Name: Tracy Nakano Bean- Current job: Flight Attendant, Hawaiian Airlines
- Residence: How long you’ve lived in the district: Lifelong Kaneohe Resident
- Background: What qualifies you for the position? What else have you run for? Have you been in public office before and if so, what position?
Many politicians want to talk about their vision. I want to listen for a change to the people’s needs. I feel that I am most qualified to serve because I have a servant-minded attitude towards the people of Hawaii and the willingness to say no to encroachments against their liberty. I will defend the Constitution and the freedom of Hawaii’s people.
- Major issues: What are the biggest issue in your district/state and your proposed solutions?
People are most concerned about their stake in the American Dream. People are barely making ends meet, jobs are scarce, taxes are high and trust in government is at an all time low. My campaign is about restoring freedom, prosperity, personal choice and excellence to the people.
- Budget philosophy: What is your budget philosophy? Do you foresee increases in revenue through tax hikes and fees or do you believe in cutting spending?
My budget philosophy is simple: don’t waste the people’s money. So many people are concerned about ‘revenues’ but what I’m concerned about most is private profit and private savings because those things are what enable the people to prosper and those things – not government – improve the quality of life.
The FY2010 budget of Hawaii was so large that if you were to tape each dollar in the budget end to end, you could wrap the equator of Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet three and a half times over. Now that’s an astronomical figure. We need to aggressively cut spending and cut taxes because these things not only result in inflation, but they create an entire industry of special interest groups who exist to determine who will divide tax dollars collected by big government.
- Taxes and fees: Do you believe Hawaii’s taxes should be lowered or increased? If you do plan to raise taxes and fees, which specific taxes or fees would you increase? Or would you sign a pledge that says you will not raise taxes?
As a Christian, I agree with Jesus’ teaching that the worker is worthy of their wages and that taxes should be kept to an absolute minimum. Even the Chinese tactician Sun Tzu wrote 2,300 years ago that “if wealth is depleted, local taxes are oppressive.” Hawaii’s wealth is being depleted by taxes and wasted by big government. I am in favor of reducing or repealing altogether as many taxes as possible and would oppose any tax increases of any form.
- Rail: If the city has difficulty raising enough revenue for the rail, would you support state tax support for the rail project?
The proper injunction of government in this economic crisis is to cut taxes and cut spending so as to permit private savings to increase. Private citizens who can’t afford things don’t buy them. Government needs to take a lesson from them.
- Legalized Gambling: Do you believe gambling should be legalized in Hawaii in any form and if so, in what form?
I do not support the legalization of gambling in Hawaii.
- Public Education: What are your plans to support the public education system while ensuring accountability and results for our students? Do you support an appointed or elected school board?
I believe that the Hawaii Department of Education needs a comprehensive independent audit so as to permit transparency, efficiency and continuous improvement.
Regarding the school board, we need to keep it elected. I firmly believe from the advice of men like F.A. Hayek that the transition to appointed officials for centralized planning rather than elected officials represents a degeneration of democracy towards serfdom. The government is constantly taking away things from the people in the name of “experts” … how many more experts do we need before the people are left with no choice, no money and no hope? Don’t take away the people’s right to vote – period.
- Economic Growth: What are your plans to promote long-term economic growth for Hawaii?
The biggest step in fixing the economy is understanding why it’s broken in the first place. The majority of our national and local elected officials seem to think that low aggregate demand is to blame for the economic slump, so they have attempted to artificially “stimulate” consumer and investor demand with massive injections of Federal dollars, big shovel projects and manipulation of interest rates.
In reality, the only thing that our politicians have been doing is stimulating malinvestment, fanning the flames of hyperinflation and transferring wealth from one group of people to another. The “business cycle” of temporary boom followed by bust is created by government’s intervention in the marketplace and attempts to command and control the economy.
In order to have economic growth, people need private savings, not increased consumption. Jobs are created by production which comes from capital acquired from private savings. Right now less than 4 out of 10 people have $10,000 or more in savings. My plan is to aggressively cut taxes and cut spending across the board so as to allow people the room to keep what they’ve earned and save it for their future.
- Crime: What is your solution to making Oahu a safer place to live and visit?
First and foremost, the existing laws need to be enforced. Secondly, we need to recognize that a bad economy is a vector for substance and drug abuse and violent crimes. The Department of Justice recently determined that economic turmoil was strongly correlated to increased domestic violence. One of the best ways we can cut crime is by improving the economy and making sure that government doesn’t push people to the brink of desperation with oppressive laws and taxes.
- Second Amendment: Would you support concealed carry or more freedom for law abiding firearms owners, do you feel the current laws should remain in place, or do you believe stricter gun laws should be in place?
I firmly support the Second Amendment and believe that it is essential to a free and safe society. In general, gun control laws only serve to disarm law abiding citizens since violent criminals are going to do what they want to do whether the law says they can do something or not.
- Homeless: What is your solution to homelessness?
The best solution to homelessness is to remove the factors which cause homelessness in the first place: excessive property tax assessments, speculative bubbles, malinvestment and worst of all, inflation. The American Dream is all about owning property. I want to empower people to own and enjoy their own private property.
- Compact with Micronesia: Micronesians are able to freely move to Hawaii, which they are doing in large numbers to take advantage of the public education system, medical services and other government benefits. But the governor and other public officials say they are taxing Hawaii’s resources and costing the state more than $100 million a year. This is a federal decision, but would you share your view on whether the Compact with Micronesia should remain in place, should there be some parameters put on the Compact or do you have other solutions?
Ultimately the 10th Amendment gives Hawaii the right to determine its destiny and future. If Federal mandates – however well intentioned they may be – are resulting in undue strain on Hawaii revenues and causing turmoil for Hawaii’s taxpayers, I would be in favor of exercising state’s rights through nullification and interposition against unfair, burdensome and costly Federal mandates.
- Akaka Bill: What is your position on the Akaka Bill? Do you believe it will unite or divide Hawaii? What is your vision for how the Akaka Bill will change Hawaii?
I believe that the Akaka Bill as presently drafted would not be in the best interests of Native Hawaiians or anyone else.
- Jones Act: Opponents of the federal Jones Act say it increases the cost of living in Hawaii through a shipping duopoly while supporters say it is needed to ensure port security and American jobs. While this is a federal decision, would you share your view on whether you support an exemption for Hawaii from the Jones Act or should it remain in place?
Thomas Jefferson warned that were we directed by Washington when to sow and when to reap, we would soon want bread. I believe that the states created the Federal government for their mutual benefit, not for harm and that any policy or law which results in adverse effects upon a state or its people should be reconsidered and if necessary, repealed.
- Endorsements you would like to list: While our list of individuals who endorse this campaign are too numerous to list, some of our notable endorsements from organizations include the Aloha Family Alliance PAC, Hawaii Right To Life, and SHOPO.
- Any additional comments: I humbly ask for the people of Senate District 24 to permit me the honor of serving as their State Senator.
Contact information:
Phone: (808) 561-2969
E-mail: beanhawaii@gmail.com
Mail: Friends of Tracy Nakano Bean, P.O. Box 1635, Kaneohe HI 96744
Web site address: https://www.beanhawaii.com
Campaign Slogan or Theme (optional): Freedom, Prosperity, Personal Choice, Excellence