Yes, its a non-partisan race, but almost everybody I come across asks me what party I belong to. Ive worked directly with communities on Oahu on an every-day basis. Theyre frustrated with the length of time it takes to approve permits in that department. Since 2007, he has donated $63,400 to local and state political campaigns, according to state data. And we as a government need to do what we can to facilitate it. I created girls water polo, I created girls judo, I created girls wrestling. How do you get a change in the economic type of person coming to Hawaii? Theres a lot of city employees that are retiring in the coming years. Climate change is the crisis of our lifetime, he notes. Can you place penalties for people who have way more cars than they need? One of the more difficult parts was during my high school years. He is the Chairman of the Board for two of the subsidiaries, Atlas Insurance Agency and Pacxa (IT company). We have many people working second and third jobs, but they need to pay attention. Her work seeks to hold the government accountable for how it spends money and makes decisions that affect people's lives. Keith Amemiya is on Facebook. They married in 1996 and have a son. Theyre experienced in leaving their office to run for another office during the term that theyre sitting in office. Amemiya will manage strategic planning, programs, and operations for CPB Foundation. In the near-term, abortion rights will be protected in our state, but we need to work to strengthen these rights at the state level, such as ensuring greater access for medical abortions across all islands and creating opportunities for others from outside the state to access medical services here. Keith brings a wealth of knowledge, relationships and experience to CPB Foundation, said Catherine Ngo, Chair, CPB Foundation. Im not just gonna work with Democrats because Im a Democrat, but I do believe and stand by Democratic ideals. These strategies can be implemented at the State level to create more housing: Keith, what's your favorite song and why? I believe youve actually considered amending our city charter to give the commission more teeth. But on the other hand, I also think of a mom and her child on a stroller walking along a sidewalk and being afraid or having to navigate around a homeless person. Well, we need to do what we can to find them alternative places to live. Were facing an unprecedented situation. Theres enough checks and balances in DPP and the permitting process, where if you approve a permit, as long as you have the enforcement and compliance mechanism after, I think well be okay, because there are professionals like architects and engineers looking at the plans as submitted. Well, first, they were breaking the law, and thats not right. Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Well, Im running for mayor because we need change. In 1971, he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Ryan's Daughter. 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. We should get homeless out of Chinatown. Provide zero-interest down payment assistance to first time homebuyers. 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 . Corruption scandals at the Capitol have shaken our trust in Hawaiis elected officials. Keith Amemiya, thank you so much for your time. We talk with Keith about the reasons why he's running for lieutenan. Let me say this: When I see homeless on the sidewalk, I feel sad. Keith, the so-called sweeping of homeless encampments has been a pretty controversial element of Mayor Caldwells response to un-sheltered homelessness. What we need now, more than ever, is not another career politician or lobbyist, but a true leader, who knows how to bring people together to get things done. But if you did have to cut, what would you look at? Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Right, well, I have a lot of broad-based experience, especially for the job of mayor. It could be it could be a policy position or even just a personal philosophy. If theres a shortage of workers at DPP, lets look at outsourcing even more and focus more on compliance and enforcement on the back end. I will work with the governor to empower our office around affordable housing and dedicate staff and resources to work with statewide initiatives. Well, Id like to think that my hallmark, my background, is based on trust and integrity. Most importantly, we need to be pau with the reasons why no can and start getting it done. The stories found here discuss the Financial issues and challenges unique to our island home. I know his wife, Dawn Ige, because she was a former public school vice principal. And its something that never goes away. But now were at a critical point in our citys history, and its time to step up. Over the years, Amemiya has given the . BUSINESS BANKING Beyond the Basics is a blog dedicated to nancial literacy in Hawaii. Commissioner, right, you actually ran that back under Mayor Hannemann, if I remember correctly, Hannemann. Keith calls Honolulu, HI, home. You need to surround yourself with honorable, decent people who always do the right thing. So prior to that I was getting shuttled from relative to relative, and I was very close to the Kobayashi family. Amemiya, 54, has until the Aug. 8 primary to convince Oahu voters that he deserves to lead the city into the next decade. But I also think we can do things like focusing on higher end tourists, higher quality tourists, tourists that spend more money, as opposed to the bargain basement tourists that weve had that havent really added to our bottom line, so to speak, in terms of quality of life and revenue to our hotel workers. Number one, the police chief is already doing it, looking into whether chokeholds should be altered or eliminated altogether. Lack of collaboration, partisan divide, pettiness, you name it. Particularly at a time when youre trying to maybe cut bureaucracy, which I know is another thing that you have proposed. 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. 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? Name on ballot: Keith Amemiya Running for: Lieutenant Governor Political party: Democrat Campaign website: amemiyaforlg.com/ Current occupation: Executive Director, Central Pacific Bank. Well, that was a lot more than three words. Obviously, I cant speak for the current administration, and what theyre gonna do from now to the end of the year, but we need to have a balance, like in all things in life, and if the hotels need a tax break, and the city can make it work on their end, and we should look at it. Do you support that, given what you just said about the hotel industry, and what mechanisms do you think there is there within the power of a mayor to actually control the flow, the number and the type of tourists? So if theres a project where the developer engaged in honest, meaningful communication, followed the process and got approval, then yes, theres a point, government needs to enforce the law, of course. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 13, 2022. They tout the wrong kind of experience. Access to food, housing costs, small business needs, unemployment benefits, and clear communication to the public are my top priorities when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. To leave our site for the link you selected, click PROCEED. 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. [2], Since January 2021, Amemiya has served as executive director of the Central Pacific Bank Foundation. We need to do more proactive engagement with the community. They have failed to deliver a true living wage or paid family leave. To him, it was just another way of giving back to the community while also paying homage to the family who took him in and taught him, among other things, how to be plucky and stand on his own two feet. Court Records. Below is the full transcript of Keith Amemiyas discussion with Mahealani Richardson, Daryl Huff, Colin Moore, Chad Blair, Christina Jedra and Stewart Yerton. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. We also need to look at more third-party review. 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. The city had approximately $200,000,000 in reserve in the prior fiscal year. 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. To remain at our site, click BACK. And if the developer pays for it, it gets passed on to the buyer of the house, and it wont be as affordable. How does that comment make you feel? At the time, he was a young civil litigation attorney and Bonny (formerly Suzui) was the CFO of a local fast food chain. Government in general, whether its federal, state or city, fair or not. I have a good relationship with Governor Ige. 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 think thats a great opportunity to look at retooling the jobs that they did, modernizing the jobs that they did and making it more efficient. I think thats something that should be done, not only in the police department, but in all city departments throughout the city government. So what specific steps would you take to do that? Sir John Mills CBE (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 1908 - 23 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. To his credit, he didnt buckle under pressure. The bespectacled man seeking to become Honolulus top executive was surprisingly not born with that plucky attitude many have come to know him for; rather, he inherited that trait from his best friends family. We know how it worked out, now Sherwoods is finally off the table, but it seemed like people were listening and reaching out in the community. We wanted to get to climate change and its impact on infrastructure, Chad, did you wanna start off with that? Those are three areas we can be successful in, but it takes political will, explains Amemiya. I am sure that you heard from those developers though, that, Yes, we were reaching out to neighborhood boards, we were following the process, we were communicating with communities. But all of a sudden the conflict rises. Thats my intent. Yes, its gonna cost money to the city in terms of more sewage and more water infrastructure and the like, but I like to tell people, they ask me, How can we afford to? And I say, How can we afford not to? The longer we delay these tough decisions, the harder its gonna get to build more housing. One of the things about working class people we hear, with the hotel workers, for example, one job should be enough, and calling for better wages. The Jazz said Hundley died at his home in the Phoenix area. Together with families across the state, we have worked to solve chronic problems for the past few decades, including increasing funding in our rural communities and creating equal access to sports for women and girls. You know it is what it is, you know. Over time, yes, you realized something was amiss with her. We need to change our mindset. By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. Where do the previous administrations fail, though cause everyone says, we need more affordable housing. It was good for me in the long run, says an appreciative Amemiya in assessing the Kobayashis impact on his life. 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 . You know for some reason, I thought I might be asked that today, and I have the answer. Yeah, maybe because of COVID and less revenue and so forth, but they havent even found that (public-private partnership), that P3 person to take on or company to take on those last couple of miles to Ala Moana, as well as the 30-year operating. One of the very first guests to their home was former Molokai High standout Kalei Adolpho, who wound up starring in basketball and volleyball at University of Hawaii at Mnoa. I felt it was important to take a stand to show what party I belong to. You can impose a tourist passport tax, to levy against tourists, and itll be used to help provide or pay down infrastructure. What was your connection to that project? And we saw first-hand that the incidences of domestic violence were already increasing. Well, by all accounts, they rushed it. Theyre entitled to what they say. We need to identify state lands that make sense for housing our communities. The current administration, the city is undergoing a climate action plan. Keith Amemiya, thank you so much for coming here today. But I wouldnt rule anything off the table at this point. This advertisement is published with the approval and authority of the candidate. [18], Amemiya's biological parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and he was raised afterward by a friend's family. ThinkTech Hawaii streams live on the Internet from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Hawaii time most weekdays, then we stream our earlier shows all night long. Do you have that same confidence? Yes, I do, its happened to me many times. Why cant we have online submittal, or registering for testimony? 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. Keith, Mayor (Kirk) Caldwell just signed the latest city budget. Both have lots of bodies, both have lots of money. I know the Hawaii Community Foundation has been helping a lot, Aloha United Way has helped a lot, the Hawaii Foodbank, and just us as a citizenry, we always come through for each other. Its worked in other cities, and I can;t see why it wont work in urban Honolulu. 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. Im for open communication, transparency, we need to make it easier for people to have their say, and technology has proven that you can do it. Whos really behind your campaign?' Beyond using our islands as a site for filming, there are creative tax credits that would incentivize the development of brick-and-mortar studios locally that could generate significant funds. I first met Kalei when she was in middle school and, because she couldnt get the type of training and player development she needed on Molokai, Bonny and I agreed to let her live with us, explains Amemiya. Since January 2021, Amemiya has served as executive director of the Board two. The prior fiscal year manage strategic planning, programs, and I have the answer local state... Inappropriate, you actually ran that back under Mayor Hannemann, if I remember correctly, Hannemann to look more... Our city charter to give the commission more teeth zero-interest down payment assistance to time! Resources to work with the reasons why no can and start getting it.! 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