Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Nov. 5 General Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following came from Austin Martin, Libertarian candidate for State House District 3, which covers a portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidlands Estate, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, portions of Kurtistown and Keaau. His opponents are Democrat Christopher Todd and Republican Kanoa Wilson.

Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot.

1. What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?

The biggest issue on most people’s minds is our high cost of living.

One of the best ways to immediately bring down the cost of living would be to invoke states’ rights to locally nullify the Jones Act. This century-old federal law affects Hawaii so that most goods and products in Hawaii must be transported first to the mainland, and can only be shipped here on a handful of approved vessels.

States can nullify unconstitutional or unjust laws. If Hawaii nullified this misguided law (or otherwise provided for alternative ports where the Jones Act would not apply), it would bring down the cost of living across the board, and make everyone’s life so much easier. 

2. How do you feel about the massive income tax cut just approved by the Legislature and the governor? Do you have any concerns that it will force reductions in state services in the years to come?

I approve of the tax cut, however, given the current political and economic climate, I’m worried that the cuts will be more likely to affect funding for the few good things our government does, while leaving the bloat fully funded and intact.

I hope I am wrong.

Cutting taxes alone is a good step, but without a balanced budget, government grifters will simply grab the revenue from the public in other, even more harmful ways (like more frivolous traffic tickets, higher service costs and fees, etc.). To lower taxes sustainably, we have to also balance the budget, while reducing the overall cost of government.

3. Hawaii continues to struggle with pay-to-play politics and corruption in government. What meaningful reforms do you think would change state government for the better?

Judicial oversight and reform is the crucial first step — restoring sanity and integrity to the judiciary would solve many of our corruption problems.

The judiciary is simply not independent from the rest of the government, and lacks meaningful oversight. Our local judges are known to frequently mock and flaunt our laws and our constitution when invoked by some litigants, but they are the ones who have the power to halt any abuse of any state agency.

Once corrupted, the police, CPS, large corporations and revolving-door criminals are all alike, in that they all depend on a compliant, corruption-friendly judiciary to silence their critics and cover up their mistakes. 

I think Hawaii can do better. 

4. Candidates often say they will support reform proposals in the Legislature. And yet major reform proposals don’t pass. Will you back good-government proposals even if it means going against leadership? If you are an incumbent, can you point to an example of a reform that you supported?

Absolutely. I am a Libertarian, so I realize that my guiding principles and ideas are unlikely to become law, so that means I have to work with colleagues who think differently than I do.

We can’t let the “perfect” become the enemy of the “good.” I am absolutely willing to support good bills, even if they don’t perfectly align with my ideals. Sometimes, those differences in ideas can be a source of strength. I know that working together, we can do better. 

5. Do you support comprehensive public financing of elections for candidates who choose to participate? Why or why not?

Absolutely not. The government is the most unaccountable market actor — and often abuses its power for the sake of avoiding transparency.

Please note that third-party candidates like me would greatly benefit most from this proposal. However, despite this, I think it would be a mistake to give our corrupt government incumbent politicians and their appointees even more undue influence in the people’s elections.

We also should never make taxpayers pay for the campaigns of politicians they may not support. 

6. Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizens initiative process. Do you support such a process? Why or why not? 

Yes, I would support a statewide citizens initiative process because the government can easily become out-of-touch or corrupt, and often needs to be reigned in; a clear process for bypassing or overriding the government is a helpful tool to combat corruption, abuse and the threat of tyranny. 

7. Thanks to their campaign war chests and name familiarity, incumbents are almost always reelected in Hawaii legislative races. Should there be term limits for state legislators, as there are for the governor’s office and county councils? Why or why not?

I am strongly in favor of term limits, but I also have reservations over the current lack of citizen participation in the political process. Trust needs to be restored.

8. What will you do to ensure accountability at the Legislature? Do you support ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session?

I agree that the Sunshine Law should apply to the Legislature, and I agree that campaign contributions should be banned during session. To promote accountability in the Legislature, I would place a lot of emphasis on the fight to end unconstitutional immunity, racketeering and other lawless policies which protect corruption, waste, fraud and abuse from public accountability.

9. How would you make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public? Opening conference committees to the public? Stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists? How could the Legislature change its own internal rules to be more open?

Opening conference committees and stronger disclosure requirements for lobbyists are both good suggestions and would be an excellent start.

Perhaps, to add to those suggestions, we could propose a rule which would require public disclosure of a matter if even a small number of representatives make a formal demand for sunshine.

10. Many people have talked about diversifying the local economy for many years now, and yet Hawaii is still heavily reliant on tourism. What, if anything, should be done differently about tourism and the economy?

If we nullify the Jones Act, all kinds of new possibilities will emerge, empowering and enriching Hawaii with new industries and sustainable economic growth. 

If we greatly relax compliance burdens on small and local business, especially in farmers, agriculture and private land use, new industries will organically emerge. Right now, it’s pretty much illegal for a kid to start a lemonade stand in their front yard. I think Hawaii can do better.

Hawaii could be wealthy, prosperous and free — if we embraced common sense economic policy and offered smart incentives to help facilitate the transformation. Hawaii could be the business hub between the East and the West. Sustainable prosperity is achievable through freedom. 

11. An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by, a problem that reaches far beyond low-income and into the middle class, which is disappearing. What ideas do you have to help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here?

As you have seen in other answers above, my platform is aimed at truly addressing the root causes of our cost-of-living crisis, rather than buying more Band-Aids or begging Uncle Sam for more money. I have a real vision and a plan for a sustainable economic renewal in Hawaii, through freedom rather than through force:

Nullify the Jones Act would provide fast and strong relief for the cost of almost everything.

Legalize freedom to allow for invention and innovation, and allow our local people to lead the charge in rebuilding our economy 

End unconstitutional immunity to protect the free market and stop the corrupt corporate and government abuses that got us here in the first place. Uphold the rule of law.

Hawaii can do better — sustainable prosperity through freedom.