Contact info
e-mail: vantanabe@yahoo.com
PMB box: #290
4725 Bouganville Dr.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96818

"Diversify Our Economy"

Living in Hawaii we are blessed by having the worlds best weather together with the richest soil on Earth. That being said Hawaii should be a world leader in providing the best produce under the sun. We already have the best coffee and macadamia nuts, so why not the best fruits and vegetables. As your governor I will promote agriculture in the state of Hawaii to make it become a close second to our tourist industry. Tourism has been Hawaii's #1 industry for many years and it has provided the people of Hawaii with jobs to support their families. Agriculture is equally important because it will also create jobs but more importantly it will provide us with food that we all need to survive. In today's global uncertainty we need to be able to produce and provide enough food to take care of our own citizens. Just imagine if there were terrorist attacks around the world and how that would affect our ability to get anything from anywhere, or let's say someone discovered that a food source was contaminated with e.coli or some other deadly agent. We would be completely cut off from the rest of the world. Sounds scary, but it could happen. Did you know that in the time of King Kamehameha the Great there were well over a million people living on these islands and they were able to sustain their population without any imported food. Everything came from the land or the ocean. "Take care of the land and the land will take care of you". As your governor I will promote agriculture by first providing low interest loans to farmers so that they can get the necessary equipment and technology to farm their land with the best results and efficiency. This effort to help the farmers will also apply to those who harvest from the ocean because aquaculture is just as essential when it comes to our survival. The second part of my plan is to give tax credits and incentives to all the hotels, restaurants, markets, and schools that will buy "Hawaii First". This will give our farmers a better opportunity to promote and sell their goods locally. At the same time the people consuming the food can be assured that they will be eating the finest and freshest food possible.