Hawaii is home to families who stay for more than the weather and beaches. They stay for the culture and community. But those local families are being squeezed by high housing costs, homelessness and a government that often fails to answer for how it spends taxpayer dollars.
As governor, Josh Green is responsible for addressing these problems, and his record falls short. Even as a high school student who cannot yet vote, I know my future is on the line. Green should not receive another term because under his watch, state funds have been mismanaged, corruption scandals have shaken public trust, and urgent problems like housing have seen too little progress.
Many locals still struggle to find affordable housing, and many have continued to leave in alarmingly high numbers since Green took office in 2022. According to UHERO’s 2026 Housing Factbook, the median price of a single-family home was about $950,000 in 2025 — a price completely out of reach for households, including young families trying to buy their first home.
Of course, we can’t blame today’s housing costs solely on the governor, but we should judge his administration on whether it has delivered meaningful change. Nearly everyone, including Green himself, agrees that Hawaii has a housing crisis, and our state needs bold, long-term solutions. But electing the same leadership again is unlikely to bring the urgency and change needed to address housing affordability and the many other challenges plaguing our state.
Beyond policy shortcomings, a major concern is the pattern of weak oversight and lack of accountability within Green’s administration. One of the clearest examples is Green’s Kauhale Initiative, ostensibly created to provide housing, services, and help for people or families experiencing homelessness. A scathing audit last month found nearly $13.7 million in payments that were unauthorized or questionable, along with problems in contracts, documentation and project monitoring. Evidently, the state failed to protect taxpayer money sufficiently. While the Green administration defended the program and said it accepted the audit’s recommendations, the problems found still show a need for stronger oversight. As the state’s chief executive, Green is ultimately responsible for failures like this, and he must be held accountable for how public money is spent. Having good intentions is not enough. The government must ensure the money put into this program is spent appropriately.
Trust in state leadership has been shaken further by the case against Green’s second-in-command, Sylvia Luke. In July 2026, prosecutors indicted Luke on bribery and falsifying campaign committee reports. Luke’s co-defendant, Ryan Yamane, had been appointed by Green to serve as the director of Human Services. An indictment is not proof of guilt, and Green is not accused of any involvement. But as governor, he bears responsibility for the leadership around him. Locals deserve transparency and reassurance that concerns within the state leadership are being addressed openly.
These are not problems locals should simply have to accept. Green should be held accountable for his administration’s failures. The scandals surrounding his administration reveal a lack of transparency and poor judgment, while his policy shortcomings demonstrate a lack of urgency. Even if the administration claims progress made through its programs, locals and residents should consider whether that progress is enough to address our state’s most pressing needs.
Hawaii deserves leadership that combines good intentions with effective management, transparency and most importantly, results. Another term should not be guaranteed for Green, and I, for one, do not believe he has earned it.
Kuulei Lactaoen is a student at Kohala High School, class of 2027.
“Raise Your Hand,” a monthly column featuring Hawaii’s youth and their perspectives, appears in the Insight section on the first Sunday of each month. It is facilitated by the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders.
