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Name: Greg Cuadra- Current job: Realtor
- Residence: How long you’ve lived in the district: 10 years
- 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? 30 plus years as a leader/manager, has given me the experience to see the problems we face, formulate a plan to solve the problems and to work with others in order to execute the plan and see it through to completion. McCully/Moiliili Neighborhood Board, 2 years, 1st Vice Chair
Major issues: What are the biggest issue in your district/state and your proposed solutions? Our crumbling infrastructure, to create jobs by repairing, and updating our infrastructure.
- 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? Cutting spending, and reducing the size of the 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? Our taxes are already to high, and I have already signed a pledge to not raise nor support any raise of our taxes.
- Rail: If the city has difficulty raising enough revenue for the rail, would you support state tax support for the rail project? No. The voters passed the rail, so I’m pretty much convinced it will happen. What I don’t want to see is another piece of our infrastructure that we fail to or cannot maintain.
- Legalized Gambling: Do you believe gambling should be legalized in Hawaii in any form and if so, in what form? No form of any kind! Gambling leads to other types of activities. And if we keep the gambling in Vegas, then the temptation for those who have no control, is kept at arms distance.
- 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? The elected board has not worked. I see plusses and minuses to both, but after watching the former superintendant, current administration, current board and the teachers union over the last eight years, we need a change. The superintendant should be a cabinet member and a business person, this position does not really need to be an educator. The board should be appointed from a select group of QUALIFIED candidates. The DOE should implement a standard curriculum, standardize text books and equipment to increase purchasing power and drive costs down. I support our schools, but we need to put the right people with the right qualifications in place, give them goals, and then hold them to those goals.
- Economic Growth: What are your plans to promote long-term economic growth for Hawaii? We need to educate our keiki, we need to create good jobs, we can offer tax incentives, lower the GET, and streamline the current systems we have in order to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to exist. We need to encourage high tech and professional industries to come to and invest in the Islands.
- Crime: What is your solution to making Oahu a safer place to live and visit? Many of our laws are outdated, or impossible to enforce. The police have to pick and choose which laws to enforce, because they know which they can effectively prosecute. I would propose we go back and rewrite many of the laws in plain English that is easy to understand, and ensure they are enforceable before we pass them.
- 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 am a firm believer in our 2nd amendment rights.
- Homeless: What is your solution to homelessness? I do sympathize with the homeless. Most are plain old good people just like you and me, but they have fallen upon hard times. I think when we improve the economy we will see the majority of them go back to work and be back in apartments and homes. Then there are the one who are who have substance problems (drugs and alcohol) We need to try and get these folks to the right agencies to get them help, and finally you have the ones who refuse help. I would propose we do open a “safe zone” for the homeless. And I would suggest Sand Island State Park. It’s large, it has facilities, and it would put the homeless in one place where the providers and advocates can service them easier. Most people don’t like to have people walk through their homes, and that’s how a lot of people feel when they have to step over them on the sidewalks or compete with them for spots in our parks. These places are for us all to share; they are not for one specific group to inhabit.
- 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? The compact with Micronesia is a federal compact. The federal government needs to be held accountable for it’s obligations, not the people of Hawaii. It was not the state of Hawaii that used the Micronesian Islands for atomic testing.
- 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 think the Akaka bill will create a rift in Hawaii and destroy the aloha spirit. We need to have a state government that is fair and equal to all the people of Hawaii.
- 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? Hawaii is an international market, but I’m not sure we have the resources to secure our ports. I will have to research this more before commenting.
- Endorsements you would like to list: Aloha Family Alliance; Hawaii Right to Life; Republican Women’s Political Action Committee Voters
- Any additional comments: For years ineffective big government, led by one party that does nothing, has left our economy in ruins. Our schools run down, our people without jobs, and people living in our parks and street. It’s time for a change, it’s time for good, common sense leadership that gets things done, It’s Cuadra Time.
Contact information:
Phone: (808) 497-5212
E-mail: greg.cuadra@hawaii.usa.com
Mail: P.O. Box 283324, Honolulu, HI 96828
Web site address: https://itscuadratime.webs.com
Campaign Slogan or Theme: “It’s Cuadra time”