- Age | 52
- Occupation | Lt. Governor
- Where did you grow up | Pennsylvania
- Schooling | Swarthmore College (BS), Pennsylvania State University Hershey (MD)
- Current residence | Honolulu, Oʻahu
- Website | www.joshgreenforhawaii.com
Question 1Question 2Question 3
With the median price of a home in Hawaiʻi exceeding $1.1 million, what is the governor’s role in addressing this crisis and what specific tactics would you employ to achieve relief for Hawaiʻi’s families?
During the height of the pandemic, the need for a more diversified economy was highlighted. Hawaiʻi’s lack of food sovereignty and over-dependence on tourism dollars were top of mind. As tourism rebounds, what is your commitment to continue moving toward economic diversification, particularly in agriculture, and what changes would you specifically endorse to reduce our dependence on imports that are vulnerable to disruptions in the supply chain?
In August 2019 the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled (Clarabal v. Department of Education) that the state has a constitutional duty to provide Hawaiian language immersion education in our public schools. Despite this, there are only 25 public/charter schools (out of 294) offering Hawaiian immersion education. 80% of Native Hawaiian keiki are enrolled in the DOE, and the majority do not have access to Hawaiian immersion education in their local community. What specific immediate action would you take to significantly increase the number of public schools offering Hawaiian immersion programs?
- I recently released a 10-point plan to address affordable housing issues across the state. Three specific steps the state can do to help with housing include: fast-tracking of new home construction with a streamlined and common-sense regulatory process, increasing the amount of public land available for home development, and expanding home builder access to government financing and tax credits to accelerate the production of homes so we can provide enough supply to meet our demand sooner, not later.
- Hawaiʻi has a proud and storied history in agriculture‚ a legacy that enabled its people to not only survive but thrive. And while agriculture is no longer the leading driver of our economy, it can be economically viable in Hawaiʻi once again. As governor, I will focus state resources strategically to revitalize ag. We can be competitive on pricing and agricultural job creation‚ while being mindful to preserve open spaces from over-development. We must boost our ability to locally produce our food and vegetables. I will also work to renew long-standing traditional Native Hawaiian agricultural practices using tax credits and a renewed commitment to the College of Tropical Agricultural and Human Resources (CTAHR) that continues to find contemporary strategies to support the utilization of traditional aquaculture (fishponds) practices as well as Hawaiian staple crops.
- I believe there are two important steps that must be taken to increase Hawaiian language access to our keiki. First, we need to work with the College of Education and Hawaiian Studies department in the University of Hawaiʻi system to grow a pipeline of teachers that can teach Hawaiian language in public schools. Second, the DOE should develop a curriculum that introduces the Hawaiian language to public school students in lower grades and offer a Hawaiian language course in every Hawaiʻi public high school.
Yes/No Questions for Gubernatorial Candidates (4)
- Should Native Hawaiians have decision-making power regarding the stewardship of Maunakea?
- Acres of Hawaiʻi’s “ceded” lands under state control have been leased to the military and other federal entities for absurdly low amounts (e.g., $1/year). Do you believe Hawaiians and the state should receive fair market value lease rents for these lands?
- Do you support changes to Hawaiʻi’s current tourism model to include proactively protecting cultural sites and fragile ecosystems from over-tourism?
- Do you support fulfilling the state’s obligation to provide Native Hawaiians with their 20% pro rata share of Public Land Trust revenues?
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- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
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