Tamara Akiko Maile Paltin
Reasons for running, goals:
As a community and business leader, I believe I have a lot to offer to improve our way of life in the County of Maui. Further, as a small business owner and a public servant, I believe I have a lot to offer to continue improve our way of life in the County of Maui.
Housing crisis:
Lack of housing is due to overregulated construction/housing industry. Impact fees and permitting are what is causing newly built homes to be unaffordable to local families. If we want local families to become homeowners of truly affordable homes, the State of Hawaii and the County of Maui must become partners with homebuilders. Economy:
Encouraging entrepreneurship and making the State of Hawaii to be a more business friendly state are the keys to diversifying Maui’s economy. However, due to the pandemic, we must focus on our visitor industry, the fuel of our economic engine, small businesses.
Reasons for running, goals:
I am running for County Council because I love Maui County and our residents. If reelected, I would like to continue to focus on county-level solutions to problems our residents face. Some initiatives I am working on include an open streets framework to enable places like Lahaina town to become more vibrant, with pedestrians and outdoor dining during certain times, by restricting car usage; finding
An empty Lahaina bypass ways to limit the number of rental cars on island to what our infrastructure can support; and listening to folks on both sides of any issue in order to facilitate the best path forward.
Housing crisis:
Maui County has no shortage of buyers from around the world, but there’s a definite shortage of affordable supply. Things we can do to generate housing for residents include partnering with the state to build out Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, empower nonprofit developers and encourage community land trusts that create affordable housing in perpetuity (allowing for shared equity), continue to work on property tax reform to grant incentives for owners using their property for long-term affordable rentals and amend the county’s workforce housing policy to remove at least the 120 to 140 percent area median income to qualify for workforce designation.
Economy:
We start by focusing on our residents’ needs and wants, then empower and make retraining available for our citizenry. We all need to eat, and so, we invest in agriculture that will provide food security more than we have been investing in tourism. We need teachers, doctors, nurses, leaders but not in the traditional sense, in a way that works for more of our resident population. We need to closely examine our priorities. Our children, our people and their well-being need to come first. We start with systemic change that focuses on working together towards self-sufficiency, and we don’t stop.
Reasons for running, goals:
We are at a pivotal moment in Maui Nui’s future. COVID-19 has shown us some of our greatest vulnerabilities: we are home to the nation’s highest unemployment. But it has also revealed our strengths: we are a community who comes together to help one another and works together to create a better way forward. I want to help transform our challenges into opportunities that will create a more resilient Maui County. I will work to diversify our economy, better manage tourism and create more affordable housing. We must also invest in education, clean energy and increased local food production.
Housing crisis:
We have a shortage of truly affordable homes in both our rental and purchase markets. New developments are constrained by high costs of building and a lengthy permitting process. Existing inventory is heavily impacted by illegal short-term rentals and high home values. We must work together to comprehensively address this through effective policy, planning and public-private partnerships. Efforts to lower the costs and barriers to new
Age: 42
Residence: Napili Current occupation: Maui County Council Member Volunteer or community organization experience: Save Honolua Coalition, E Alu Pu member, Ka Ipu Kukui fellow, Kuleana Academy graduate, former HGEA steward, U.S. Lifesaving Association, Junior Lifeguard, CPR, Lifeguard Instructor
Military service: No
Political Experience: Ran for mayor in 2014; Maui County Council 2019-present
Family: Married with two children