Editor’s Note: In July 2012, Civil Beat sent six questions to each of the candidates registered to run in the Aug. 11 primary for Hawaii State Representative District 26. All four responded, including Tiffany Au. The questions and answers are reproduced below in full. Read responses by Ryan Kapuniai, Scott Saiki, and Lei Ahu Isa to see how Au’s positions compare to those of her competitors. Click on each topic listed below to read Civil Beat’s question and Au’s response.

• General Excise Tax
• Environmental Regulatory Review
• Gambling
• Sunshine Law
• Best and Worst Legislation
• Overlooked Issue

Preferred Candidate Name: Tiffany H. Y. Au

Senate/House District Number: House District 26

Date of Birth: 11/22/1987

Place of Birth/Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Current Profession/Employer: I am dedicated to running for office full-time

Education/Alma Mater(s): Sacred Hearts, Grinnell College

1. With the exception for Honolulu rail, the state has not raised the general excise tax in decades. Would you consider increasing the GET to help the state meet its budget demands?

I would oppose an increase in the General Excise Tax. Businesses are usually forced to pass on the costs of paying that tax to consumers. This means the tax effectively increases the cost of living for Hawaii’s working families. Further, the tax is imposed on several business-to-business transactions, which adds to the cost of living in Hawaii. ↩ back to top

2. Lawmakers proposed relaxing environmental regulatory review to spur development and job growth in the 2012 session, and the issue is expected to resurface next year. Where do you stand?

Many agencies and departments can already streamline permitting and construction through proper training and efficient operations. Laws should not lower environmental standards. I do, however, believe that Act 172, which passed this year, is a very reasonable law. This bill both saves time and protects the environment by allowing projects that will go through the environmental impact statement (EIS) process to skip the environmental assessment process. The EIS process is actually the more thorough process of
the two. Therefore, this particular law expedites environmental procedures without lowering environmental quality. ↩ back to top

3. Gambling — are you for it or against it? If not, why not? If so, what type of gambling and with what kind of restrictions?

Some may look to legalized gambling to repair the State’s economy. However, such a “solution” could bring financial hardship to many individuals, and is a poor substitute for true change. Hawaii’s consumers and businesses suffer due to excessive and unnecessary regulation and taxation. Let us reform the laws that impact Hawaii’s everyday “bread and butter” businesses before we pursue legalized gambling. ↩ back to top

4. The Sunshine Law is a hallmark of an open democracy accountable to its citizens. Yet, the Legislature exempts itself from this requirement. Do you support more transparency in government operations, or are there legitimate reasons to conduct some of the people’s business behind closed doors?

As noted on the website of the Office of Information Practices: “The Legislature expressly declared that ‘it is the policy of this State that the formation and conduct of public policy—the discussions, deliberations, decisions, and actions of governmental agencies—shall be conducted as openly as possible.’” Thus, it’s more than a little ironic that HRS §92-10 allows the legislature to create rules and procedures that can trump the Sunshine Law. If the nature of lawmaking warrants exceptions to sunshine laws—then those specified exceptions should be spelled out in the statutes. Further, the Act that creates such an amendment should state the specific reasons why the exceptions are necessary. ↩ back to top

5. What is the best legislation — and worst legislation — that the Legislature has approved in recent years? Please explain.

One of the worst bills that the Legislature passed this session was SB2424. It would have imposed excessively high bond requirements of up to $1 million on professional employer organizations (PEO’s), and would have spelled the end of most of the smaller PEO’s. The governor rightfully vetoed this measure. One of the best bills that became a law this year was Act 6. The Act is expected to increase employment by temporarily reducing most employers’ contributions toward the unemployment compensation fund. Such a bill was necessary for these economic times. ↩ back to top

6. What is an issue that you would champion at the Legislature — one that perhaps has not received much attention, or an issue that is important to your district?

After years of public investment, Kaka’ako, Chinatown and K-Town are emerging as a smart-growth urban in-fill community. This district can be a shining example that counters the trend of urban sprawl that eliminates our precious agriculture and conservation lands. But Kaka’ako’s development needs to be diverse and livable. “Diverse” means policies that support a mix of locally owned small businesses, alongside of large ones. “Diverse” also means more workforce and affordable housing, alongside the high-end condos. “Livable” means enhanced public safety and urban parks. Attention needs to be paid to OHA’s plans for Kaka’ako waterfront and to the state’s proposed development of Mother Waldron Park. ↩ back to top