Aloha, District 47; Congratulations To Rep. Pouha
Richard’s Roundtable…Rep. Richard Fale
It is with gratitude and humility that I write this last column to you as the representative of House District 47.
On the evening of Nov. 4, 2014, a new leader was elected to serve this wonderful community as your state representative. Rep. Feki Pouha will represent us with honor and integrity in the state Legislature. We are happy to have supported his campaign, worked with him for this district and know this team work will continue. I couldn’t think of anyone better equipped to serve us at this important time. Congratulations and mahalo, Rep. Pouha. We are looking forward to your service.
As I look back on my term as state representative, I am proud of what we accomplished. First and foremost, we were a voice for rural communities across the state. We worked to preserve the unique character and culture of this community with measures such as the repeal of the Public Land Development Corporation, which law-makers approved only two years before. Instead, I listened to my constituents and supported community projects that would provide much-needed jobs to people in our community. We also fought to protect and preserve families and family values.
We took steps forward in bringing relief to traffic congestion at Laniakea Beach. While the barriers were controversial, I believe they addressed the majority of residents’ concerns by quickly and cost-efficiently eliminating major traffic in the area. Residents reached out to express their gratitude that they could get out of their homes and get to work or to the beach without feeling like they were prisoners in their own garages.
Now that something has been done in the short term, I hope the community, lawmakers and landowners can work cooperatively and with respect to find a long-term solution to this challenging issue. I also hope the issue helps current lawmakers think proactively about some of the traffic concerns our community will continue to face along the North Shore.
We replenished the state’s Hurricane Relief Fund with $160 million and the Rainy Day Fund by $50 million, both of which were raided to make up for our state’s budget deficits in 2013.
We also fought against measures that would raise the cost of living on hardworking families, and prevented efforts to tax pensions and retirements. I firmly believe you should choose how you want to spend the money you earn.
I am proud of what we were able to do, but I also wish we could have done much more.
My appreciation for this community will never end, and I look forward to finding more opportunities to continue the great work we have started. Mahalo for this truly fulfilling opportunity to serve such a wonderful community. I look forward to seeing you on a beach or football game soon.
Please feel free to contact me at repfale@gmail.com if there are community concerns that I might be able to address with you.
A hui hou.
