Originally prepared for "The Level Playing Field," a special presentation of The Koolau News. This piece was to be published Sunday, Sept. 15 (Week 7 of 7).

Much remains to be done to bring new direction and leadership to our state government. But we need to start now, and I intend to bring a fresh, new perspective to our Senate Chamber that�s stalled by a �business as usual� mentality.�I grew up in this community, and I am committed to changing the downward spiral of our state for as long as it takes.�I believe we can accomplish this by taking initial steps like:

1. Minimizing Government�s Role
Our government is too large - so much so that it takes much more of our hard-earned money to perpetuate this obsolete monolith in a manner that is no longer efficient and effective. What we, as well as future generations, are stuck with is a bloated government that has outgrown our fragile and stalled economy. All too often, we see our government taking on the role of dictating market conditions and standards for competition with disastrous results.�I firmly believe that our government should be limited and less intrusive so that business can do what it does best: create jobs and stimulate the economy.

2. Practicing Fiscal Discipline
In my nine years at the State Capitol, I have witnessed firsthand the Enron-style accounting practices and smoke and mirror shifting of funds, and it needs to stop.�This money is the people�s money and yet lawmakers continue to quietly increase taxes, nothing broad-based, mind you, so as to raise the ire of the general public, but pick on a select group, like cigarette smokers or couples who apply for a marriage license, constituent groups too small to complain loudly.�Our government�s big appetite for our tax dollars will not be satisfied until we slim the size of its girth.�Creative bookkeeping and band-aid solutions, like a raid on the Hurricane Relief Fund only serve to create a �mess,� and the individuals who helped create the mess won�t be around, and it�ll be my generation and the next who will have to explain to our children and theirs how we let this happen.�I oppose any and all tax increases, as well as any raids on special funds to cover debts and shortfalls.

3. A Two-Party System
Since 1959, Hawaii has been the 50th state in this great country. But also, since that time, we have been a state with basically one party in charge. For a brand new state, maybe that�s all that can be expected. But we are no longer a newly adopted state. We have established ourselves on the map of the United States. We have set up an entire industry on tourism to our beautiful place of natural wonders. Our culture is the most diverse and tolerant perhaps in the whole country. Now we need to expand our abilities one step further. The idea of the multiple-party system is in place here to give our voters the options they deserve. It also allows for the use of the checks and balances system that is already familiar within the setup of the branches of government. We have taken enough from the one-party system. We have gone on long enough without options. As we go into our 44th year of statehood, we owe it to ourselves to make sure this system exists as the forefathers of this great country intended. There are over 50 established political parties in the United States, some of them well-known, some not. But they are still recognized and respected by our government. It would be a service to our state to expand the role of the parties to include more diversity and better choices. The Republican Party is a good place to start this expansion. Our candidates are prepared and straightforward, our supporters are many, and our mission is sincere�to further develop and encourage the growth and prosperity of the State of Hawaii and it�s people.

�For a long time Republicans have been known as the �G.O.P.�� And party faithfuls thought it meant the �Grand Old Party.� But apparently the original meaning (in 1875) was �gallant old party.� And when automobiles were invented it also came to mean, �get out and push.� That�s still a pretty good slogan for Republicans who depend every campaign year on the hard work of hundreds of thousands of volunteers to get out and vote and push people to support the causes of the Republican Party.�
—Republican National Committee, History of the Republican Party