DON COUCH

HONEST, OPEN, SOUTH MAUI’S CHOICE FOR ITS COUNCIL MEMBER

As I run for the South Maui seat on the Maui County Council, some voters may ask why they should vote for me. Here’s my answer to that question.

I am running for the County Council because we need to revitalize our economy and get our people back to work. And to do that we need to supply the water that our growing community needs. Without new water sources, our economy will fail; there will be no new affordable homes; and no new farms to provide sustainability. New water sources are essential.

I am running because there is a need for more common sense in the way we operate the county government. We have nearly strangled ourselves with rules and regulations. The case of the Molokai veterans center clearly demonstrates that. Everyone agrees the veterans should be allowed to build their facility in Kaunakakai, yet Maui County isn’t able to get out of the way. Common sense says that we need to get government out of the way, especially for everyday folks and for the small businesses that provide so much of our economy.

A perfect example of the County having the wrong priorities was the when the County Council, led by my opponent last year, refused business zoning to a Mom and Pop store that has been doing business in Haiku  for nearly 100 years.  Despite having a clear Community Plan mandate, the support of the far majority of the community, and the need to expand to stay alive, the Council blocked Hanzawa Stores’ zoning request, leaving it zoned for agriculture.  Petty politics trumped common sense and decency one more time. I am running to help correct this type of abuse of power.

I am running for the South Maui Council seat because the South Maui community wants to be represented by someone who is actively engaged with the community, someone who truly understands its issues, and who will address its problems with an open mind and will listen to all sides of an issue before acting. The community has told me that they want someone who will open his office door and meet with them. That sounds pretty basic but it does not happen now.

I am running for the South Maui seat on the County Council because that is the next logical step in my service to this community that I love so much. For the 20 years I have lived on Maui, I have always felt like I was the luckiest guy on earth to be able to call Maui my home. I feel a deep personal connection to Maui and its people and want to contribute to making Maui County an even better place to live. I have done that by helping start community television on Maui; by serving as the Chair of the County Board of Ethics; as the board president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui; on the board of the Kihei Community Association; being a morning radio host;  as Executive Assistant to Mayor Arakawa; and as the Deputy County Planning Director. The next logical step was to seek election to the Maui County Council.

The voters want to return to the financial stability that jobs bring. To get those jobs, we need a revitalized economy. That’s why I believe that finding balance is the key to our future. We need to balance the need for a vibrant economy with the need to protect and enhance our environment. That’s why I am “pro” a balanced future.

In the 2008 General Election and this year’s Primary Election, South Maui voted overwhelmingly to support my candidacy.  I am humbled by my community’s expression of support and will do everything in my power to live up to the trust South Maui voters, and all of the voters of Maui County, have put in me.

Mahalo.