2018 Primary Election Candidates

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STODDARD, Zack
Name on ballot:

STODDARD, Zack

Running for:

Honolulu City Council

District (if applicable):

6

Political party:

Nonpartisan

Campaign website:

ZackStoddard.com

Current occupation:

City Planner

Age:

31

Previous job history:

Career civil servant, most recently with the State Office of Environmental Quality Control

Previous elected office, if any:

HGEA Board of Directors

What qualifies you to represent the people of Hawaii?

As a City Planner I work with City rules and processes every day. I earn a modest $50k salary so I understand the struggle that most residents experience daily. I'm the only candidate running a totally clean campaign so I can honestly represent people who can't afford to donate to politicians.

What are the top three challenges facing the voters you seek to represent?

1. Homelessness. First, we need to make sure everyone with an honest job can afford to live here. Second, we need to make sure those who are already homeless have the opportunity to get back on their feet. We should allow the homeless to stay in designated areas away from residences and schools, and provide social services in those areas. We need to focus on long-term solutions like mental health and affordable housing, rather than just shuffling these folks around the island.
2. Monster homes. These oversized houses are effectively apartments in neighborhoods designed for single-family homes, which affects the parking, infrastructure, and the feel of a community. Let’s make sure the Department of Planning and Permitting can strictly enforce the rules and keep our neighborhoods the way their residents want them. At the same time, monster homes are being built because there is a demand for more housing. Let’s make sure this type of development can still happen, but in neighborhoods that make sense - closer to the urban core of Honolulu where we have infrastructure capacity and access to transit.
3. Government responsiveness. We need a much smarter, more responsive government. I work for the city government and we still have typewriters and use snail mail. I want to modernize government so we can focus on citizen service. Let’s simplify our processes and switch to systems that are:
Web-based, publicly accessible, and secure.

If elected, what will be your highest legislative priority?

Lowering the cost of living. Hawaii has by far the highest cost of living in the country. We are moving in the wrong direction too - costs are increasing twice as fast as wages. I blame leaders who are disconnected from the struggle that ordinary people here face, and who don’t have the sense of urgency to help. I want to lower housing costs by redefining "affordable" so that it truly means affordable. I want to curb real estate speculation so our housing market focuses on actually housing our residents, not just providing luxury condos for non-residents to park their cash. And I want to lower taxes on our overburdened working class - something no other politician is talking about.

If elected, what can you do to improve the lives of your constituents?

I can actually represent the 48% of Hawaii residents struggling to make ends meet, because I'm not taking campaign contributions from the wealthy. I can lower the cost of living and make the rich pay their fair share. I can keep our fragile ecosystems clean and preserve our open spaces from excessive development. I can encourage rooftop solar and improved stormwater management. I can make our government system more efficient and responsive to make taxpayer money go further. Most importantly, with clean politics, I can be upfront and honest with my constituents.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?

N/A

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