Cost of Living
The Challenge
Too many Hawaii families are doing everything right and still falling behind.
They work hard. They raise their children here. They contribute to their communities. Yet every year it becomes harder to afford a home, buy groceries, pay the electric bill, or build a future in the islands they love.
The answer is not another temporary program, another study, or another promise.
Hawaii’s cost-of-living crisis is the result of decades of government waste, economic dependence, and missed opportunities. We have become overly reliant on imported food, imported energy, imported goods, and a tourism economy that leaves too many local families struggling to keep up.
If we want a Hawaii that our children can afford to inherit, we must build a government that works, an economy that produces, and communities that can thrive.
Daniel’s Position
The cost of living is not Hawaii’s problem.
It is the symptom.
The real problems are government that too often spends without accountability, an economy that imports what it could produce, and systems that make local families compete against forces beyond their control.
I believe Hawaii can lower costs by becoming more self-sufficient, more transparent, and more resilient.
Government should be accountable to measurable results.
Food security should be treated as economic security.
Energy independence should be treated as national security.
And every major decision should be evaluated by a simple question:
Does this make life better for the people who call Hawaii home?
Daniel Supports
Government accountability and performance-based management
Independent audits of major state programs and departments
Public agency scorecards and transparency dashboards
Expansion of local and indigenous food production
Regenerative agriculture and sustainable land stewardship
Community solar and renewable energy development
Small business support and targeted tax relief
Economic diversification and innovation
Daniel Opposes
Wasteful government spending without measurable outcomes
Bureaucratic inefficiency and unnecessary delays
Dependence on imported food and essential resources when local alternatives are available
Policies that increase economic dependence on a single industry
Lack of transparency in government performance and spending
Action Plan
Restore Accountability to Government
Taxpayers deserve more than promises. They deserve results.
Daniel will advocate for independent performance audits, public agency scorecards, and transparent reporting that allows residents to see where money is being spent and what outcomes are being achieved.
Government should be judged by performance, not by the size of its budget.
Grow More Food in Hawaii
Every shipment that arrives at our ports represents both a necessity and a vulnerability.
Daniel will support policies that increase local and indigenous food production, expand agricultural acreage in active use, strengthen regenerative farming practices, and help farmers overcome unnecessary barriers to success.
The more Hawaii can feed itself, the more affordable and resilient Hawaii becomes.
Build Energy Independence
Families should not be held hostage by rising imported fuel costs.
Daniel will support modernization of Hawaii’s energy infrastructure, expansion of community solar opportunities, responsible renewable energy development, and long-term strategies that improve energy resilience while reducing costs for residents.
Diversify Hawaii’s Economy
Tourism will remain important, but Hawaii’s future cannot depend on a single economic engine.
Daniel will support growth in agriculture, technology, education and research, and indigenous enterprise so that future generations have opportunities to build successful careers without leaving Hawaii.
Put Local Families First
Every policy should be measured against one standard:
Does this help local families remain and thrive in Hawaii?
If the answer is no, we should rethink it.
Measuring Success
Government should never ask citizens to simply trust that things are improving.
Progress should be visible, measurable, and public.
Daniel will advocate for annual reporting on:
Household income-to-rent ratios
Percentage of food produced locally
Agricultural acreage in active production
Household energy costs
Workforce retention
Net migration of Hawaii residents
Government agency performance metrics
Success is not measured by how much government spends.
Success is measured by whether more local families can afford to stay, work, raise children, and build a future in Hawaii.