Carol Bonham Endorses Maile

"Maile has worked very hard on the People's Path and beautifying our beaches. I back Maile all the way!"

~ Carol Bonham, Wai`anae Coast resident and "People's Path" volunteer

Sandra Aken Endorses Maile

"Maile has helped my family and the people of Wai`anae so much. She has proven her commitment to this Coast."

~ Sandra Aken, Wai`anae Coast resident

Sierra Club Hawaii Endorses Maile

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Hawaii Teamsters Local 996 Endorses Maile

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MAILE'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

MAILE'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

"I am proud of the things I have been able to achieve while in office." -Rep. Maile Shimabukuro (D), House of Representatives District 45, Waianae, Makaha, Makua

EDUCATION

-- Air conditioning and/or power upgrades for Wai`anae High School ($2m), Wai`anae Intermediate School ($400,000), and Kamaile Elementary School ($500,000)

-- Fans for Leihoku, Makaha, Wai`anae, and Kamaile Elementary Schools; and for Wai`anae Intermediate and Wai`anae High Schools
-- Teacher Induction Program: $1m to fund a new teacher mentoring/orientation program for WHS and its feeder schools (co-introduced with Sen. Hanabusa)

HOUSING
-- Maili Self-Help Housing: Obtained federal funding through Rep. Mazie Hirono's office

-- Sea Winds Affordable Housing Project: Obtained federal funding through Rep. Mazie Hirono's office

-- Nanakuli Housing Corporation: supported grant-in-aid

-- Kahikolu Ohana Hale O Wai`anae: transitional and low cost rentals at Uluwehi ($500,000 operating funds; $1m CIP)
-- Habitat for Humanity: supported grant-in-aid
-- Ohana Ola O Kahumana: additional transitional housing units and community center
-- Rent Supplement Program: added a 3 month period to secure a rental unit to the state rent supplement program

TRANSPORTATION
-- Turn Lanes at Nanakuli and Haleakala Avenues ($2m)
-- Wai`anae Coast pathway: secured $5,000 AlohaCare grant; organized volunteer clean-ups and work days at Maili Point and "Sewers" Beach
-- Flood Control along Farrington Highway in Makaha ($3.5m)


JOB TRAINING
-- Waianae Maritime Academy grant-in-aid
-- MA`O Organic Farm internship program/partnership with LCC ($75,000/year)

-- Wai`anae Education Center for Leeward Community College (LCC-W), which provides LCC-W with its own building, and creates job-training opportunities for area residents ($3m)

ENVIRONMENT
-- Makaha Surfing Beach: honored Richard "Buffalo" Keaulana on Hawaiian Caucus Day 2010, and pushed for a replacement shower
-- Solar Energy: increased incentives to participate in the net energy metering program, which allows residential and small commercial customers to sell back excess energy earned through solar power to HECO
-- Artificial Surfing Reef: resolution urged designation of the Wai`anae Coast for an artificial surfing reef pilot project (Senate companion became vehicle)

-- Kea`au Beach Clean-Up: co-organized Kokua Festival/Kanu HI event, which drew over 200 volunteers and several private industry donors, and removed approximately 700 bags of trash, several tons of bulky items, a 20' container of metal, 25+ batteries, 200+ tires, an 18' boat, a broken trailer, and 200+ tires (Feb. 2010)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
-- Hale Na`au Pono building improvements
-- Empower Wai`anae grant-in-aid
-- Indigenous Architecture: legalized traditional hale, halau, and other native Hawaiian structures for residential and non residential use statewide (Senate companion became the vehicle)

-- Wai`anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center: supported the largest employer on the Wai`anae Coast with $1m capital improvement, and measures which improved the health contract bid process (HB1642/Act 69 & SCR179), supported WCCHC's medical school (SCR 178), & restored $332,000 to fund the ER (SB2469)

HUMAN SERVICES
-- Disability benefits: allowed the disabled to claim both physical and mental disability when seeking welfare assistance
-- Good Cause Exemption for disabled: allowed the disabled to claim good cause from requirement to pursue medical treatment
-- Due Process for the Needy: required that appeals hearings for welfare recipients be conducted in a fair and impartial manner
-- Medicaid reimbursement: increased Medicaid/QUEST reimbursement rates for outpatient treatment

Rep. Shimabukuro Is Dedicated to Beautifying the Wai`anae Coast

Maile holds her son, Keani, in front of trash gathered after cleaning up Poka`i Bay.

Rep. Shimabukuro treasures the natural beauty of the Wai`anae Coast, and has enjoyed organizing many beach clean-ups over the years. She looks forward to continuing to do this in the years to come. Here is coverage of some of the beach clean ups that Rep. Shimabukuro has helped organize; click on the links to view photos, videos, and the stories:

1) 4/18/10 Lualualei #1, aka "Sewer's Beach"
http://maile45.blogspot.com/2010/04/sewers-beach-clean-up-success-watch.html


2) 2/13/10 Kea`au Beach
http://maile45.blogspot.com/2010/02/keaau-beach-clean-up-success.html


3) 1/16/10 Maili Point
http://maile45.blogspot.com/2008/09/recognition-for-waianae-coast-2-mile.html


4) 1/24/09 Maili Point
http://maile45.blogspot.com/2009/01/photo-from-kaukama-road-pathway-clean.html


5) 9/27/08 Maili Point
http://maile45.blogspot.com/2008/09/volunteers-needed-to-water-plants-along.html


6) 8/29/08 Poka`i Bay Clean Up
http://electmaile.blogspot.com/2008/09/pokai-bay-clean-up-photos.html


7) 4/26/08 Maili Point
http://maile45.blogspot.com/2008/03/join-maile-and-her-family-beach-clean.html



Mahalo nui loa to all the hard-working volunteers who helped make these clean-ups a success. For more information about beach clean-ups, email maileshimabukuro@yahoo.com.

Letter from Thomas Dalbert re HB444

Thomas Dalbert, Wai`anae resident

Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Aloha Maile,

I'd like to thank you for your well-written, unemotional blog entry and your courage to re-state one more time what HB444 was all about: equality and constitutionality!

I know that you didn't have to do that now that it failed anyway but I'm encouraged to see that there are still politicians out there that are not afraid to speak their mind even if they might lose a few votes.

Mahalo,
Thomas Dalbert, Wai`anae resident

Rep. Shimabukuro Obtains $3m for Higher Learning: The Wai`anae Education Center

During the past legislative session, Rep. Shimabukuro obtained $3m for the Leeward Community College-Wai`anae (LCC-W) Education Center. The funds are needed to support LCC-W's goal of owning its own building, thus ending its obligation to pay monthly rent, and increasing the college's autonomy and ability to expand. LCC-W has been renting a small space near Wai`anae Mall throughout its existence.

"Supporting LCC-W will go a long way toward addressing problems like our high teacher turnover by fostering more homegrown teachers and other professionals," said Rep. Shimabukuro, who is a member of LCCW's Community Advisory Board.

"Now it is in the Governor's hands to decide whether or not to release the $3m," Shimabukuro continued. "If the money is not released, the funds could lapse."

Members of the public should call, email, fax, and write the Governor urging her to release the funds immediately. The Governor's contact information is:

The Honorable Linda Lingle
Governor, State of Hawai`i
Executive Chambers
State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813

Phone: 808-586-0034
Fax: 808-586-0006

Email: governor.lingle@hawaii.gov

People worldwide may also sign the Petition created by Rep. Shimabukuro. So far 151 people have already signed, and several have made passionate pleas to the Governor. One signer wrote:

"I have built my foundation has a student, mother of five residing in Waianae for 20 years. I am trully blessed for LCC-Waianae. I have always wanted to come back to school. My dream has come true I have been in college since 2007 till this day. I have never been happier for the simple fact I do not have to travel a far distance for majority of my classes. Being the crunch times with cars and traffic along Farrington Hwy attending LCC-Waianae has made my schooling much simplier. I am hoping before the time I need to transfer there will be more classes avail. or even another stucture to hold more classes for people like me who finds LCC-Waianae home. I really love our campus at Waianae. we all need to stand together and Malama our Hale for college Education."

-- Florence Kealawailukini Eli-Adams

To sign the Petition, contact Rep. Shimabukuro, LCC-W, or go to this link:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/urge-governor-to-release-3m-for-lcc-waianae

Leeward Community College-Wai`anae, established in 1972 as part of Leeward Community College, collaborates with several Community Partners, such as MA`O Farms Youth Leadership Program and Community Supported Agriculture, Wai`anae Health Academy, and Ka Lama Education Academy.

LCC-W offers a variety of first and second year college credit classes in liberal arts, education, business, and career and technical areas. Students can complete an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Arts in Teaching degree entirely at the Wai`anae campus. It offers the advantage of being close to home for Waianae Coast residents, with small class sizes, friendly and helpful staff, and caring, competent, and knowledgeable instructors and counselors.

For more information about Leeward Community College-Wai`anae, call 696-6378 or visit their website at http://www.lcc.hawaii.edu/lccw.

International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Endorses Maile in 2010

"Mahalo nui loa to the ILWU for its on-going support of my campaigns all these years!"

~Maile

Rep. Shimabukuro Helps Protect Wai`anae Coast Residents from Floods

Lynette Kotake of Makaha alerted Rep. Shimabukuro about the drainage problem along Farrington Highway, which lead to the devastating flooding in the area. Fortunately, Rep. Shimabukuro obtained $3.5m to help address the blockage.

Click the image for the full story and video

Rep. Shimabukuro shows news reporters the debris in a Makaha streambed, which was brought to her attention by resident Kris Meyer and others. Later during the 2009 Legislative session, Rep. Shimabukuro helped pass Act 076, which allows Civil Defense to clear debris from privately owned streambeds like the one in Makaha without having to obtain written permission from the landowners.

Kris Meyer of Woody's Hotdogs was one of the flood victims who contacted Rep. Shimabukuro, the media, Civil Defense, and others to bring attention to the plight of the Wai`anae Coast following the December 2008 floods.

Following the December 2008 floods, which devastated many homes along the Wai`anae Coast, Rep. Shimabukuro and others alerted the media about the situation. This, along with the efforts of many other residents, lead the Civil Defense, National Guard, FEMA, Red Cross, and other organizations to come to the aid of Wai`anae Coast flood victims. Later, during the 2009 legislative session, Rep. Shimabukuro helped pass HB 1713/Act 076, which allows Civil Defense to clear debris from private waterways without having to obtain written permission from the landowners. Subsequently, during the 2010 legislative session, at the urging of Makaha flood victims, Rep. Shimabukuro obtained $3.5m to perform critical drainage improvements along Farrington Highway.

The view the text, testimony, committee reports, etc. for HB 1713, search www.capitol.hawaii.gov, or visit: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1713

August 2010 Email from a Makaha flood victim: Aloha Maile, I just wanted to drop you a short note to thank you for all your efforts in helping us at ...Farrington Highway to get the drainage problem fixed by the Department of Transportation, State of Hawaii. I am happy to report to you that the State has received the appropriation to fix the problem that we had with flooding during the December 2008 storm. Brennon Morioka and his staff have been FABULOUS! They have hired an outside consultant to assist with the project and are proceeding to move toward its completion. We met with them on site to review and discuss what needed to be done. All this could not have been done without YOUR help and we are most appreciative. It is people like you, Brennon and his staff that make this world a better place and we are grateful, as always, for all that you do. Most appreciatively yours, Lynette Kotake, Makaha homeowner

Maile's Resume

REP. MAILE S. L. SHIMABUKURO
HAWAI`I STATE CAPITOL
415 S. BERETANIA STREET,
ROOM 406
HONOLULU, HAWAI`I 96813
(808) 586-8460 (PH) / (808) 586-8464 (FAX)
repshimabukuro@capitol.hawaii.gov

WORK EXPERIENCE

January 2003 –Present
REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 45 (WAI`ANAE/MĀKAHA/MĀKUA), HAWAI`I STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Vice-Chair, Hawaiian Affairs Committee; Member, Education, Higher Education, Health, and Human Services Committees; Women's Caucus; Hawaiian Caucus

June 2001 - Present
ATTORNEY, LEGAL SERVICES OGANIZATION
Represent clients in family, housing, public benefits, and consumer court and administrative proceedings; teach divorce clinics; conduct community outreach, staff training, intake services, and legal research; write briefs and legal memorandums; provide legal counsel and advice

June 2000 – June 2001
LAW CLERK, DISTRICT COURT, STATE OF HAWAI`I
Prepared orders and pleadings; performed legal research; assisted with settlement conferences and committee meetings; staffed law library; and fielded questions from the public

August 1998 – December 1999
LEGAL ASSISTANT, ALAN B. BURDICK, ATTORNEY AT LAW
Composed legal memoranda, demand letters, pleadings and correspondence; Conducted client interviews, home visits, and investigation; Performed legal research and filing for solo personal injury practitioner/insurance specialist

May 1999 – August 1999
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, UNIVERSITY OF HI WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON SCHOOL OF LAW
Wrote, edited & performed research for portions of casebook on internment of Japanese Americans during WWII

May 1998 – August 1998;
February 1992 – August 1997
PARALEGAL, LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION
Represented clients in welfare, social security, and unemployment administrative hearings; Assisted attorney with family, housing and consumer cases; Composed briefs, pleadings, memorandums of law and training manuals; Testified before legislature; Conducted intake, client interviews, home visits, notaries, legal research, training and outreach; sent to The Benchmark Institute advocacy skills training in June 1996

Feb. 1992 – July 1996
REPORTER, THE LEEWARD COASTER
Wrote monthly news, feature and investigative articles; Edited health center newsletter

June 1995 – August 1995
EDITORIAL INTERN, TRADE PUBLISHING COMPANY
Wrote/edited news & feature articles for Building Industry, HI Hospitality, HI Landscape, Building Management HI, HI Inn The Know

June 1990 – August 1990
STATE HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (SHIP) CLERK, WAI`ANAE COAST COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CENTER
Recruited and assisted patients in obtaining SHIP coverage; Wrote procedure manual

EDUCATION AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

J.D., UNIV OF HI WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON SCHOOL OF LAW (May 2000)
Best Brief Appellate Advocacy Section 2
Top Quartile, ‘97-98; Top 50% ’98-’99 and ’99-‘00
Environmental Law Society Co-Director and Co-Vice Director
Advocates for Public Interest Law Summer Grantee and Board Member
National Association for Public Interest Law Student Rep. And Delegate
Student Bar Association 1L Representative
Scholarships: HI Legal Auxiliary, Delta Gamma Foundation, and
Alumnae Golf Tournament
Nā Loio O He`e Nalu Co-Director (surf club)
Delta Theta Phi Treasurer

B.A. ENGLISH, THE COLORADO COLLEGE, December 1991
Dean’s List
Track & Field / Cross Country Team Member
Vice President - Rush, Delta Gamma Sorority
National Spanish Honor Society

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

2006 - pres

MA'O Organic Farm fundraising committee

2008 - pres

"People's Path" grant writer, volunteer, and event coordinator

2009 - pres

Leeward Community College-Wai`anae Community Advisory Board

2002 - pres

HI State Bar Association/Young Lawyers Division community service volunteer

2008
Chair, Health & Human Service Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii
2007 – 2008
Hawaii Children's Trust Fund Advisory Board
2006 – 2008
Empower Wai`anae Steering Committee
2003 – 2010
Wai`anae Lion's Club; member (community service)
2001 – 2009
Welfare and Employment Rights Coalition; member (poverty advocacy)
1997 – pres
Nā Loio `O He`e Nalu (UH Law School Surf Club); organizer & top three finisher in Land Shark Invitational Surf Meet (2000, 2001, 2002 & 2009)

HONORS AND AWARDS
2007

"25 People for the Next 25 Years" Hawaii Business Magazine
2006
Distinguished Supporter Award, University of Hawaii Center for Hawaiian Studies
2005
Best Up and Coming Legislator (Honolulu Weekly 2005)
2003
Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute Discovery Leadership Fellow
2003
Center on Women's Policy Studies Foreign Policy Institute Fellow
2000
Hawaii Women's Legal Auxiliary Scholarship
1998
Advocates for Public Interest Law Grantee

Civil Unions bill HB444

Unfortunately, the Civil Unions bill (HB444), which I supported, is often confused with other issues. To clarify its purpose and my reason for supporting it, here's a summary of the key points:

The bill did not:
1. Legalize gay marriage.
2. Change the definition of "marriage," which is reserved for a man and a woman.
3. Require any church official or anyone else to perform the civil unions.

The bill did:
4. Protect the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, ensuring that all persons are treated equally, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of a person's gender.
5. Support the 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples deserve the same protection under the law as heterosexual couples.
6. Extend spousal benefits and responsibilities to partners.

For my longer explanation, please click here.
For comments re my support of HB444, see Chet Urata and Thomas Dalbert.

Hawaii State AFL-CIO Endorses Maile

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Letter from Chet Urata re HB444

Dear Rep. Shimabukuro,

I read your blog regarding HB444. I'm glad that you sound like you support it. I am not gay myself, but I fully respect the rights of others and do not see any reason why gay marriage, let alone civil unions, threaten anyone. Claims that gay marriage threatens the institution of marriage are ludicrous. I know my relationship is in no way threatened by what others do in theirs. Yet what a profound effect marriage or unions would have on the lives of gays and lesbians!

Chet Urata

As I could tell from your blog, you understand that this is not an issue to be decided by what is popular; this is a civil rights issue. Anyone who believes that this should be decided by a referendum is clearly not in favor of this becoming law since it is well known that the populace will vote this down. It is unfortunate that the majority of people are neither enlightened nor generous enough to allow gay marriage or civil unions to become law.

I applaud and encourage the efforts of you and others in the state congress to pass this bill.

Best wishes,

Chet Urata, Waianae resident

Fabulous 5 Fundraiser April 15!

Rep. Faye Hanohano, Rep. Chris Lee, Rep. Sylvia Luke, Rep. Della Au Belatti, & Rep. Maile Shimabukuro are having a joint fundraiser on April 15, 2010; 6-7:30pm, at St. Andrew's Priory.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR FOOD, FUN, AND FRIENDSHIP ON:

APRIL 15, 2010

6-7:30PM

ST. ANDREW'S PRIORY

* Ono Hawaiian Food

* $25 Suggested donation

To reserve a ticket* in support of Maile's campaign, mail checks to:

Friends of Maile Shimabukuro

P. O. Box 2043

Wai`anae, HI 96792

*In lieu of tickets, pre-paid guests will be listed at check-in.

You may also purchase tickets at the door.

For more information, or to volunteer with Friends of Maile Shimabukuro, email maileshimabukuro@yahoo.com or call 349-3075.

Mahalo for your support, and please spread the word!