Editor’s Note: In September 2012, Civil Beat sent six questions to each of the candidates running in the Nov. 6 general election for Hawaii Legislature. The questions and answers are reproduced below in full. Click on each topic listed below to read Civil Beat’s question and the candidate’s response. We’ve also put together a complete list of who’s on the general election ballot.

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

Preferred Candidate Name: Rojo Herrera

Party Affiliation: Republican

Senate/House District Number: Senate District 18

Date of Birth: 10/12/56

Place of Birth/Hometown: Born in Cheyenne, WY / Mililani, HI is my hometown

Current Profession/Employer: Retired military, private businessman

Education/Alma Mater(s): BS, Public Administration — US Air Force Academy; MS, Operations Management — University of Arkansas; MS, National Security Strategy — National War College

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?

No increase… period. ↩ 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 will be absolutely no compromise on our environment. IN fact, I would like to see us find ways to put unused or underused ag land back into active production. Fallow land is too easy of a target for developers. ↩ 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?

I am against gambling, because I don’t think it is the best that we can do for Hawaii’s families. I would propose that we look for alternative sources for revenue instead of defaulting to gambling. ↩ 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 am in full support of the Sunshine Law. Legislation is best done when it is done in the open for all parties to see. The process is as important as the result; the people we serve should have a voice before and during the law’s development. ↩ back to top

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

Best – not sure; however, the worst by far was the civil union bill. Hawaii has many problems that affect us all, but instead of spending our limited legislative session on these problems, our legislators have chosen to push a bill that affects less than 10% of us. We need to fix the “big” problems — jobs, education, etc. ↩ 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?

Education reform will be my top priority. Public education — all across America — has been in crisis for years. Hawaii’s teachers work hard to teach our keiki, but they operate in a system of complex (and often conflicting) federal and state laws. We need a comprehensive approach to improve our education system. ↩ back to top