VIDEO: Adrienne King, Lt Governor, Candidate Profile, Decision 2010 MauiNOW.com

Adrienne King, 2010 candidate for Lt. Governor (R) Transcript:

Introduction:  Aloha, my name is Adrienne King and I’m running for Lt. Governor on the Republican ticket.  A little about myself–I was born in Detroit, Michigan; I came to Hawaii in ’72 after graduating from college in law school.  I came and met and married a local boy, Sam King Jr.–you may know his father, Judge Sam King, co-author of The Broken Trust.  Sam and I got married in ’74 and we have two sons–Christopher who lives in San Francisco and Sam Wilder King II who is just starting UH law school.  I started my career in the Prosecuting Attorney’s office in Honolulu.  I was the first woman in Hawaii to try a murder case. 

Click image to view VIDEO of our interview with Lt. Governor (R) candidate Adrienne King.

Then I moved over to the City Attorney’s office and was named Chief of the Trials Division, replacing Duke Aiona, who became a family court Judge.  Then I went and did family court work.  My husband and I have had our own small business practice for about 25 years, focusing on family law.  I entered this race because I was at the Legislature lobbying and saw there needed to be a different approach to things.  I could see that the devastation that drugs, poor education, and our faltering economy was having on people that I was dealing with all of these years.  So I decided that I had to do something about it and get involved in this race.  I believe that we’re concerned about education, the economy, and efficiency in government.  I believe that my 40 years as a trial attorney and the work that I’ve done has given me the executive management experience to assume this position.  I intend to do all I can to help Duke Aiona fulfill his policies, and also if need be in the case of an emergency, to step in and make those critical decisions that need to be made if he is out of the state. 

Puunene Prison:  Are you in support of or against building a Prison Facility in Puunene on Maui?  Answer:  I’m very much in support of building a prison on Maui because I think it’s critical that we have a really modern, up to date facility here to house our people.  We need to stop sending them to the Mainland.  It’s breaking up families.  We have these horrible stories of abuse and on the Mainland; and I know dealing with people that come into my office, the toll that it’s taking.  So, I very much think that we need to keep our people here to help bring those families back together, so I think it’s a good idea. 

Honoapiilani Hwy:The widening/realignment of the Honoapiilani Hwy has been discussed for years, yet only a small portion is currently under construction.  How long will it really take and what alternatives do you envision to alleviate traffic now?  Answer:  Actually, it’s all tied up with the money.  And I’m not sure that there’s any way to tell.  There’s money for Phase 1, which they are working on, but there’s no money for Phase 2 and 3–It’s caught up with the Highway Act and federal funds, and there’s a lot of disagreement about which route, or how far.  That all needs to be resolved, and that’s going to take a while–especially with the economy being the way it is.  I just came back from Lahaina, and I saw the construction and the widening and I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t take me as long as people said.  And it seems that that is actually working.  And from talking to people in Lahaina, that road widening that they are working on right now is helping to alleviate the traffic.

Water Rights:Re the water commission decision in East/West Maui:  Do you think the State Water commission was correct in its decision on instream water flows at East Maui and at Na Wai ‘Eha? Why or why not.  Answer:  I can’t answer whether it was correct or incorrect, in terms of the percentages.  What I can say, what I believe was correct, was that it was finally done and the process was transparent.  Because there needs to be a community consensus, a community agreement, on where it’s (the water) is going to be diverted.  If we are going to have sustainable agriculture, then plants need water.  I mean, I don’t know how you grow vegetables and things without water, so it seems to be finding a balance between the needs of those farmers who can produce enough vegetables and other products for our local people to eat–I’m a big fan of local farmers–and development, so we can increase the tax base.  That’s important.  Also, the third party is the mono-culture of growing one particular product so we’ve got all of these competing interests.  I think it’s a very good thing that the water was turned back on, and obviously the percentages and how it gets diverted is still open for much discussion, but I do think it’s a good idea that it be transparent.  And I think all of the people need to be involved in it, especially people on Maui. 

Furloughs: If elected to the post of Lt. Governor, what would you do to prevent a repeat of the Furlough Friday situation in Hawaii’s classrooms?  Answer:  I totally support Lt. Governor Aiona in his call for an independent, comprehensive, fiscal and management audit.  I don’t think you can get to Point B, unless you know where you’re at with Point A. There’s a lot of like, “well, we don’t want anymore studies done.”  But an audit isn’t a study.  An audit is more of an investigative kind of thing to find out where all the money is going.  We need to fund more charter schools.  And we need to get more real power back to you in the community, to the parents and the principals, and more involvement by the parents in the local communities to show them what the problems are in terms of the money and the rules and regulations–I think is critical.  I don’t see anything wrong with national standards or state standards, but how that’s carried out I think should be left to the local communities for their local needs.  I think starting out with a real audit would be helpful.  If you remember the last audit was in ’73–that was before cell phones and the internet.  So I think with skype and video conferencing, we need to re-look at the whole system and see if it will best serve our children into the 21st Century.   

Superferry: If given the opportunity, would you support the return of the Hawaii Superferry?  Answer:  Yes, I would support a return of the Superferry, and I do believe that there are ferries available and being built that would be suitable for Hawaiian waters.  Because we know our goods and services inter-island would be greatly enhanced and actually unite us even more than we are.  We people on Oahu need to think of the other islands as our sister islands, not as somebody way out somewhere–and I think the ferry would serve a very good purpose.  I think the right one would definitely work for that.

Closing thoughts:  This is a critical election.  I think the country is searching for its soul and I think Hawaii is at a crossroads.  Are we going to give power back to the local communities, or is it all going to be dependent on government?  I support liberty and freedom and giving power back to the people.  Check out my website at adriennesking.com and vote for Adrienne King in the Republican Primary.  Thank you.