This past Wednesday, Stacey convinced some of my friends and I to go to dinner at Sasabune because I was successful in passing two bills in my freshman term. I tried to resist because it was not one of the three goals I stated at the beginning of the year. Now, come to think of it, I never expected to appropriate millions of dollars to uplift Waipahu, or pass bills when I first stepped into my office still potent with wet paint everywhere and furniture wrapped in plastic. With ideas, work, and people skills, I was able to accomplish a lot as a twenty-nine year-old politician.
There are so many more goals I want to achieve for Hawaii such as incentives to diversify our economy, incentives to encourage exporting products and services out of Hawaii, reducing the cost of health insurance, comprehensive recycling, building a science and technology public magnet school, creating an honor code in public schools, making a program to encourage parental involvement in their children's education, raising funds for classroom supplies, building a new sports stadium, job creation incentives, constructing a mass transit system, and supporting programs to reduce crimes, especially sexual assault and domestic violence. Just thinking of all these goals makes me energized.
Stacey and my friends are such go-getters. Their energy keeps me positive with that “keep trying hard” mentality. I have learned how positve energy between government, business, and community can produce awesome results. There is great potential for Hawaii!
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 