English faces pastor and recycling expert

The Maui News
Monday, October 18, 2004

By CLAUDINE SAN NICOLAS, Staff Writer

WAILUKU - Voters in the 6th Senate District have a choice between an experienced lawmaker and two challengers who say they'd bring needed change.

Incumbent Democratic Sen. J. Kalani English, a Maui County Council member from 1997 to 2000 and a state senator since 2000, says he has a record of accomplishments and knows how to navigate through the lawmaking process at the state Capitol.

"The district would lose," English said when asked what would happen if he were defeated by either Republican challenger Robb Finberg or Green Party candidate Shaun Stenshol.

Finberg, the 54-year-old Grace Church pastor from Kula, countered that residents of Upcountry, East Maui, Molokai and Lanai would benefit from new leadership in the state Senate.

"I think there needs to be a change," he said. "We don't want things to go in the same direction.

Also promising change is Stenshol, a 37-year-old Haiku small-business man who describes himself as a recycling industry leader, environmentalist and election reform advocate.

"I think people are disgruntled with the system as much as I am," said Stenshol, who calls for campaign finance reform and making elections a more level playing field for third-party candidates.

Finberg said he can work more effectively than English with the Republican administration of Gov. Linda Lingle and accomplish more for the 6th Senate District.

"The governor to her credit is not partisan, but she does need cooperation to get things done," he said.

English said there has been cooperation between Democrats and the Republican administration and that partisan disputes have been overblown.

He chairs the Senate Energy and Environment Committee and said he's been successful in working with Republicans to reach agreement on bills approved by the Lingle administration.

English pointed to the Hawaii Rx Plus legislation, which aims to cut the cost of prescription drugs by creating a state purchasing pool to buy medicine at discounted prices and pass on the savings to consumers. According to English, the Lingle administration initially opposed the bill but ended up working out an agreement with Democrats to pass a measure to make discounted prescriptions available to consumers.

"I really think we have to get beyond the us versus them," English said. "The party labels define political philosophies but we do work together," he said.

English said he's seeking a four-year term in his district because he wants to do more in the areas of environment and energy.

"I'm not finished with what I set out to do," he said.

Among some of his accomplishments, English sought the establishment of the Hawaii Invasive Species Council, a panel that works for the prevention and control of invasive species, and successfully obtained appropriations for an emergency work force that helped to prevent the spread of dengue fever in East Maui and parts of Oahu.

"We got away from a policy of reaction to a policy of preparation and action," English said. "I'm very proud of that."

He said he's also proud of his ability to make himself accessible by visiting areas in his district at least once a month, many times at his own expense.

English also notes that whether he has opponents in an election or not, he makes a point of visiting voters in his district.

"Some people have told me, 'I'm not going to vote,' and I tell them 'Even if you don't vote, I represent you and want you to know I'm here for you,' " English said.

Finberg said that as a pastor, he makes a living working on a daily basis with people and helping them cope with a multitude of social issues in their lives.

"I look forward to serving in the Legislature," he said. "It's not any different from ministry because it's people . . . I would be doing more of the same thing."

The 6th Senate District covers the areas of Upcountry, East Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

English identified the top issues of his district as maintaining a pristine environment and providing meaningful and quality education and technologies that create jobs.

Finberg said public education is his top priority, specifically providing more money to support students in the classroom and pay raises for teachers.

As a pastor, Finberg said he's involved in the operation of the private Carden Academy school in Pukalani on his church's grounds. He has one child attending Kula Elementary School and another at Carden Academy.

Finberg said the private school gives his child better facilities and more supplies than those provided his other child in public school. Also, he said teachers at Carden Academy have competitive salaries, he said.

"I know we can have a good (public) education system. It's a matter of management and resources," Finberg said.

Other issues in the 6th District for Finberg are agriculture and water. On the water issue, Finberg said areas in the district require infrastructure upgrades, which he would push for as a legislator. He also said that laws and policies already in place to support the agriculture industry are not being enforced. He would do his best to support farmers and free them of unnecessary state regulations and fees.

"The government has treated agriculture as a business to extract revenue," Finberg said. He said agriculture businesses and workers should be supported and allowed to thrive instead of being bogged down in state bureaucracy and red tape.

"You talk to the farmers, and they'll tell you they have a hard time," he said.

Stenshol said none of his issues are exclusive to the district he wants to represent. Unlike Finberg and English, Stenshol said he has not been able to travel to Molokai and Lanai, but he has gone door to door at homes in the Upcountry area.

"I have no excuses. All candidates feel they could campaign harder, and I'm not any different," Stenshol said.

Copyright © 2003 — The Maui News

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