CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT: Alana Kay – Candidate Maui Mayor

Alana Kay.

By Maui Now Staff

Alana Kay is a candidate for the office of Mayor in Maui County.  Kay is among a list of 6 individuals identified as candidates in the race on the 2014 ballot.

The complete list of candidates (in alphabetical order) includes:  Alan M Arakawa; Beau E Hawkes; Alana Kay; Orion “Ori” Kopelman; Tamara “Tam” Paltin; and Nelson Nahinu Waikiki Jr.

Full Name: Alana Kay
Date and location of Birth: December 19, 1959 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Current residence: 555 Kaukahi Street, Kīhei, HI 96753
Occupation: Self-employed author, publisher, Violet Phoenix Publishing
Elected offices held, if any: (blank)
Education: Working on Sustainable Science Management degree at UHMC
Community Involvement: Girl Scout Leader, Junior Achievement Advisor; Underground Switchboard, Crisis Line Counselor
Family status: Single, Mother of 3, Grandmother of 5

Maui Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire:

1. What is the number one issue facing Maui County?  Why do you feel it warrants special attention and how do you propose to resolve this issue? If you have more than one item, please elaborate.

Answer: I believe that the number one issue facing Maui County is homelessness and affordable housing. At this time, a large number of Maui residents live below the sustenance level as well as the poverty level. An overwhelming percentage of Maui residents pay 50 – 70% of their gross income on housing, which makes them house-poor. At this time, it is estimated that there are anywhere from 3 to 10 thousand homeless in Maui County. This does not include those who have doubled up in housing. Those in the community who serve the homeless also believe that we have reached crisis level with regard to this issue. We need to begin by treating the under-employed and homeless with dignity. We need to direct a much larger portion of our budget and personnel toward homeless resources. We need to improve intake practices and create an innovative job matching website. Some homeless advocates have suggested purchasing the Haggai Institute building on Līpoa to be used as a resource center and temporary housing. Other municipalities and countries have developed high functioning homeless transition programs and we would be wise to study them and learn from them and also adapt our own strategies by listening to input from the brilliant minds in our community. Other than homelessness, Native Hawaiian issues and water distribution are high on the list.

2. What areas can be trimmed to make for a more efficient government; and what areas can afford additional funding to facilitate long-term benefits for the County?

Answer: We could save money by bringing our recycling and waste management programs into the 21st century. We would also create more cash flow for the Department of Water Supply if we would change the way we do business with HC&S and Wailuku Water Company. More money could then be put into water delivery infrastructure to improve availability and affordability for all residents, especially farmers. We also need to eliminate the injection wells and invest money into building new water treatment plants instead. This way, we would discontinue the polluting of the oceans and aquifer systems and enjoy a vastly more expedient way of processing our water for re-use. The future of Maui is food independence and sustainable practices, so all efforts to enhance farming and eco friendly practices would be an investment in our future.

***Candidate spotlight segments were compiled as a public service to further educate and inform Maui voters about the upcoming primary election on August 9, 2014, and the general election on November 4, 2014. The questionnaires  were distributed via mail following the primary election candidate filing deadline for select races affecting Maui County.  The responses do not reflect the opinion or position of Maui Now or Pacific Media Group.

***Note: The name of voided Maui mayoral candidate Neldon E “ADZ” Mamuad will still appear on the primary election ballot, but votes for him will not be counted toward the end result.