Aloha!  I humbly offer to serve you, the residents of Senate District #19 ( Honokai Hale, Makakilo, Kapolei, Kalaeloa, Royal Kunia, Village Park , Waikele, and portions of Ko Olina and Waipahu ) as your State Senator.

As a life-long teacher/educator, small businessman, and former Honolulu City Councilman (District #1, stretching from Ewa Beach to Makaha), I have the necessary background and experience to do an effective job tackling our community's problems, whether its traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, crime, or the high cost of living.

During my term on the Honolulu City Council (2003-2005) we worked together on many issues to help benefit our community.  

Shortly after I took office, I authoreds and introduced a precedent-setting resolution prohibiting the placement of landfills over aquifers.  At first the resolution stalled, but after neighborhood boards, environmental groups, and people from all over Oahu got involved, we were able to stop a plan by developers to build a garbage dump in Kunia over the Pearl Harbor Aquifer, the source of fresh drinking water for 70% of Oahu 's people.

Many of you are frustrated by traffic congestion in Kapolei town caused by Ewa commuters traveling to Kapolei stores, Campbell Industrial Park , the Waianae Coast , or the H-1 freeway.  After meeting with Kapolei residents, we were successful in securing funding for the Kamokila Boulevard Extension - a 2/10 mile planned roadway which will connect Kamokila Boulevard to Roosevelt Avenue and alleviate some of the problem once it's completed in the near future.

I recently completed knocking on every door in the district. I like having the opportunity to hear directly from you and I've certainly gotten an ear full.  I've also distributed a questionnaire to find out your concerns and views on how government can serve you better.

I encourage you to please get involved in the political process. Believe me, your voice does count.  Participatory democracy doesn't work, unless you participate.

If elected, my top priority will be to stay in close touch with you. In order to do this, I will:

Continue going door-to-door in each neighborhood in the district

• Hold monthly "Talk Story" community meetings
• Respond promptly to every community concern that my office receives
• Work to make the State Legislature more open, accessible, and responsive to the public

Kapolei is one of the fastest growing communities in our state, a community with incredible potential but with growing pains that must be addressed.  I'm convinced we can overcome the challenges we face - as long as we always work together in the spirit of aloha (love) and kupono (the courage to stand up for what's right).

We need to elect leaders who genuinely care about our community and will not abuse their position of power. We need to elect citizen/legislators who we can trust, not career politicians.  

I would be honored to serve as your State Senator.

For more information, please visit my website at www.mikegabbard.com or email me at mike@mikegabbard.com .

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