2020 Election: Steve Monas

Name on ballot:

Steve Monas

Running for:

State House – District 14

Political party:

Republican

Campaign website:

stevemonas.com

Current occupation:

single father of 3 young kids

Age:

46

Previous job history:

Strategist, change agent, and driving force behind successful initiatives in diverse industries by leveraging expertise in Internet, e-Commerce, and Web 2.0 platforms. Senior executive with an entrepreneurial mindset and experience with both startup and turnaround environments. Proven to deliver fresh perspectives on profitable opportunities. Relentless learner who is always at the leading edge of latest technology trends.

Small business owner, entrepreneur, business book author, web developer, chief operating officer, and web director. Monas had successfully restructured failing multi-million dollar businesses on the brink of bankruptcy. His industry experience included working, as an executive, with telecommunication, healthcare, cosmetics, computer manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, advertising, marketing and public relation agencies.

Previous elected office, if any:

None

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

Monas’ background in Entrepreneurship will work well into a creating a robust Kauai economic evolution and recovery. He understands not only small business, but the also the people who make large businesses work. Monas has always rolled up his sleeves, and placed his attention to the detail at hand.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Monas will use his ideas to do the following: empower small businesses to the next level, create a “Smart Kauai” that will start with our keiki, partner with USDA to expand SNAP benefits to smart phones, fulfill a promise and make the current Kanaka Maoli homes tax-exempt.

As Hawaii faces the COVID-19 pandemic, what more can be done to protect residents’ health?

As long as we follow the guidelines that have been set aside by our current Presidential Administration and our department of health, we are slowly moving in a direction. This is not easy for some, but as a community, we need to respect and care for each others well being. This is not an easy time with so much various information being sent out in many different formats. At this time I would like to thank all of the workers that have to wear masks for 8-10 hours a day. Its not easy and we appreciate it. Thank you for respecting the wishes of our members of the community who are most affected.

What more can be done to help residents who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

The treatment of the Covid emergency by Democrat administration has been woefully bumbling. The $1.6 billion given to the Democrat initiative of Hawaii by the Trump organization ought to have been conveyed legitimately to each citizen of Hawaii. Each kane, wahine and keiki that is an occupant ought to have gotten a stimulas check in the amount of $1,143.
At present there are different projects financed by bureaucratic Covid monies accessible through neighborhood legislative and non-benefit associations. This go through makes layers of organization, trouble and circles individuals need to hop through to get a bit of the cash. Overhead and regulatory costs heading off to these equivalent associations destroy the monies accessible, rather than going straightforwardly into individuals’ pockets that need it.
There are numerous instances of individuals getting their upgrade checks from the government that didn’t require it, and they set it back into the networks by giving and supporting other alleviation programs.
The individuals who know best what their own and family needs are, are simply the individuals. The Ige adminstration claims they need to keep Covid19 cash for later. The stormy day is today not tomorrow. They have likely squandered portion of the $1.6 b dollars, yet it’s not very late to send every inhabitant $571.50. This cash will quickly kick off the economy.

Should public worker furloughs, pay cuts or downsizing be used to help the state deal with lower tax revenues and higher expenses during the pandemic? Why or why not?

Are you saying should we cut all the salaries of police officers, teachers, doctors, nurses, lifeguards, firefighters, and other essential personnel? The answer is No. The answer lies in the deep accounting and over spending that has been circulating in the democratic controlled legislature. The legislature should look within all of its past spending that have nothing to do with our hard working essential public workers.

Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy has suffered greatly due to the pandemic. If elected, what would you propose to support and diversify the state’s economy?

Yes, Hawaii is very tourism-dependent. I would support making amendments to the Jones act and asking Congress to review it immediately for action. We have an opportunity to evolve from the past. We can move forward to be an international hub, not only for travel, but for products. We can do ship building and we can move products around the world. This is something that I would passionately work to move along. If everything gets passed in a timely manner, we could have an international port within 2 years.

Do you support reforms to policing in Hawaii? If yes, please explain what reforms you support.

I support our Police. I believe that we have the most diverse population of citizens in this beautiful state, and our police are doing a good job. I would support having a Chief of Police on each island be elected, not selected.

Do you support or oppose the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the Big Island and why?

In the words of the wonderful movie “Moana” that my kids had watched and sang for years. Moana had said, “We are voyagers – from island to island”. Well now, we need to voyage to the stars. In order to have safe voyages to the stars and beyond we need to learn about the universe that surrounds this tiny blue speck we call a planet. This planet that is millions and billions of miles from other milky ways and galaxies. The next frontier is moving our civilization to be a multi-planet species. To be on more than one planet. Not because we are doing a good job here, but we do not know what might happen in the future, like an asteroid hitting our planet.

The telescope cannot be built anywhere else that will support our keiki’s future. I support the telescope with the condition of, existing telescopes should go down. Kanaka contractors should be given preference. Toll roads (Kanaka land / Kanaka Road) should be placed and proceeds go to funds for restoration and preservation of the mountain.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

Steve Monas, a Republican Candidate for District 14, is running on his ideas, in addition to his platform. Monas’ background in Entrepreneurship will work well into a creating a robust Kauai economic evolution and recovery. Monas had successfully restructured failing multimillion dollar businesses on the brink of bankruptcy and his business book “ShoeString Venture: The Startup Bible” was taught at Rutgers University Entrepreneurship Program to aspiring innovators. A single full-time father of 3 young active elementary school kids, as well as a care giver to his 87 year old father, Monas understands the meaning of Ohana.
Monas will use his ideas to do the following: empower small businesses to the next level, create a “Smart Kauai” that will start with our keiki, partner with USDA to expand SNAP benefits to smart phones, fulfill a promise and make the current Kanaka Maoli homes tax-exempt.
Learn more about him at SteveMonas.com