Ive led large statewide organizations. Number one, the police chief is already doing it, looking into whether chokeholds should be altered or eliminated altogether. 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. 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. Sir John Mills CBE (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 1908 - 23 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. Most importantly, we need to be pau with the reasons why no can and start getting it done. I believe Hawaii is too dependent on tourism as its primary economic driver and pre-pandemic levels of tourism put a strain on our island resources. Essentially, they told him that although they had welcomed him into their home and raised him since his early teenage years, he the childhood buddy of their son Christopher and someone whom Bert had frequently coached in youth sports leagues needed to learn to stand on his own. Theyre experienced in leaving their office to run for another office during the term that theyre sitting in office. Its increasing even more as a pandemic lasts, so we need to do more partnerships, collaborations with non-profit agencies that are equipped to handle those kinds of situations. Good fruit always comes from good trees. I am the only candidate who has a detailed plan to clean up corruption so that we can focus on the critical issues facing working families statewide, such as affordable housing, homelessness, and climate change. We plan on helping him merge morals and values. Theyre more productive, theyre healthier, they have more time for their families, so any time you can raise the wage, Im in favor of it. Coordination of evidence-based and research-driven practices for community-wide testing and vaccinations. 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 sympathize with the public. [18], Amemiya's biological parents divorced when he was 10 years old, and he was raised afterward by a friend's family. Weve known about this problem for a long time, and nothings really been done. When I was in charge of the (HHSAA), I had the opportunity to visit every community on this island. Keith, I wanted to talk about the movement at Mauna Kea, because it has sparked a movement on every island, especially here on Oahu. Japanese in Hawaii are the state's second-largest ethnic group, and Amemiya would have been the first mayor of Honolulu of Japanese ancestry. A clear, number one, we didnt flip it for a profit even though we could have done so. To his credit, he didnt buckle under pressure. And while he still views tourism as a big part of our economy, Amemiya also believes that greater diversity is required. Copyright 2023 StarAdvertiser.com. They married in 1996 and have a son. You know, not all residential areas that are on the seashore are high-end residential areas. 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. You know for some reason, I thought I might be asked that today, and I have the answer. The CPB Foundation has a long history of support for The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division. I do believe that whenever Hawaii has an opportunity to be the worlds leader in a field, when we can further the discovery of our universe, and when we can create more high paying jobs on Hawaii Island, we need to strongly consider it. [2] Additionally, Amemiya was the one who, despite early opposition from school administrators, fought to expand the number of girls sports programs, and won. So I prefer looking at that area first, and I also wanna look at technology and being more efficient. As Bonny puts it, When you spend a lot of time with someone, I guess they just grow on you.. The more dialogue, the more feedback, the better for everyone. Amemiya is the son of former Hawaii Attorney General Ronald Amemiya. The next mayor needs to work with the state, the City Council, the legislature, the federal government to attack climate change. It clearly is, and we need to take action now. And I have a lot of support on the grassroots. The mayor has appointed some two new people, and well see whether they do a good job. We need to identify state lands that make sense for housing our communities. I do know that it was a little higher than the prior year, its an ambitious budget, its an aggressive budget, and time will tell whether they can fulfill all the mandates in that budget. Thats my intent. But if not, were gonna have to look at making changes, whether its alterations to the rail station or the like. Government in general, whether its federal, state or city, fair or not. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portrayed guileless, wounded war heroes. Its important for a mayor to lead by example, and right now the public has little trust in government and political leaders, says Amemiya. So are you even qualified to be mayor, and can you do these things youre trying to do if you havent had an experience in this area? Well, I share the concern and frustration, if you will, of the two most recent departing commissioners Levinson and Sheehan. The mayoral candidate joins 100 supporters during a sign-waving outing in East Oahu. Thats the only way we can get out of this, that we have to help each other. They treated me like one of their own children. What makes you the leader that voters should trust to lead Oahu out of this pandemic crisis? Personal Banking Beyond the Basics is a blog dedicated to financial literacy in Hawaii. Priorities such as building water and infrastructure capacity for housing, down payment assistance, and investing in diversified industries are all important for our continued economic recovery. he is one of famous business executive and politician with the age 55 years old group. I have dedicated my career to public service by working directly in every community statewide throughout my career. Keith Amemiya is an attorney and the Senior Vice-President of Island Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Island Insurance and four other local subsidiaries. My top spending priorities will be for affordable housing and reducing the cost of living for our residents. Thats something that the city should consider. Well, youve seen whats happened to that commission lately. That I care about the community, Thats four. Do you have that same confidence? Theyre part of the problem. I want change, and the people want change. Im always optimistic, and I truly believe in my heart that we can get through this economic crisis and be better than ever.. 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 two, when you talk about change, those are probably two (of) the biggest organizations resistant to change. Sometimes youre not gonna come to an agreement, but when the public feels that at least theyve had a say in the matter, it makes life a lot easier now to add to that. Having trouble with comments? I mean, theyre all lumped together and its huge, huge concerns, and theyre lumped together and they both have the same solution. I need to show voters that Im running to be mayor for the right reason, he continues. Again, Im not saying nothing happened, but the meals and the cell block interactions, those happened before my tenure on the police commission. My family was having some problems and I was taken in by my best friends family. Amemiya earned his BBA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his J.D. I used to spend weekends with them often, and one day they asked me, or told me like, Hey, why dont you live with us?' As a business leader, I have been able to bridge gaps between our businesses and our communities. Its been disastrous from before construction. 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. It was rushed, it was ill-planned, and its been a source of frustration for everyone, but were almost done, as I said. I have no opinion on that. Keith has got a good skill-set when it comes to dealing with people and making connections with them, observes wife Bonny. 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. from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Its hard to make ends meet. One of the cornerstones of his campaign addresses Honolulus severe housing deficit, which he says is 22,000 units short of demand. To fix this issue, hes vowed to curb activities such as illegal vacation rentals, which he argues increases the cost of housing. The city had approximately $200,000,000 in reserve in the prior fiscal year. It would also create a diverse field of new local jobs that pay competitively in industries to help keep our young people in Hawaii and create more remote working opportunities so workers can spend more time with their families rather than on the road. All rights reserved. You know Keith, I was looking back, you place so much importance on your role running the high school athletic programs. Is that Kirk Caldwell and David Ige? Whats your Plan B for the rail system? Her work seeks to hold the government accountable for how it spends money and makes decisions that affect people's lives. As one of Amemiyas first actions as Executive Director, CPB Foundation awarded The Salvation Army's Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division a $100,000 grant to support their Addiction Treatment Services (ATS) program located in Nuuanu. They already are in Kaaawa and places like that. Keith Amemiya (born September 1, 1965)[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. Former Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz developed a team to pursue federal funding, something we should reconstitute to secure the billions needed for our state. We can look at financing, interest rates are still relatively low, we can look at partnerships with the private sector. Keith, Mayor (Kirk) Caldwell just signed the latest city budget. Keith, I wanted to go back on the mental health issue. Weve gone too far. You need to lead by example. Amemiya will manage strategic planning, programs, and operations for CPB Foundation. Industries such as agriculture, aquaculture and renewable energy should be further explored after having been neglected for far too long, he says. 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. Its a dangerous mix. Ill answer the resistance to change part first. Its a big, pervasive problem in our society. PHOTOS COURTESY KEITH AMEMIYA. 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. Keith Amemiya ( Democratic Party) ran for election for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. Hawaiis cost of living is hurting our families and communities. Both situations, theyre not good. Why did you do that, when the office of mayor is non-partisan? And the police commission has less power, duties and responsibilities than one would think, and given all the attention on police reform nationwide and here locally, I think its a great time to revisit that situation and see if the Commission can have more oversight and authority. The couple married in 1996, and three years later welcomed their only child, Christopher (named after Amemiyas best friend), into their world. 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. And we exponentially increased the amount of college scholarship opportunities for girls. I even worked the weekends as a handyman to help pay my way through college at the University of Hawaii and law school afterward.. Ive always believed that in order to move forward, you have to be willing to take calculated risks, he says, adding that hard work and perseverance have often won over his biggest critics. But people say, Who told you to run? It seems like the commission was the same culture that it had back when you were there, that led to Kealoha, that led to the payoff to Kealoha. I think I saw a recent study that showed that most people in Hawaii lived within several miles of their place of work. 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. Theyve been involved in politics. The seeds the Kobayashis had planted in their hnai son had begun to bear good fruit; the first signs of his gritty can-do, not cant-do attitude were firmly taking root. Thats a huge amount. CPB Foundations support allows us to provide a comprehensive continuum of substance abuse treatment services for those in our community most in need. We need to allow to submit testimony on line, whether it be a Skype or FaceTime or Zoom. Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Well, Im running for mayor because we need change. As part of his economic recovery package, Amemiya aims to lift residents out of the coronavirus crisis through continued testing, increased contact tracing and vigilant treatment, all the while calling for greater protection of Hawaiis environment and zero-emission transportation for a sustainable future. Amemiya is a member of a number of boards, including the Aloha Stadium Authority, Marcus Mariotas Motiv8 Foundation, and Assets School. Its focused on three areas: number one, focus on housing for Oahu residents and not out-of-state residents; number two, eliminating the variables that increase the cost of housing in Hawaii, like about 8,000 illegal vacation rentals that are still in existence on the island; and then third, we need to take steps to make it easier to develop affordable housing in the urban core, whether thats the city creating more sewage infrastructure, more water infrastructure, allowing more density, you know, speeding up the building permit process. I care deeply about the community, and I want to create a better Hawaii and a better Oahu for all of us. We bought a unit in the open market, we bought it for our son, we paid market rate in the hopes, hes in college now, we bought it in the hopes that when hes done with college, he comes back home and has a place to stay. 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. 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? Now if I can add to that, the pandemic has taught us that maybe everyone doesnt have to go to downtown to work, that maybe you can work from home, maybe we can have four-day work weeks across the board with rotating days off, so that traffic is spread out over the week. 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. 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 mean, thats clear, given the overruns that rail has shown us from the start. How do you answer those two questions? We have heard in the middle of this pandemic from behavioral health specialists that they are deeply concerned that depression will get worse, domestic violence, all of these other issues will get worse because of the pandemic. Yes, Im frustrated like everyone else at the rail progress thus far. 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. Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Right, well, I have a lot of broad-based experience, especially for the job of mayor. They want someone different, and they want someone new. Climate change is the crisis of our lifetime, he notes. No, not the law, so much. As a state, we have only scratched the surface in terms of our potential as a hub for media production. At the time, he was a young civil litigation attorney and Bonny (formerly Suzui) was the CFO of a local fast food chain. 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. My plan to lower the cost of living consists of: One of the very first guests to their home was former Molokai High standout Kalei Adolpho, who wound up starring in basketball and volleyball at University of Hawaii at Mnoa. You basically make it easier to get past, eventually. How does that comment make you feel? Are you the most liberal candidate running from mayor? With executive leadership experience in both the public and private sector, Amemiya has unique insight to the multitude of issues facing Hawaii, coupled with the ingenuity to forge impactful solutions through public-private partnerships. The current administration, the city is undergoing a climate action plan. I got to meet a lot of people. Keith, what would you propose to do about the homeless situation, specifically in Chinatown, because (the Institute for Human Services) tried to create a facility there that failed because of push back by the business community. Thats my goal. Join Facebook to connect with Keith Amemiya and others you may know. This advertisement is published with the approval and authority of the candidate. from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Ive been an executive in several areas in the private sector, the public sector, the non-profit sector. Thats not genuine. Im having a hard time figuring out where the experience in your career Where did you get experience to deal with these issues? [11][12][13] Blangiardi won the runoff with 58.2% of the vote. He also served as Executive Director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association. Too many of our candidates, too many of our politicians have been entrenched. Keith, you know, whenever we mention illegal vacation rentals, we always have people call us and say whether theyre illegal or not, they need that income from that house or from that room in their house to supplement their income because our cost of living is so bad. It taught me that its a difficult problem, there are not enough services for mentally ill people. You know, I dont know if its the citys role to tell them what to do, but I do know the hotels are already planning for climate change and sea level rise. We also need to look at more third-party review. 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. If the man who hopes to be Oahus mayor has learned anything in life, its that good deeds need to be reciprocated. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Fortunately for him, he isnt laboring alone. Theyre entitled to what they say. I have a good relationship with Governor Ige. I also have a strong relationship with the legislature. They had a lot of engagement in the community that said, We dont want it. And the developer said, Well, too bad. Were fortunate. Yet, Amemiya apparently did well enough over time to convince her that he was the one. Keith we wanted to change a little bit of direction and get to know a little bit more personal side, a side that a lot of people don't know about. Im a firm believer, when I was on the commission 10 years ago, Im a firm believer now, that any effective oversight body, especially one involving the police and law enforcement, needs transparency and accountability. I dont know, Im just thinking out loud, and maybe the city will acquire that property for them, or the state, and that in turn will help find them a new house and pay for it. Im running for lieutenant governor because Im concerned for Hawaiis future. You deal with broad constituencies, you deal with every community. Our future generations have been overlooked for far too long, and we need to build our future for them. I know the Hawaii Community Foundation has been helping a lot, Aloha United Way has helped a lot, the Hawaii Foodbank, and just us as a citizenry, we always come through for each other. He has served as Chief Administrative Officer for the University of Hawaii Board of Regents and Honolulu Police Commissioner.He is an attorney, former executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, and executive involved with the investments of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative created by Mark Zuckerberg and his . Given that youre a first time candidate, have you read through it and familiarized yourself with city finances? Keith Amemiya is on Facebook. 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. One of the more difficult parts was during my high school years. There are hardly any services in Chinatown. A huge shot in the arm for your campaign, but also it seems to it also comes with strings attached. Keith, when was the last time you changed your mind about something important? Would you continue that practice. Ive done that. We met, we first met when I was running high school sports, and weve kept in contact since. I am running to change the status quo, end political corruption, and put our local families interests first. While their stays are at best only over the summers and school breaks, these student-athletes are no doubt appreciative of the generosity demonstrated by the Amemiyas. I felt concerned for her. I just, I knew she wasnt acting like that on purpose, I knew something was wrong, so if anything, I felt compassion for her. Im not afraid to say Im a Democrat and I stand for the democratic ideals.' 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? Again, you need to enforce the vacation rental laws. Contact & Personal Details. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 13, 2022. What are you gonna do about this very fundamental problem? It is important that we come from a place in these discussions of knowing and respecting that wahi pana. Stopping it actually makes a situation worse again. At least two of your competitors say that they dont need training wheels to be mayor. These days, Amemiya is working harder than ever, pushing himself as if the future of the city is at stake. We just lost Loretta Sheehan, we just lost Steve Levinson, highly critical about the commission not really having oversight over (the Honolulu Police Department). Well, I think we have to wait and see. Working closely together, they got to know and like each other. I wanna look at vacant positions.' Did you ever stand up for a young female athletes while you were there? But is it really almost done? I dont think were gonna take away necessarily from any other department, Ive heard from the construction industry, and the development industry, theyre willing to help pay for increased pay for workers or whatever it takes to retain workers in DPP so that they dont leave after six months or a year and start the turnover churn over and over. So as mayor, if you find yourself in the middle of it, what do you say to each of those factions, when people are putting themselves on the line? Relatives & Associates. Again, when it comes to experience, theres different types of experience, and they have the wrong kind of experience. 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. [2], Since January 2021, Amemiya has served as executive director of the Central Pacific Bank Foundation. Well, we need to do what we can to find them alternative places to live. 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. 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. Whose failure is that? The Amemiyas Christopher, Keith and Bonny currently call Pauoa home. Homelessness is a complicated problem, as we all know. And people only started to protest when they actually saw the bulldozers come in, and at that time, the mayor, perhaps expressing some tone deafness on his part, did not want to stop the project. Additionally, he is credited with reuniting the Oahu public and private schools in football after 48 years of separation, a feat many thought was impossible. The mailer also claims Amemiya illegally purchased an apartment meant for low-income buyers at the 801 South Street condominiums. I dont wanna say somethings gonna be cut until we know the true situation in terms of the citys finances a year from now. One of the things about working class people we hear, with the hotel workers, for example, one job should be enough, and calling for better wages. We need to look at if we have to pay the workers in DPP more Ive been told that the turnover rate is high because the pay is low, and once they get the commensurate experience, they move on to the private sector. I would need to think about it through, but Im inclined to say yes. 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 been able to bring people together, Ive been able to collaborate, and Ive been able to find solutions through team work. He was born and raised in Windward O'ahu, where his maternal grandparents Whitney and Hannie Anderson, and mother and stepfather Kim and John Puchalski, raised him . Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines. What would a future generation of Hawaii say about you in three words? We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. bike to work, walk to work, catch the bus to work. Thats the aloha spirit at work, and those who are fortunate need to help those who are less fortunate. Were not extremely close, but we know each other. He has also served as the Executive Director of the Hawaii High School Athletic . HONOLULU, HI | February 25, 2021 Central Pacific Bank Foundation (CPB Foundation) announces the appointment of Keith Amemiya as its Executive Director. Ban fundraising during the legislative session in Philosophy at Colgate University. I support resuming tourism, but not at the 10 million visitors a year amount. 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. The lieutenant governors office is an office of opportunity.
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