Q & A:  RICHARD ONISHI VIEWS

What do you think is the biggest problem facing your district and what would you do about it?

“The 3^rd Representative District is over 52 miles long, stretching from South Hilo to Punaluu and has over 10 communities that historically and currently have major differences between them.  I believe that there isn’t a single big problem facing all of these communities, but that each community has different problems that for them are the biggest.  My job is to identify the issues & problems, & help find solutions.”

What do you plan to achieve during this term?

“My top two goals are to (1) to increase revenues and (2) to assist our communities to become safer, healthier, economically viable and sustainable.  To achieve these goals I will identify, develop and support programs that will increase revenue; and I will work with the members of our communities to identify issues and problems dealing with the safety, health, economy and sustainability of their community and work with them to find solutions.”

What initiatives do you propose to stimulate the economy?

“I support legislation to increase research and development of alternative energy programs, the research and development of sustainable agriculture, the development of small and entrepreneurial businesses, and programs for affordable housing development and ownership.”