I mean, thats clear, given the overruns that rail has shown us from the start. Can you place penalties for people who have way more cars than they need? Theyre experienced in being involved in politics their whole career, theyre experienced in running for different offices every election cycle. [2] When you say that rail was ill-planned, who do you blame for that? You need to lead by example. This is an economic situation changing by the week, changing by the month, its unprecedented. Theyre entitled to what they say. There were cell block beatings, the scandal where they were selling food out of the police stations kitchen that was meant for prisoners, things like that were happening. Many of them were struggling. And we as a government need to do what we can to facilitate it. I mean, it sounds like its been a chronic problem for many years. Our neighborhoods were being altered, the character of them and the nature of them, and a lot of my friends who lived in areas from Kaimuki to Pearl City to Kailua complained about the proliferation of tourists living right next door to them in residential neighborhoods. Its the number one issue here as well, based on my feedback from constituents. Im hoping theres another infusion, but in the interim, we need to use our resources in the non-profit industry. Keith calls Honolulu, HI, home. We do a lot of chores and we do a lot of takeout, notes Bonny, adding that the couple often passes its weekends watching documentaries and, prior to COVID-19, attending numerous sporting events together. Okay, youre from the police commission. And I think you also need to have a zero tolerance for corruption. Other names that Keith uses includes Keith Y Amemiya. It wont supersede the neighborhood boards, itll supplement the neighborhood boards. You basically make it easier to get past, eventually. And its more prevalent than people who think or want admit. Good fruit always comes from good trees. Were also coming out of a remarkable situation, the police chief convicted, his wife, the former deputy prosecutor, theres a loss of confidence in the part of the citizens, the City and County of Honolulu, whether they can trust an HPD officer. Make state lands available for low or no cost for affordable housing to be developed, where appropriate and where sufficient infrastructure exists. And the unions are aware, Ive spoken to HGEA in particular and they know that change needs to be made. The state needs to work with the counties to ensure zoning regulations help support development for residential housing. Keith Amemiya, better known by her family name Keith Amemiya, is a popular American business executive and politician. They had four children of their own, and I was a fifth child, so to speak to them, and I learned a lot about giving back, compassion, selflessness, and just doing good when you dont expect anything in return. Umm, there must be some issue I changed my mind on, and I need to think about it a little more. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. And while he still views tourism as a big part of our economy, Amemiya also believes that greater diversity is required. Id like to talk about homelessness a little bit, because it was cited as the number one issue of concern among residents in the latest National Community Survey, and the recent Point In Time count shows that numbers are virtually unchanged from last year. Thats the aloha spirit at work, and those who are fortunate need to help those who are less fortunate. And its something that never goes away. Both have lots of bodies, both have lots of money. Keith Amemiya [2][3][4] is an American business executive and politician who ran in the 2020 Honolulu mayoral election,[5][6] and in 2022 for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. Below is the full transcript of Keith Amemiyas discussion with Mahealani Richardson, Daryl Huff, Colin Moore, Chad Blair, Christina Jedra and Stewart Yerton. The guest is Keith Amemiya. You know it is what it is, you know. So are you even qualified to be mayor, and can you do these things youre trying to do if you havent had an experience in this area? Former Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz developed a team to pursue federal funding, something we should reconstitute to secure the billions needed for our state. Instead, with each passing day he grew more resilient when faced with challenges. I also believe we need to improve in the following areas: Clearer, more consistent communication to the public, with coordination from all levels of government and business and community leaders. Well, Plan A is what I hope happens, that we have a viable option that works out for the city. I dont know, Im just thinking out loud, and maybe the city will acquire that property for them, or the state, and that in turn will help find them a new house and pay for it. Can I ask, you talk about this failure of government. Government in general, whether its federal, state or city, fair or not. What would you do differently than current and previous mayors? The additional space at the Hawaii State Hospital is a start, but we need long-term treatment facilities for our communities that dont require someone to hurt another person before they receive care. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. I mean, why not? Give us something different, something that would bring down the number of tourists, other than Airbnbs and get you this high spending tourist you keep talking about it. I know there are challenges. Their first date was dinner at a nondescript sports bar in Honolulu. We have heard in the middle of this pandemic from behavioral health specialists that they are deeply concerned that depression will get worse, domestic violence, all of these other issues will get worse because of the pandemic. Keith, speaking about Governor Ige, obviously, one of the things the mayor will have to do is work closely with the governor and with the legislature, particularly now, in the recovery from COVID. I think I saw a recent study that showed that most people in Hawaii lived within several miles of their place of work. And in particular, because after that project was completed, many units changed hands and at higher prices. What would a future generation of Hawaii say about you in three words? He's trying to convince voters it's his biggest strength. The lieutenant governors office is an office of opportunity. Chief Ballard said that HPD cant be compared to police departments on the mainland, that she doesnt believe theres a systemic problem particularly involving racism, perhaps violence and misconduct. I have dedicated my career to public service by working directly in every community statewide throughout my career. We have talented local producers and compelling stories to tell that can be part of a regenerative economy. We also need to dedicate a team to pursue ongoing federal funding, as we know that we are leaving billions of dollars on the table every year. [2], Since January 2021, Amemiya has served as executive director of the Central Pacific Bank Foundation. I have a good relationship with Governor Ige. My roots are deepest in education, having served as the Executive Director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, Executive Administrator and Secretary of the University of Hawaiis Board of Regents, and as a State of Hawaii Board of Education Member. [18], Amemiya's biological parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and he was raised afterward by a friend's family. They already are in Kaaawa and places like that. Now, in terms of the project, you are talking about, transit-oriented development is one area where we can utilize to build more housing. Let me say this: When I see homeless on the sidewalk, I feel sad. At least two of your competitors say that they dont need training wheels to be mayor. And Im wondering two things: One, when you make an answer to Colin, Oh i dont really want to look at that. So the rail project right now, its a major step. So, I empathize with other families who have to deal with that, and I think we need to do more as a society to address it and not just sweep it under the rug. I care deeply about the community, and I want to create a better Hawaii and a better Oahu for all of us. Its hard to make ends meet. We have become far too reliant upon waiting for our Congressional delegation to bring home resources, when most states and counties are proactively applying for funds. [2][7][8][9][10] Until 2019 he was the campaign treasurer for U.S. The host for this show is Rusty Komori. While critics like to point out his lack of political experience, Amemiya takes pride in his outsider status, viewing it as an argument against the status quo. I know theres a federal investigation ongoing, and lets see where it takes us. Im sorry. The seeds the Kobayashis had planted in their hnai son had begun to bear good fruit; the first signs of his gritty can-do, not cant-do attitude were firmly taking root. He has served as Chief Administrative Officer for the University of Hawaii Board of Regents and Honolulu Police Commissioner.He is an attorney, former executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, and executive involved with the investments of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative created by Mark Zuckerberg and his . Homelessness is a complicated problem, as we all know. Copyright MidWeek | All rights reserved. In addition to creating long-term housing that our families can actually afford, the state has neglected supporting the mental health needs of our community. Well, by all accounts, they rushed it. If the man who hopes to be Oahus mayor has learned anything in life, its that good deeds need to be reciprocated. And the police commission has less power, duties and responsibilities than one would think, and given all the attention on police reform nationwide and here locally, I think its a great time to revisit that situation and see if the Commission can have more oversight and authority. His mother suffered from mental illness and Keith was brought up by various relatives until he moved in with a friend whose father, Bert T. Kobayashi Jr., became Keith's hnai father. Why cant we have online submittal, or registering for testimony? Well, its clear that the higher the wage for hotel workers and the like, the better their quality of life. PHOTOS COURTESY KEITH AMEMIYA. Well, I share the concern and frustration, if you will, of the two most recent departing commissioners Levinson and Sheehan. For example, two industries have demonstrated potential in Hawaii, but have not been fully leveraged: 1) film and media production and 2) technology and innovation. He was born and raised in Windward O'ahu, where his maternal grandparents Whitney and Hannie Anderson, and mother and stepfather Kim and John Puchalski, raised him . I suspect that if Im elected mayor, our lives are all going to change, he says. Im in support of vacation rentals in resort areas like Waikiki and Ko Olina. Yet, Amemiya apparently did well enough over time to convince her that he was the one. Today, she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai High. I go back to just the federal subsidy, we received a loan thats $800,000,000. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portrayed guileless, wounded war heroes. Waimanalo, were telling you, you you need to show up at Pope Elementary cafeteria this Thursday night. Its governments failure in general. Inspired by the example set by his hnai family following his biological parents divorce when he was 10, Amemiya has graciously opened up his home to neighbor island athletes over the past two decades. Well, I think we have to wait and see. This is a paid advertisement. Im clearly my own man, and I do know all those people, but none of them asked me to run for office. Now, of course, Im willing to work with everyone, whether they be Republican, Independent, Aloha Aina party or whatever other party thats out there. We bought a unit in the open market, we bought it for our son, we paid market rate in the hopes, hes in college now, we bought it in the hopes that when hes done with college, he comes back home and has a place to stay. ", "Musings from Manoa: Amemiya right man for top job", "Wishing a wonderful 55th birthday to our humble leader and friend, Keith, today from Team Amemiya!! They didnt have to, we werent blood relatives. Is that Kirk Caldwell and David Ige? And thats what I intend to do as mayor. And number two, when you talk about change, those are probably two (of) the biggest organizations resistant to change. ThinkTech Hawaii streams live on the Internet from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm every weekday afternoon, Hawaii Time, then streaming earlier shows through. And put all hands on deck. This advertisement is published with the approval and authority of the candidate. They tout the wrong kind of experience. I would lose votes if I do that. Speaking of fairness, what about for the hotels that have been essentially not able to operate for months what about giving them a tax break on property taxes? Well, theres a couple of other ways. Industries such as agriculture, aquaculture and renewable energy should be further explored after having been neglected for far too long, he says. I created a separate girls golf as a sport. Born on September 1, 1965 in United States, Keith Amemiya started his career as business executive and politician . Like it or not, its almost finished. For the very determined Keith Amemiya, the seeds of his disposition were planted the day hnai parents Bert and Harriet Kobayashi sat him down for a heart-to-heart discussion about his future. Join Facebook to connect with Keith Amemiya and others you may know. Mauna Kea is a special place for Hawaii, for spirituality, and for the universe. So to be clear, I wasn't there in 2018, and I don't think any of you are suggesting I was, so during my tenure, there were a lot of improvements to female athlete facilities. And again, I know you said we cant keep mentioning illegal vacation rentals, but that will play a huge role in limiting the type and quality of tourists that we have. Senior Vice-President Island Holdings, Inc. Keith Amemiya is an attorney and the Senior Vice-President of Island Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Island Insurance and four other local subsidiaries. I sympathize with the public. Mental illness is a problem that no one wished upon themselves, they cant help it, and I was frustrated Im still frustrated at the lack of services, the lack of awareness, the lack of priority by government to address that concern. Those things do take time, though. With no candidate receiving an outright majority of the vote in the August 8 nonpartisan blanket primary, the top two finishers, Amemiya and Rick Blangiardi, advanced to a runoff on November 3. And people only started to protest when they actually saw the bulldozers come in, and at that time, the mayor, perhaps expressing some tone deafness on his part, did not want to stop the project. When I served on the commission, Chief Kealoha wasnt the chief and I wasnt involved in the selection of Chief Kealoha. Yes, Im frustrated like everyone else at the rail progress thus far. A clear, number one, we didnt flip it for a profit even though we could have done so. In terms of fundraising, he has spearheaded many successful multi-million dollar campaigns statewide, including to save Junior Varsity sports in our public schools, the construction of Roosevelt High Schools new football field and track, and the creation of middle school sports programs in the most impoverished areas in the state. During his 12 years with HHSAA, for example, he successfully persuaded many risk-averse principals and athletic directors to launch a second state championship division for the so-called smaller schools. It was a move that not only brought in more money for the state, but also increased the level of excitement for prep sports exponentially. Relatives & Associates. Now, of course, we have to balance it with the needs and the capability of the employer, and especially with COVID hitting us, we need to look at whats fair. Those are three areas we can be successful in, but it takes political will, explains Amemiya. We have limited resources, so its imperative that the next mayor have a good relationship with our federal delegation, our state delegation and the City Council, and I intend to have a good relationship with all three. You have a heart condition, you go to the doctor. Its a tough situation, its like the pandemic, we havent really faced that in our lifetime or even before, and we need to just work together. Ive been able to bring people together, Ive been able to collaborate, and Ive been able to find solutions through team work. Lowering the cost of housing for working families. We wanted to get to climate change and its impact on infrastructure, Chad, did you wanna start off with that? Since then, the family has lived a rather ordinary life within the walls of their Pauoa home. They started that way, and they dont have the resources to pick up and move. Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Right, well, I have a lot of broad-based experience, especially for the job of mayor. Now, criminality, I dont know, Im not willing to say that. Now if I can add to that, the pandemic has taught us that maybe everyone doesnt have to go to downtown to work, that maybe you can work from home, maybe we can have four-day work weeks across the board with rotating days off, so that traffic is spread out over the week. Ive done that. I dont have to point out that most of our infrastructure, including the tourism sector and Waikiki, including the downtown business area, the Honolulu International Airport, these sewage treatments plants, the power plants all of that is on the coast. Well, to stay on this topic for just a minute, because its so big, not just from TMT, but here on Oahu alone, you mentioned Sherwoods. Eliminating taxes on food, medicine, diapers, and other essential products. And the general public as well. Its a comprehensive plan that seeks to aggressively reduce the housing vacancy or housing inventory shortage that we have right now. 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