Elections should be about our aspirations to make Hawaii a better place for ourselves and for our children. That’s why Be Change Now was formed — to give Hawaii’s working men and women a chance to have their voices heard above the din of the usual political babble.
It was established to give our workers a place at the political table, alongside those who are charting our future.
Be Change Now is a so-called “Super PAC,” a legal political action committee that operates independently of any candidate. We are funded by the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, the state’s largest construction union, whose sole mission is to advocate for and represent working carpenters — the men and women who help to build our state.
Be Change Now supports candidates who share our local values and will fight for what all residents want: good-paying jobs, homes they can afford, a quality education for their children, access to healthcare, and having the safeguards in place to protect our precious and fragile environment. These are Hawaii values.
We are engaging in these elections to inform voters on the critical issues affecting them, the most pressing of which is a political system that too often seems reluctant to serve our best interests. What we need are effective and courageous leaders — at all levels of government — who are willing to make tough, sometimes unpopular decisions, to push for meaningful public policy and find solutions for chronic problems like homelessness and affordable housing.
Hawaii’s political history since statehood includes a proud tradition of being bold and holding leaders accountable while still finding win-win solutions to our state’s most pressing challenges. There was a spirit of collaboration, a sense of everyone being in the same canoe to move Hawaii forward on the national and global scene.
As a result, our elected leaders focused on actual accomplishments such as the Prepaid Health Care Act, the creation of temporary disability insurance, equal pay for equal work, and the transformation of the University of Hawaii into a first-class university. These were victories that solved problems and improved lives.
That’s the way Hawaii used to solve problems. However, we seem to have lost our way over years. When the pivotal leaders who helped shape our state disappeared from the scene, there was no one at the ready to take their place. This has led to a paucity of leadership in Hawaii, and it’s the people who lose when our leaders don’t lead.
We are deeply concerned about a political system that appears satisfied with protecting itself, rather than exhibiting the courage and leadership needed to bring about real change to better our communities.
Be Change Now has been criticized for using “tough” tactics to make its message heard this campaign season. Fair enough. But we believe the stakes are too high, and the political system is too resistant to change, to rely on the old ways. The status quo isn’t good enough for our members or for Hawaii.
If we don’t speak up for our members, who will? If we don’t support candidates whom we think will be the change, who will? If we don’t try our hardest to fix our broken political system, who will? It’s up to us to come together to support truly effective leaders.
Joshua Magno is chairman of Be Change Now. Natasha Kai is a union carpenter apprentice and was a member of the 2008 USA Women’s Olympic soccer team. Elmer Cabico is a retired union carpenter with over 36 years as an active member.
