Editor’s Note: In July 2012, Civil Beat sent six questions to each of the candidates registered to run in the Aug. 11 primary for Hawaii State House of Representatives District 40. Three out of seven candidates responded, including Joe Rattner. The questions and answers are reproduced below in full. Read responses by his competitors, Rose Martinez and Bob McDermott. Kurt Fevella, Christopher Manabat, Romy Mindo, and Sam Puletasi did not send in their questionnaires. Click on each topic listed below to read Civil Beat’s question and Rattner’s response.

• General Excise Tax
• Environmental Regulatory Review
• Gambling
• Sunshine Law
• Best and Worst Legislation
• Overlooked Issue

Preferred Candidate Name: Joseph Benjamin Rattner OD, Csac

Senate/House District Number: House District 40

Date of Birth: 12/20/66

Place of Birth/Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

Current Profession/Employer: NJ Ophthalmic Dispenser (1988-2002); Founder and CEO-West O’ahu Hope For A Cure Foundation (2004-present)

Education/Alma Mater(s): Paramus High School Graduate (1984); Western New Englad University (1988) – Degree Public Health & Applied Science; Kean University (1991) – Degree Ophthalmic Dispensing; Certified Substance Abuse Counselor Licensing – NJ, NY and HI (1992, 1998, & 2003)

1. With the exception for Honolulu rail, the state has not raised the general excise tax in decades. Would you consider increasing the GET to help the state meet its budget demands?

It is my hope, that with the Economy in the shape that it’s in and our GDP ratio being so high, that State taxes would not be the first cause of action to increase our State’s Revenues. The GET at 4.712%, is lower than most of the States in the Union. It compensates us for the much higher cost of living we must endure in Hawai`i. My vote for raising the GET without equally cutting the amount we spend on miscellaneous projects for Special Interests is emphatically NO! ↩ back to top

2. Lawmakers proposed relaxing environmental regulatory review to spur development and job growth in the 2012 session, and the issue is expected to resurface next year. Where do you stand?

There are certainly better and more logical ways to spur job growth than to relax Environmental regulations or do away with regulations already placed on the Environmental Industries in Hawaii. By deterring our focus away from the needs of our Environment, we lose sight more and more everyday of Hawaii’s Culture. As a proud Kama`aina for over a decade, I’ve learned the importance of how Agricultural Lands effects our lives. We cannot cut off our nose to spite our face! With the amount of ancient burial grounds and unique architecture throughout the Islands, the need for stricter procedural assessments and enforceable fines may be the only way to prevent developers and Private Sector small business from plowing over our Ancient, preserved Hawai’i an history! ↩ back to top

3. Gambling — are you for it or against it? If not, why not? If so, what type of gambling and with what kind of restrictions?

Due to the kind of behaviors that are emulated and learned by the members of the Gambling Community, I am absolutely against any indoor Gaming Casino anywhere on the Hawai’i an Islands. What I am for is in the form of a Lottery, where we as a State make the rules. But, for me to vote yes for a Lottery, 50% of the revenues must go to the General Fund and the other 50%, is strictly only to be used for bettering Education in Hawai’i. Infrastructure for our schools, better training for our teachers and more advanced equipment for our students I see as the only advantage too having this form of Gambling in Hawai`i. I must say that I’ve never seen large crowds of vagrant, irresponsible people just hanging out in convenient stores where most Lottery tickets are purchased. My point is that I do think Gambling habits will flourish, if the State decides to implement a harmless Lottery, to bring some sustainability to our State and Education system. ↩ back to top

4. The Sunshine Law is a hallmark of an open democracy accountable to its citizens. Yet, the Legislature exempts itself from this requirement. Do you support more transparency in government operations, or are there legitimate reasons to conduct some of the people’s business behind closed doors?

There is no doubt, that there should be equal Transparency for Committees including during Conference Committees (something that is not done presently) during Session, that is totally being negated by some in a position to make that choice for all. There have been many pieces of effective, time sensitive Legislation, that throughout the Legislative process received not one NO vote during Session, but when the Conference Committee Chairs are appointed, regardless if their votes on any in particular Bill were all Yes during Session, due to lack of Transparency, no one is ever found accountable for actions that force Legislation to fail, regardless of Public or Legislative support. This must stop as all meetings scheduled should be on the record, including statements and reasons why a vote went south after 5 months of Support and deliberating. There is no Committee Report after CC, as there is after every other Committee Hearing! If I am elected, this would be a piece of Government Relations Legislation that I would introduce in January of 2013….The secrets and non disclosure of who, what when and why must end…the only time that is acceptable for Legislators to make decisions behind closed door, is only when plugging in spending to a budget in a deficit….I have experienced working with the Finance and Ways and Means Chairs’ in the past, behind closed doors, to get supplemental funding Appropriated, due to Federal cuts, for those in need! ↩ back to top

5. What is the best legislation — and worst legislation — that the Legislature has approved in recent years? Please explain.

Higher Education has always been an area that I have promoted wherever I was living. To date, since moving here in 2002, Senator Will C. Espero’s Bill, promoting the ground breaking and opening of University of Hawaii West Oahu, in my opinion, was one of the best pieces of Legislation written, passed and fully facilitated, where students are now applying and attending a school of Higher Learning, in an area where there has been no University of Hawai`i affiliation for HS students who live on the west side and wish to stay home.

Now, the worst piece of Legislation written, not because of the nature of the Bill, but because of its lack to fulfill what the language should have provided for, is Hawaii’s Medical use of Cannabis or Marijuana Act, which passed the during the Session of the year 2000. First, we became the only State, till today, to pass this law, by Legislative Intent without Public demand. This is all well and good and the Legislature’s intent was warranted, but they never finished the law, resulting in 2 Task Forces, one of which I wrote the Legislation for and I served on and the Statute has still not been amended. Simply, Hawaii allows the use of Medical Cannabis (Marijuana) with a Doctor’s Recommendation, but for an array of illnesses instead of only Chronic Debilitating Illnesses which has resulted in an increase from 2,000 licenses in Hawaii, to what I hear if I am not mistaken of about 7,000 now, with the majority of them being given on the Big Island, yet on Oahu, with the largest population, we have almost the smallest amount of licenses’ per capita. Now for what disturbs me the most about the Statute….With all the graces you think you get when acquiring this right, in the end, the only way to grow or get what HI now considers to be Medicine for the Chronically Ill, is to use the black Market! Why? The Statute does not afford anyone the right to open a Dispensary. Promote Access and Distribution of any form of Cannabis, including seeds or starter plants for Patients. Hawai`i is then leading our Chronically Ill in to the streets of Waianae and Wahiawa and have been too lazy to prioritize this mess in over twelve long years. If elected, this will be a priority for me as the Public Safety of our Community and our keiki are at risk! ↩ back to top

6. What is an issue that you would champion at the Legislature — one that perhaps has not received much attention, or an issue that is important to your district?

An issue that I feel is imperative to attend to not only in my District but throughout the whole State’s HI Education Community, is to bring a successful Apprenticeship Scholarship Program to HS students graduating with a 2.5 or greater GPA. WORKFORCE Hawaii, is a successful Program I grew up with on the East Coast that Collaborates Big and Small Business with all Public and Private Schools with Guidance Counselors as Liaisons’, for the sake of offering paid Apprenticeships’ combined with Educational slots by Scholarship in their individual trades, providing the hands on training and small classroom Education necessary for them to learn a good trade, afford sustaining anOhana and live with Pride that they accomplished fulfilling the goal of a Career, even if they can’t afford College and their families are without the means to help. This is how I became an Optician and then furthered my Education to the highest level, without having to pay back any loans or Government grants. Hawai’i students are starving for knowledge and to know how they will make it in this world. If we want our next generations to graduate HS and go to University in state or out of state to learn the trade they wish, they should be able to attain this right here in our Islands. Maybe then a higher percentage of students would either return here after schooling abroad, or never leave because they can take advantage of a Program that leads them to success without ever leaving Hawai`i nei! ↩ back to top