Dan Johnson

Civil Rights

Administrative authority is an increasing problem that needs more checks and balances in all aspects of public service. I will strongly support legislative change to allow the people of Hawaii to vote for their attorney general, sheriff, and school board members (as done successfully in the majority of other states). Learn more

Economy

We need to reduce taxes on essentials like food, healthcare, and rent to help families manage the high cost of living. Hawaii is one of only 2 states in the entire nation that tax healthcare services, and many others do not tax food or produce. So with alterations to the General Excise Tax code, we can reduce these areas by roughly 5% immediately. Learn more

Our economy is too dependent on tourism and our state has done little to invest elsewhere in our economy. We need state initiatives and tax incentives for investment into agriculture and food production. I will push to create incentives for local resident property ownership, and support allocating funds to low interest financing for agricultural development. Learn more

Education

I support school choice and I would be in favor of a voucher system that would allow parents to choose the school that is best for their children children, and equip them with the means to do so. This should be an equitable amount to that of what the state would be paying for a semester. Learn more

Funding should not be a primary reason that our State schools are losing teachers and deferring facilities maintenance. I would support increased funding for our educational system. We should never have had to experience "furlough Fridays" nor should Education have been forced to take as many budget cuts as it has compared to other departments over the years. I strongly support increasing funds for STEM programs to better equip our children for the future. Learn more

Environment / Energy

We should look to achieve these goals through sustainable processes with respect to new collection, reclamation, and also while preserving kuleana water rights. This must be managed carefully to achieve the needed infrastructure, while not opening the flood gates for major development. Learn more

Government Reform

I strongly support term limits to eliminate career politicians and the potential for corruption. By enforcing term limits and making government spending more transparent, we'll ensure that taxpayer's dollars are used responsibly and address the issues that matter most. Learn more

I would also like make it the obligation of the state judicial system to review the emergency actions of executive branches of government (mayors & governor), and create penalties for actions of overreach. Learn more

Guns

I believe that all our federal constitution secures our right to bear arms and allows for the free exercise of lawful citizens to carry firearms. Learn more

Housing

I will propose and support incentives for home ownership. We need to find ways to reduce construction costs, regulations, and obstacles to achieve truly affordable single family owner-occupied housing . I believe that a tax credit for sales below an affordable amount (be that 600,000, for example) would increase the ability to develop affordable housing. Learn more

While we hear about affordable housing programs which require further development of our land, there is very little done to utilize the existing housing already built! To assist with housing prices, I'd like to see a significant change in the conveyance tax for property sold to non-owner occupants. This would create a larger buffer between wealthy outsiders who are willing to pay over a property's asking price, and local families who are scraping together an enormous down payment. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

Maui's water distribution issues have persisted for far too long. Upcountry Maui residents have borne the cost and are impacted the most. I would support State initiatives to improve water distribution infrastructure, and push for intergovernmental cooperation between the County and the state to work on increasing water supply through constructing facilities and purchasing equipment necessary to fulfill our community's needs. Learn more

Legislation

I also will support initiatives to require that the department of education provide a minimum threshold of locally sourced food for all school lunches. This will be beneficial for the health of our keiki and support our local farmers while also providing food security through increased local production. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

I would also support a reduction of income tax, as Hawaii is among the top 3 in the nation in tax burden. Learn more

Our state is not operating efficiently, and there are many examples of wasteful spending. I believe that we can keep all of our essential services without cutting many programs through increased transparency and changing incentive structures. Learn more