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 6. Four out of six candidates responded, including Nicole Lowen. The questions and answers are reproduced below in full. Read responses by her competitors, Fred Housel, Mike Breslin and Bucky Leslie. Kaleihikina Akaka and Roy Ebert did not send in their questionnaires. Click on each topic listed below to read Civil Beat’s question and Lowen’s response.

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

Preferred Candidate Name: Nicole Lowen

Senate/House District Number: House District 6

Date of Birth: 11/06/1972

Place of Birth/Hometown: Washington DC/I grew up moving places about every 3 years; I consider Hawaii my home as I’ve been here almost 17 years.

Current Profession/Employer: I am currently focusing on campaigning. Prior to making the decision run for office, I was a Graduate Student and Researcher in Urban Planning and worked at the State Legislature. Prior to that I was an Educator.

Education/Alma Mater(s): UH Manoa–Urban and Regional Planning; UH Manoa–Grad Certificate in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance; University of Pennsylvania–BA U.S. History

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?

Given budget shortfalls, we must be open to considering options and can’t rule anything out. However, raising the GET would be a regressive tax that would put a disproportionate burden on those who can least afford it and on small businesses. A rise in the GET would have to be accompanied by exemptions for essentials, like food, that would help to make it less regressive. ↩ 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 ways to make the State’s environmental review process more efficient and rational while ensuring that environmental, cultural and other potential impacts of projects are still carefully considered, and that the public is adequately notified and consulted. I would support measures that do this, not measures that issue blanket exemptions regardless of the nature of a project’s impacts. Moreover, project hold-ups are often caused by other factors. It is important to identify actual causes of delay so that the problem can be solved. It would be a disservice to the public to relax environmental regulations, fail to adequately consider impacts resulting in damage to the environment or a loss of natural or cultural resources, and still not have addressed the issue of job growth. ↩ 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?

There are better ways to diversify the economy than legalizing gambling. The establishment of free-standing casinos and other forms of commercial gambling would have negative social impacts that, in my view, would outweigh potential positive economic effects. ↩ 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?

I support more transparency in government operations, and the idea of an open democracy that is accountable to its citizens. The influence of special interests and money in politics is an issue that must be addressed, and more sunshine at the Capitol is part of that. ↩ back to top

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

The Solar Roof Law that took effect in 2010 is an example of the best – it requires all new homes to have solar water heaters, which helps to save new homeowners thousands in electricity costs, and reduces dependence on imported oil.

The good initiatives that aren’t approved are to me an example of the worst that the Legislature does. The initiatives that the Legislature fails to adopt and that never see the light of day are the ones that really hold the State back. A few examples of measures that didn’t pass include one to prohibit legislators from fundraising during session, and one to set food sustainability standards for the State. ↩ 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?

One issue that has not received much attention is Planning. I am interested in seeing better planning in my district and in the State. I would like to focus on measures that can be taken at the State level to support better planning in the Counties and to incentivize new patterns of development that will reduce sprawl and support healthy, livable communities.

In my district, I would particularly focus on ensuring that the new community college at Palamanui project is completed. Our area desperately needs the college and the opportunities that it will provide. ↩ back to top