First 100 days will lead to bigger solutions, Green says

Gov. Josh Green believes the progress his administration has made in his first 100 days of office will lead to solutions to a wide range of problematic issues including help for struggling families, homelessness and climate change by the end of his first term.

“We’ve really got a lot done in the first 100 days,” Green told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday, marking his 100th day in office. “If we keep up this pace I think we’ll solve most of the problems we were asked to solve.”

Earlier in the day, Green told a virtual gathering of the Hawai‘i Economic Association moderated by political analysts Neal Milner and Colin Moore that he was initially surprised by the number of ongoing requests for meetings with high-level military commanders.

Asked how he’s been received by the military, Green said he’s blunt in his messaging, especially following the Navy’s Red Hill environmental disaster. The governor has told the military that its relationship with the broader community risks the future of military leases across the islands.

“I have been very direct,” Green said. “… I don’t want people using ‘ohana’ or ‘aloha’ if they don’t mean it. …. I have the luxury of being a straight-talker and a fresh face.”

He respects the military’s role in Hawaii, but also said, “I have a very strong dose of skepticism about how they’ve behaved in the past toward our environment.”

In January, Green announced the return of more than 363 acres of military­leased land on Molokai in Hoolehua and Palaau to the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

On other topics, Green said his tax plan will help people earning less than $120,000 while they, in turn, pump more money throughout the economy, and he also referenced his administration’s plan to issue a request for proposals to build a new Aloha Stadium and have it privately managed, with the goal of issuing a future RFP to build adjacent housing and an entertainment district.

Green also has called for “green fees” to charge tourists for accessing Hawaii’s most popular state parks and trails while raising money to protect the environment and address climate change.

Following Green’s appearance before the Hawai‘i Economic Association, Milner and Moore called Green a clear departure from his former boss, Gov. David Ige, who took a much more methodical approach to big topics like the future of the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for the summit of Mauna Kea, where Ige let the political and governmental process play out instead of intervening.

Moore, director of the University of Hawaii’s Public Policy Center, called Green “a very popular governor” who was “elected overwhelmingly.”

Milner said Green is “good at presenting his ideas with a sense of optimism that doesn’t sound arrogant.”

If he should continue to get pushback from the state Senate over his Cabinet nominees, Moore said the governor is even more likely to make “direct appeals to the people.”

Among the “major milestones” Green said he is most proud of in his first 100 days:

>> An emergency proclamation he signed on the Senate floor during his first State of the State speech to address homelessness “by streamlining construction processes, while ensuring that iwi kupuna and significant cultural and environmental resources are protected.”

>> The ongoing expansion of Green’s kauhale “tiny home” village concept to provide permanent housing for homeless people that has since moved to the neighbor islands. He told the Star-Advertiser on Wednesday that he hopes to expand the kauhale concept beyond the homeless to help like-minded communities — such as senior citizens, educators and health care workers — find affordable housing to attract and keep critical workers.

>> Support for legislation to decrease the cost to access government documents and Green’s pledge “to have a higher standard for public documents and government transparency” following 31 recommendations by a special commission.

The Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct was created after former Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English and former Rep. Ty J.K. Cullen pleaded guilty in federal court in February 2022 to accepting bribes to support and kill legislation on behalf of Milton J. Choy, owner and manager of H2O Process Systems.

>> Spearheading a proposal to create a new Climate Impact Fund and “championing” the State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission “to address climate change head on and protect and preserve our state’s natural resources.”

>> Green’s plan to address the high cost of living “through our Green Affordability Plan, which provides historic tax relief for Hawaii’s residents.”