[18], Amemiya's biological parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and he was raised afterward by a friend's family. For the past 10 years, the CPB Foundation played a leading role in supporting The Salvation Army with their Angel Tree Campaign and 4-Corner Red Kettle Challenge. 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. We changed it a bit, and we have people dancing and singing to it. So the rail project right now, its a major step. I had an office in the downtown area and it just wasnt a good environment for the homeless or the Chinatown merchants and shop-goers. And I think with all the controversies that have gone on nationally and locally, and the uprisings, nationally and locally, this is the election, I hope, people speak up and vote. Does that influence you that, Oh, Ive gotta make sure UPW and HGEA are happy?' You need to surround yourself with honorable, decent people who always do the right thing. Whoever was involved in the beginning of the project before construction. Why cant we testify via Skype, like I said, or Facetime? You cant announce a proposal and expect everyone to like it. Keith Amemiya, an Oahu businessman, attorney and former director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, announced on Tuesday that he is running for mayor of Honolulu. Other names that Keith uses includes Keith Y Amemiya. And to me, thats unacceptable. I have a good relationship with Governor Ige. What's one of the more difficult periods of your life and how did you lift yourself out of it? PHOTO COURTESY KEITH AMEMIYA, He would soon find out. And I think the Galapagos Islands and other tourist locals (use them). Werent you part of that same culture, and how are you different from the commission that basically screwed it up? Keith, I wanted to go back on the mental health issue. First up, we need to tackle our affordable housing crisis. Theres no road map or playbook as to how to deal with this, so Im open to any and all ideas, and I dont wanna be so steadfast to say that we absolutely wont work with the hotels. 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 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. Thats why Im big on rail, thats why I wanna emphasize multi-modal transportation. Would you continue that practice. Would you require something like that as part of the permitting process, some kind of online forum for people that developers would have to go through, reach out to people really let people engage? How do you get a change in the economic type of person coming to Hawaii? I have the experience to bring solutions to problems. Government needs to continue to be vigilant and make decisions to protect our residents based on science and best practices. Former Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz developed a team to pursue federal funding, something we should reconstitute to secure the billions needed for our state. Amemiya is the son of former Hawaii Attorney General Ronald Amemiya. Theyre entitled to what they say. The guest for this episode is Keith Amemiya. Amemiya rallied many community groups, including his sons baseball teammates at Punahou School, to assist with the building of Kahauiki Village. I feel that people who have the power to affect change should do so, and we need to do what we can to make life better for them. 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. I have no opinion on that. And we need to end that. 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. So far, momentum appears to be on his side with last weeks news that he was outpacing his political rivals in campaign funds raised with more than $1.2 million. And the names you hear are Kirk Caldwell, the current mayor, or people with the last name Amemiya working for the administration, or former Attorney General, Colbert Matsumoto, Duane Kurisu. I have the experience to lead organizations. What did you change when you were on the commission? When I was in charge of the (HHSAA), I had the opportunity to visit every community on this island. Check us out any time for great content and great community. I know there are challenges. 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. Its unfair for a mother of two who has a job to expect to be able to take four hours off from work, sit in the gallery at City Council, waiting to testify, not knowing if shes gonna be able to testify, being whether shes number two on the list or number 142 on the list. This is a paid advertisement. And while he still views tourism as a big part of our economy, Amemiya also believes that greater diversity is required. I care deeply about the community, and I want to create a better Hawaii and a better Oahu for all of us. This advertisement is published with the approval and authority of the candidate. Ive done that. 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? Theyre experienced in being involved in politics their whole career, theyre experienced in running for different offices every election cycle. Were currently 22,000 units short on Oahu. 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. I think my career has shown that. Were looking at in just a few decades or less, with even just a few feet of sea level rise, those being inundated, and that means roads are gonna be falling to the sea. I think hes very gifted in that way. 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. But is it really almost done? Thats the aloha spirit at work, and those who are fortunate need to help those who are less fortunate. It sounds a little bit like unicorns and rainbows to me, but what happens if that doesnt work? All rights reserved, Central Pacific Bank Business Debit Mastercard, See All Central Pacific Investment Services. [20][21], American business executive and politician, 2022 Hawaii lieutenant gubernatorial election, "New TV Spots Promote Keith Amemiya's Democratic Roots", "Keith Amemiya: Political Outsider Or Establishment Insider? he is one of famous business executive and politician with the age 55 years old group. Can I ask, you do talk openly about your mom's mental illness, and I know that must have been very difficult for you. Did you ever stand up for a young female athletes while you were there? Her work seeks to hold the government accountable for how it spends money and makes decisions that affect people's lives. Name on ballot: Keith Amemiya Running for: Lieutenant Governor Political party: Democrat Campaign website: amemiyaforlg.com/ Current occupation: Executive Director, Central Pacific Bank. We need to look at all those options, and COVID has kinda taught us that maybe not everyone has to work in the office everyday. Theres no perfect police department, theres no perfect organization, so anything we can do to further instill trust in the public, is something that Im in favor of. And there was certainly cultures of looking the other way for domestic violence, there was favoritism among police officers. In television ads, he talks about how his mother suffered from mental illness and was on the brink of. Both have lots of bodies, both have lots of money. All rights reserved, https://www.cpb.bank/resources/2021/february/cpb-foundation-appoints-keith-amemiya-executive-director-awards-100-000-grant-to-the-salvation-army-hawaiian-pacific-islands, Copyright 2022, Central Pacific Bank. Im having a hard time figuring out where the experience in your career Where did you get experience to deal with these issues? 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 I think if you cut down on that, itll help the over-tourism that we all felt. You know for some reason, I thought I might be asked that today, and I have the answer. You need to get input, and when you get input early on from everybody, you hear the different viewpoints, you modify the proposal. Amemiya, 54, has until the Aug. 8 primary to convince Oahu voters that he deserves to lead the city into the next decade. Over the last ten years, the state legislature has failed on many of the issues that matter most to people in Hawaii affordable housing, homelessness, the cost of living, climate change, and protecting our environment. 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. So Ill do what I can. Itll help to maintain our tourist attractions, like our natural tourist attractions, whether its the Koko Head stairs or other natural hikes. 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. Climate change is the crisis of our lifetime, he notes. And we exponentially increased the amount of college scholarship opportunities for girls. Many residents and business owners often and rightfully felt confused, fearful, and uncertain with restrictions and recovery plans. Let me say this: When I see homeless on the sidewalk, I feel sad. I was pleased to see the hard work of the working group that was composed of voices from various perspectives that I believe all care about Hawaii and our special places. 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. Many of them were struggling. 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. Again, Im not saying nothing happened, but the meals and the cell block interactions, those happened before my tenure on the police commission. While they taught me how to be generous, compassionate and loving, they also showed me the value of hard work and that I could do things on my own.. It was good for me in the long run, says an appreciative Amemiya in assessing the Kobayashis impact on his life. 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. Can you tell us a little bit about that? And number two, we didnt rent it out as a vacation rental or Airbnb unit. Whats your Plan B for the rail system? Our future generations have been overlooked for far too long, and we need to build our future for them. I strongly support diversifying our local economy, and driving tourism in a more regenerative direction. Theres a case where that issue, the development put in the ball field and the parking lot and tear down all the trees had actually been in the works for years and years and years. I was on their board for many years when I was a practicing attorney. I dont wanna say somethings gonna be cut until we know the true situation in terms of the citys finances a year from now. You need to be proactive and you need to get out there constantly. Having trouble with comments? We need to find more alternative housing options for homeless people. In supporting my mother and her challenges with mental health, I have seen firsthand the lack of resources needed for individuals and families. Reaching out to the public, you need to make sure the public knows. Now granted, I had a lot of help with that, but it was through my initiative to do that, and Im proud of giving girls more opportunities. It clearly is, and we need to take action now. What did that experience teach you about mental illness that other people could learn from, and how will it affect your ability to deal with the terrible mental illness problems we have in this city? CPB Foundations support allows us to provide a comprehensive continuum of substance abuse treatment services for those in our community most in need. They had a lot of engagement in the community that said, We dont want it. And the developer said, Well, too bad. Many of them had to make hard choices, whether its to pay the rent or pay their car bill, whether its pay their medical bill or food on the table or even choose to stay here and struggle or move away from family and friends to the mainland to find lower cost of living. Keith, this election is about future generations, our keiki. We need to sharpen our pencil. Is it really almost done? 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. Why my dad is a great leader | Keith Amemiya for Honolulu . What makes you the leader that voters should trust to lead Oahu out of this pandemic crisis? Okay, youre from the police commission. Ultimately, I hope we are able to find common ground through better land management and proceed with the TMT construction while ensuring that Native Hawaiian concerns are meaningfully addressed, as these concerns will otherwise continue to exist whether or not the telescope is built. Today, girls sports such as wrestling, golf, water polo and canoe paddling owe their existence to the noble battle Amemiya first waged nearly two decades ago. I want change, and the people want change. I wanna look at vacant positions.' Well, its clear that the higher the wage for hotel workers and the like, the better their quality of life. All our focus is on COVID right now, were taking a hit budget-wise, but this is the biggest problem of our lifetime. The state needs to also improve the quality of womens wellness and LGBTQIA+ healthcare services on the neighbor islands. And one of the initiatives I wanna undertake as mayor is to create an Office of Community Engagement, and that offices job is to go out in the community and speak to people way ahead of any project thats gonna be proposed. Its doable, but let me add that another area where we can greatly increase housing inventory is through public-private partnerships. 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. 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. What did you do about that issue when you were actually there? We also need to look at more third-party review. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Keith Amemiya . Its hard to make ends meet. Corruption scandals at the Capitol have shaken our trust in Hawaiis elected officials. Amemiya earned his BBA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his J.D. 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. Whos really behind your campaign?' The power of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor can be used to coordinate and work between state agencies, convene working groups for departments working on housing issues, and streamline existing processes. Copyright 2021, Central Pacific Bank. Utilizing creative tax credits to incentivize companies to relocate to Hawaii, we can generate much needed revenue. Of course, those ordinary days figure to be history if Amemiya finds a new home at Honolulu Hale. I basically doubled the amount of female sports opportunities during my tenure. We need to look at maybe elongating the financing of the rail project, but we need to finish the rail project. What happens with someone like that, whos got a residential property on the makai side of Kam Highway on the windward side or down in Ewa Beach, right up against, you know, near Hau Bush and stuff. Industries such as agriculture, aquaculture and renewable energy should be further explored after having been neglected for far too long, he says. He defeated Keith Amemiya, 58.2% to 38.8%, in the November general election, and was sworn into office on January 2, 2021. Hillary Clinton got the other two-thirds, but you basically told one-third of the voters out there, Republican who did not vote Democrat, you know, These are the guys Im going with, cause by the way, David Ige and Scott Saiki and Ron Kouchi, and all of the members of the delegation in Congress, are Democrats too. 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? "Keith brings a wealth of knowledge, relationships and experience to CPB Foundation," said Catherine Ngo, Chair, CPB Foundation. And as the mayor, you can control a couple of things in that regard. You got two plum endorsements recently: HGEA, the white collar public workers union, and UPW, the blue collar public workers unions. Hmmmmmmm. But I wouldnt rule anything off the table at this point. There are far more resources available to the homeless in the Iwilei area, which is fairly close by, and we need to do what we can to divert them to that area. My family was having some problems and I was taken in by my best friends family. Father and Mother in Heaven, and is the "elder brother" of all men and spirit beings. 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. My plan to lower the cost of living consists of: Clearly that wasn't enough, and that's an ongoing issue, and I'm glad that steps are being finally made to level the playing field for girls in terms of the sports facilities that they need and deserve. I cant think of one off hand. We need a fresh perspective. Theyre trying to find a contract with a group of companies that would not only build the last stage of the rail, but also will maintain it and run it for the next 30 years at a price that is affordable to the city. 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