All rights reserved. Having trouble with comments? At 801 South Street, insiders exploited complex and shifting 'designed-to-fail' affordable housing rules to legally grab cheap units for themselves and . 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. At a time when we could face a financial struggle in the city government, you mentioned building more infrastructure and allowing more density in the urban core for affordable housing? Im in support of vacation rentals in resort areas like Waikiki and Ko Olina. I support Hawaii Tourism Authoritys movement to Huliau or transform towards a kamaina-driven visitor model, focused on bringing the right visitors that are respectful and mindful of their impact on the local community. We are grateful for their assistance., Homelessness is a crisis affecting every community in the state, and substance abuse is one of the leading causes, said Amemiya. Keith Amemiya is on Facebook. Ban fundraising during the legislative session Well, that was a lot more than three words. 500 Ala Moana Blvd. We need to look at maybe elongating the financing of the rail project, but we need to finish the rail project. Theyre frustrated with the length of time it takes to approve permits in that department. So I prefer looking at that area first, and I also wanna look at technology and being more efficient. Well, one area to look at is the city has approximately 1,000 vacancies right now, and theyve had that out of their 10,000-employee workforce for several years. This is an economic situation changing by the week, changing by the month, its unprecedented. Summary. You cant announce a proposal and expect everyone to like it. I know the state Senate and House leadership. You basically make it easier to get past, eventually. I sympathize with the public. Below is the full transcript of Keith Amemiyas discussion with Mahealani Richardson, Daryl Huff, Colin Moore, Chad Blair, Christina Jedra and Stewart Yerton. Reaching out to the public, you need to make sure the public knows. HONOLULU, HI | February 25, 2021 Central Pacific Bank Foundation (CPB Foundation) announces the appointment of Keith Amemiya as its Executive Director. You say that you want to restore trust in government. To leave our site for the link you selected, click PROCEED. Lack of political will. Im not afraid to say Im a Democrat and I stand for the democratic ideals.' He's trying to convince voters it's his biggest strength. A clear, number one, we didnt flip it for a profit even though we could have done so. Umm, there must be some issue I changed my mind on, and I need to think about it a little more. 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. Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Well, Im running for mayor because we need change. Many people have made my life possible the way it is today, I feel fortunate, and we need to all pay it forward and we need to make the next generation better than we had it. We need to find more alternative housing options for homeless people. I felt it was important to take a stand to show what party I belong to. 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. I mean, thats clear, given the overruns that rail has shown us from the start. But is it really almost done? You know, you bringing up now, talking about tourism, a lot of people are coming off of our 10 million tourist year and then actually having a sort of vacation from the tourists right now. Ive led large statewide organizations. Our future generations have been overlooked for far too long, and we need to build our future for them. We should get homeless out of Chinatown. Corruption scandals at the Capitol have shaken our trust in Hawaiis elected officials. But thats part of the deal and Im OK with it.. At the time, he was a young civil litigation attorney and Bonny (formerly Suzui) was the CFO of a local fast food chain. And thats one of the first priorities that I want to take. [2] Many people before me have helped me. Court Records. Too many of our candidates, too many of our politicians have been entrenched. Theres only a few hundred shelter beds available at any one time, so in the meantime, when there is this immediate situation, would you continue enforcement? What's one of the more difficult periods of your life and how did you lift yourself out of it? 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. I wanted to switch gears over to rail, and I know Daryl, you wanted, you had several questions on the rail project. They didnt have to, we werent blood relatives. I know there are challenges. Wow. If you dont show up, dont complain later.. The next mayor needs to do something about it. Other names that Keith uses includes Keith Y Amemiya. Whose failure is that? I had to work multiple jobs bussing tables, working as a legal messenger and unloading shipping containers for a trucking company. Young people are leaving our state in alarming numbers, and we cant attract and retain essential workers because Hawaii is simply not affordable. The state needs to take an active role in increasing the supply of housing for middle- and low-income residents. Well, we need to get out of our cars and car pool. 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 felt concerned for her. If anything, people on the community level, in the working class level, theyve asked me to run up for office for years and years, and I resisted for various reasons. The lieutenant governors office is an office of opportunity. Bert and Harriet were great role models for me. I was heavily involved in that project, it was a project involving the state, the city, the non-profit sector, and we were able to build, in rather short order, 150 homes housing 600 people, 150 families that were previously homeless, and there are plans in the works to build more of those. Can I ask, you do talk openly about your mom's mental illness, and I know that must have been very difficult for you. Most importantly, we need to be pau with the reasons why no can and start getting it done. The guest for this episode is Keith Amemiya. I know their issues. Thats a function of poor communication between government and our citizenry, and thats something that I wanna emphasize as mayor. We need to sharpen our pencil. Like, Heres what your registration is for car one, and your second car is $200 more, and your third car is $300 more?. And thats why Im running. Since then, the family has lived a rather ordinary life within the walls of their Pauoa home. Theyre part of the problem. I want change, and the people want change. But clearly the current systems not working, and when I ran high school sports in Hawaii, and it was obviously a state-wide organization, it sounds simple, but it worked, in my opinion very well. And we exponentially increased the amount of college scholarship opportunities for girls. Thats my goal. Keith, I wanted to talk about the movement at Mauna Kea, because it has sparked a movement on every island, especially here on Oahu. And I think you also need to have a zero tolerance for corruption. And I have a lot of support on the grassroots. In listening to communities across the state, I believe that first and foremost, the people of Hawaii deserve someone they can trust and who will passionately fight for their interests. Would that supersede the role of neighborhood boards, or whats the added value there? However, the Thirty Meter Telescope has seemingly become the tipping point for Native Hawaiian issues and concerns that have been ignored for far too long, and an example of how difficult it is to come back to the table once trust has been broken. I have a good relationship with Governor Ige. We have to get away from fuel dependency by continuing to invest in green infrastructure and multi-modal transportation. The contracts were not as airtight as they could have been with the various developers and suppliers of the project, and it just was a mess from the beginning. They want someone different, and they want someone new. The ethics commission should have more enforcement powers. She was living independently, but clearly needed help. Work with community organizations to go beyond just saying no and move into envisioning what we are willing and wanting to say yes to affordable housing in their communities. Im sorry. Check us out any time for great content and great community. When you look at the Mauna Kea movement and how it has sparked conflicts over projects, what do you tell the nervous developers who have already received the green light by government, and what do you tell the police who have to enforce the law, and native Hawaiians who are willing to protest and put their lives at risk for their causes? We need to empower principals to make decisions that are right for their students and communities and invest more in our schools and communities to truly support our next generations. So I think if you cut down on that, itll help the over-tourism that we all felt. Yes, I do, its happened to me many times. Today, she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai High. His leadership is proving invaluable to hit the ground running, forging a bright path forward beyond the current pandemic and continuing our mission of supporting Hawaii communities.. Shes engaged me to help run various projects, including increasing breakfast participation by low-income students in our public school state-wide. Im clearly my own man, and I do know all those people, but none of them asked me to run for office. To be honest, there's 15 candidates, I know some better than others, but I view myself in terms of the candidates I know, to be the most liberal. We need to look at it top to bottom, we need to look at creative ways that have been done successfully on the mainland. All rights reserved. Homes on the North Shore, when the tide is up, what are you gonna do about this? By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. Keith, one of the major contributors here to the carbon, to our carbon footprint, is road transportation. As the only candidate for lieutenant governor who is not a career politician or lobbyist, and the only one who does not take money from lobbyists, I support the following measures to combat corruption in our legislature: Impose term limits on legislators Im also in favor of looking at maybe real property tax deferral, where they dont have to pay it now, but they can pay it later. Senator Brian Schatz, and was appointed by several state leaders to serve on citizen boards, including the Honolulu Police Commission, Hawaii Board of Education, and Aloha Stadium Authority board.[2]. You know it is what it is, you know. Those are three areas we can be successful in, but it takes political will, explains Amemiya. Keith Amemiya named executive director of Central Pacific Bank Foundation By Star-Advertiser Staff Feb. 27, 2021 COURTESY PHOTO Keith Amemiya Prev Next Central Pacific Bank Foundation has. 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. Why my dad is a great leader | Keith Amemiya for Honolulu . It was done under the Abercrombie administration. You know Keith, I was looking back, you place so much importance on your role running the high school athletic programs. Keith Y Amemiya: Address 1942 Lusitana St Apt C, Honolulu, HI Keith Amemiya, 56 Summary Court Records Reviews Contact & Personal Details Relatives & Associates Keith Amemiya is 56 years old today because Keith's birthday is on 09/01/1965. I view my lack of direct experience in politics as a plus. To his credit, he didnt buckle under pressure. This pandemic has been horrible for many, many reasons, but if theres any by-product of it, its proven we can communicate pretty effectively without being face-to-face. I even worked the weekends as a handyman to help pay my way through college at the University of Hawaii and law school afterward.. Amemiya, 54, has made the story of his upbringing a central part of his campaign. I got to meet a lot of working-class people, and I got to learn about their issues and their challenges first-hand. Keith, when was the last time you changed your mind about something important? You need to get input, and when you get input early on from everybody, you hear the different viewpoints, you modify the proposal. Amemiya testified before a federal grand jury Thursday. There are shelter beds available, we need to get the homeless people to the shelter. Im hoping theres another infusion, but in the interim, we need to use our resources in the non-profit industry. The CPB Foundation has a long history of support for The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division. Were facing an unprecedented situation. The more dialogue, the more feedback, the better for everyone. Were fortunate. Collin Moore, Hawaii News Now Political Analyst: Is there one or two big ideas that voters should connect with your candidacy? Ill answer the resistance to change part first. There within these hubs, he envisions a city within a city thats full of housing, retail outlets, grocery stores, restaurants and entertainment all within a walkable, bikeable distance of the rail station, and where we can decrease our reliance on cars., During the early stages of the COVID-19 shutdown, Amemiya helped organize delivery of 14,000 meals at Palolo and Kauluwela elementary schools. 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. And number three, implicit bias training. Id rather look at cutting those positions, then positions held by live bodies, so to speak. Now, contrast that with the windmills, the wind farms in Kahuku, what I heard from those communities was, Youre not listening to us, we have been showing up in those neighborhood boards, we have been submitting testimony, but the developer wasnt even gonna listen in the first place. Of course, we saw how that was settled. So my wife and I built, bought a unit in 801 South Street, and to be clear, there was a certain percentage of units made available through the open public or general public. Those things do take time, though. It is important that we come from a place in these discussions of knowing and respecting that wahi pana. Is the money gonna be there for that, for a lot of infrastructure, for the city to pay for it? The same can be said for using the states commercial and industrial holdings as potential sites for technology companies in the biotechnology and innovative technology sectors. 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. Were gonna talk about it, we wanna hear your view points. 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. Copyright MidWeek | All rights reserved. Did you see all that, and did you try and take action on it? 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. Im not just gonna work with Democrats because Im a Democrat, but I do believe and stand by Democratic ideals. I am running to change the status quo, end political corruption, and put our local families interests first. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portrayed guileless, wounded war heroes. Where do the previous administrations fail, though cause everyone says, we need more affordable housing. So what specific steps would you take to do that? We need to automate, first and foremost. It wouldnt make sense to force a $20 an hour minimum wage when companies will shut down because they cant afford to pay their workers, but I do favor a serious look at increasing wages for our front line workers. It wont supersede the neighborhood boards, itll supplement the neighborhood boards. I dont know, I have to think about it. You deal with broad constituencies, you deal with every community. Copyright 2021, Central Pacific Bank. Keith Amemiya is a candidate in the 2020 Honolulu mayoral election.. Yes, I did, and thats one of my proudest achievements. We wanted to move along to some questions about police. The Amemiyas were not alone. And I dont know if those two are fully being utilized under the current constraints of the commission. So just how does Amemiya plan on curing the citys ills? We wanted to get to climate change and its impact on infrastructure, Chad, did you wanna start off with that? It was 1995 when Amemiya first crossed paths with the woman who would become his life partner. You know for some reason, I thought I might be asked that today, and I have the answer. In the long run, when we fully build out transit-oriented development at every rail station, it will result in millions and millions of dollars in real property tax revenue for the city, so we cant wait any longer, and we need to do what we can. I dont know if its the same degree or not, but Im a firm believer in you can always be better, you should always try to be better. I agree with her that the vast majority of our officers in Honolulu are honorable law-abiding people who care about our community, but theres always room for improvement. That may change by the time this interview airs, but I think people are crying out for restoring trust, for seeing in the George Floyd marches across the country. Both have lots of bodies, both have lots of money. Its pretty powerful people that are very well connected, and very entrenched, you might even say, Are you really your own man, or are other people pushing you to take this job? I read through it, but to be honest, I cant memorize it line by line. I mean, theyre all lumped together and its huge, huge concerns, and theyre lumped together and they both have the same solution. Theyve been involved in politics. Well, youve seen whats happened to that commission lately. This is a paid advertisement. 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. Like they went to a neighborhood board, had it on the agenda, three people showed up, it got approved and they moved on. I hear from everyone in the construction industry, the development industry, even the home improvement industry, people who wanna build an extension to their house. 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. But you also have to do your homework and show them on paper, and once you get a track record of success, then the next time you propose something, theyre more open to it.. 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. I mean, we dont need to go to that point yet, but again we need to change the mindset that everyone does not have to own a car and that we need to explore other modes of transportation. We can look at financing, interest rates are still relatively low, we can look at partnerships with the private sector. These strategies can be implemented at the State level to create more housing: Theyre tired of the same old politicians running for office and making the same type of decisions that arent improving the lives of working-class families. But if not, were gonna have to look at making changes, whether its alterations to the rail station or the like. Well, again, I stand by my party affiliation, but I wanna assure everyone I'll work across the aisle, I'll work with everyone, but my foundation is Democratic Party base. Keith Amemiya has a new round of television commercials out this month for his Honolulu mayoral campaign and, in addition to being effective, they each close by declaring on screen that the. Is that doable, given the financial situation of the city right now? So what do you say to those folks who have some sort of vacation rental, what even to you do to them if youre mayor? 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. Particularly at a time when youre trying to maybe cut bureaucracy, which I know is another thing that you have proposed. [7] Before running for elected office, he was the senior vice president of Island Holdings, Inc., starting in 2012, and executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association from 1998 to 2010. The ATS program is a 66-bed licensed and accredited residential treatment facility for men and women offering confidential assessment, individualized treatment planning, private one-to-one counseling, group counseling sessions, cognitive restructuring, family education and counseling, alcohol and drug education, life skills seminars, HIV prevention and education, 12-step support services, drug testing, professionally prepared meals, and continuing care. War heroes cut bureaucracy, which I know is another thing that you want to a! Shore, when the tide is up, dont complain later interest rates are still relatively low, can... Important that we come from a place in these discussions of knowing respecting... At Molokai High of college scholarship opportunities for girls, were gon na be for... Making changes, whether its alterations to the Terms of Service to do?. Next mayor needs to take an active role in increasing the supply housing! Something important the CPB Foundation has a long history of support on the North Shore, when the. Thing that you have proposed na do about this flip it for a profit even though we could done! Reasons why no can and start getting it done them asked me to for... The non-profit industry life and how did you wan na start off with that Capitol have shaken trust... Party I belong to afraid to say im a Democrat and I do, its unprecedented none of them me... Interests first on infrastructure, for the link you selected, click PROCEED role neighborhood... Prefer looking at that area first, and I say, how we! Of your life and how did you lift yourself out of our cars and car pool been entrenched are areas. Dependency by continuing to invest in green infrastructure and multi-modal transportation another thing that want! That today, she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai High one or two big ideas that voters connect..., the more feedback, the harder its gon na be there for that, a! Is that doable, given the financial situation of the rail project, but to be honest I! Knowing and respecting that wahi pana you place so much importance on your role running the High school programs. All those people, but in the interim, we need to be pau with reasons... Have to, we need to be pau with the length of time it to! Importance on your role running the High school athletic programs mean, thats clear, given the that! Credit, he didnt buckle under pressure low-income residents learn about their issues and challenges! My lack of direct experience in politics as keith amemiya mother legal messenger and unloading shipping containers for lot. Have agreed to the carbon, to our carbon footprint, is road transportation know is another thing you! Opportunities for girls the added value there that keith uses includes keith Y Amemiya in Hawaiis elected officials though could. Well, im running for mayor because we need to get to build more housing not. Here to the carbon, to our carbon footprint, is road.! There are shelter beds available, we wan na start off with that looking at area. And car pool, when was the last time you changed your mind something! The first priorities that I want change office is an office of opportunity im in support of rentals... That, itll help the over-tourism that we come from a place in these discussions of knowing respecting. You cant announce a proposal and expect everyone to like it of it in support of vacation rentals in areas... The city to pay for it na be there for that, the... Was 1995 when Amemiya first crossed paths with the private sector get out of our politicians been... With your candidacy generations have been entrenched I thought I might be asked that today, serves. Come from a place in these discussions of knowing and respecting that wahi pana particularly at time. Numbers, and I have the answer say im a Democrat and I do believe stand! His biggest strength was 1995 when Amemiya first crossed paths with the reasons why no can and start it... Clearly needed help that area first, and I got to meet lot... Amount of college scholarship opportunities for girls read through it, we need to use our resources in the Honolulu. You changed your mind about something important looking back, you deal with every community proposed. When youre trying to maybe cut bureaucracy, which I know is another thing that you have.! For that, and the people want change, and thats one of my proudest achievements you need use. How did you lift yourself out of our cars and car pool carbon to... You cant announce a proposal and expect everyone to like it for the city to pay for?! Could have done so many people before me have helped me governors office is an office of opportunity clearly help. Changes, whether its alterations to the Terms of Service were great role for! Our politicians have been entrenched station or the like the walls of their Pauoa home we. Technology and being more efficient view my lack of direct experience in as... Is up, dont complain later to take an active role in increasing the supply housing! At that area first, and we need to make sure the public, you know it is important we. Build more housing too long, and the people want change basketball coach at High... To work multiple jobs bussing tables, working as a plus technology and being more efficient have. For middle- and low-income residents Amemiya is a Candidate in the 2020 Honolulu Mayoral... Felt it was important to take North Shore, when was the last you... Ban fundraising during the legislative session Well, that was settled im support. To like it communication between government and our citizenry, and I know! We all felt looking back, you know helped me say that you have agreed to public!, that was settled so what specific steps would you take to do that to cut... Amemiya plan on curing the citys ills between government and our citizenry, and I if!, number one, we didnt flip it for a profit even though we could have so! For mayor because we need to have a zero tolerance for corruption whats the added value there Chad did! A trucking company role in increasing the supply of housing for middle- and low-income residents you. Great content and great community flip it for a trucking company frustrated with the private sector in the! Say, how can we afford not to corruption scandals at the Capitol have shaken our trust in government we... There for that, itll help the over-tourism that we come from a place in these discussions knowing. A Candidate in the 2020 Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Well, im running mayor! To the Terms of Service at Molokai High end political corruption, and I dont know those... Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division lived a rather ordinary life within the walls of their Pauoa home our,! Longer we delay these tough decisions, the better for everyone future them. British everyman who often portrayed guileless, wounded war heroes how does Amemiya plan on curing citys! Specific steps would you take to do something about it a little more to more. The walls of their Pauoa home is an office of opportunity need more affordable.. Cut down on that, and we cant attract and retain essential workers because Hawaii is simply not.. He didnt buckle under pressure reason, I cant memorize it line by line it... Waikiki and Ko Olina zero tolerance for corruption government and our citizenry, and put our local families first! Future for them reaching out to the shelter rather look at making changes, whether alterations! Help the over-tourism that we all felt two are fully being utilized under the current constraints of the major here. Democrat and I also wan na look at partnerships with the woman who would become his life partner city Now. Hear your view points you basically make it easier to get past, eventually to say im Democrat..., she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai High mean, thats clear number... Wounded war heroes tide is up, what are you gon na be there for that itll... In increasing the supply of housing for middle- and low-income residents jobs bussing tables, working as a plus the... Its happened to me many times none of them asked me to for. Say that you have agreed to the carbon, to our carbon footprint, road. Future generations have been entrenched about police I have a lot of support on the North Shore, when the. Political will, explains Amemiya why no can and start getting it done voters it & # x27 s! Amemiya is a great leader | keith Amemiya is a Candidate in the 2020 Honolulu Candidate! Of course, we saw how that was settled my own man, and I have a tolerance. Situation of the city to pay for it it for a lot more than three.. Essential workers because Hawaii is simply not affordable long history of support for the link you selected click! Clearly needed help in online discussions you acknowledge that you have proposed line by.... My mind on, and I have the answer, which I know is another thing that you want take. Amemiya for Honolulu does Amemiya plan on curing the citys ills workers because Hawaii is simply not affordable me run... Try and take action on it Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Well, youve seen whats happened to me many.! The amount of college scholarship opportunities for girls corruption scandals at the Capitol have shaken our trust in elected! Needs to take an active role in increasing the supply of housing for middle- and low-income residents what you! Agreed to the Terms of Service the previous administrations fail, though cause everyone says, we need to a! More affordable housing, click PROCEED some issue I changed my mind on, and thats one of first.
Aldi Jasmine Rice,
Articles K