKFUL THIS WAS
NOT ANOTHER PHOTO
FINISH. TO WIN BY MORE THAN A
1,000 VOTES, I AM SO GRATIFIED.
I GUESS
YOU COULD SAY THE THIRD TIME IS
THE CHARM. TO ALL THOSE WHO
CANVASSED WITH ME, WHO HELPED AT
THE PHONE BANKS, WHO SIGN WAVED,
IT MADE A
HUGE DIFFERENCE. THERE WAS AN
ENERGY IN THIS ELECTION, YOU
COULD FEEL IT. I ALSO WANT TO
MAKE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR
HARD WORKING
CAMPAIGN TEAM, LED BY AMY LUKE.
WE ARE STILL OUT THERE THANKING
EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT, YOU
MIGHT HAVE SEEN OUR MAHALO SIGN
WAVERS.
2. Q-SO WHEN WILL YOU BE SWORN
IN. .
A-WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
REQUIRED 20 DAY CHALLENGE
PERIOD,
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST WEEK
OR SECOND WEEK OF MAY. I AM
PREPARING
TO WORK ON THE ISSUES I RAISED
IN THE CAMPAIGN. HOMELESSNESS,
ILLEGAL VACATION RENTALS,
MONSTER HOMES, CRIME, TRAFFIC,
RAIL AND THE
HIGH COST OF LIVING. I WILL DO
MY BEST TO REIGN IN GOVERNMENT
COSTS.
SO MANY PEOPLE IN HAWAII WORRY
THAT THEIR KIDS WON'T BE AFFORD
TO LIVE HERE
WHEN THEY GRADUATE. I HAVE LONG
WORRIED ABOUT THAT WITH MY
KIDS, ESPECIALLY GIVEN MY FIVE
SIBLINGS ARE ALL ON THE MAINLAND
DUE TO
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING HERE.
IT'S A HUGE CONCERN
3. Q-SO WHAT WILL YOU DO TO
LOWER THE COST OF LIVING.
A-AS I WALKED THE NEIGHBORHOODS
FROM WAIKIKI TO HAWAII KAI, I
RAN INTO
A-AS I WALKED THE NEIGHBORHOODS
FROM WAIKIKI TO HAWAII KAI, I
RAN INTO
MANY SENIORS WHO ARE ON FIXED
INCOME BUT ARE PAYING MORE IN
PROPERTY TAX DUE
TO THE INCREASED VALUE OF THEIR
HOMES. SOME WORRY THEY WILL HAVE
TO
SELL THEIR HOMES TO MAKE ENDS
MEET. I WILL BE PROPOSING THAT
WE INCREASE
THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX
EXEMPTION OF $120,000 TO
$200,000
FOR SENIORS, AND IF WE CAN GET
THAT PASSED, THAT WILL HELP. I'M
ALSO OPPOSING THE MAYOR ON HIS
SEPARATE GARBAGE TAX FEE. I'VE
BEEN AGAINST
THAT ALL ALONG. I'M GOING TO
LOOK AT CAR REGISTRATION FEES,
PEOPLE ARE
NOW PAYING UPWARDS OF $500 TO
REGISTER THEIR CARS. THAT'S TOO
MUCH. ON RAIL, I'M FOR A
FORENSIC INVESTIGATION TO GET TO
THE BOTTOM
OF THOSE COSTLY OVERRUNS. LOTS
OF WORK AHEAD AND I'M LOOKING
FORWARD
TO IT.
KRISTINE:
WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL CHECK
ON YOUR SURF AND WEATHER