Johnson, Dan

Office Seeking: State Representative, District 12 (Spreckelsville, Pukalani, Makawao, Kula, Keokea, Ulupalakua, Kahului)

Party: Republican
Website: Votedanjohnson.godaddysites.com

Food security is defined by the USDA as "access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life." How will your platform address food insecurity in Maui County?

I expressly have stated concerns about our heavy reliance in general on imports. If there is ever any crisis or emergency where those ships stop coming, I don’t feel we are sufficiently prepared.

I would like to further diversify our economy from tourism as a base to encourage more local agriculture and food production. We can further incentivize locally owned farms to produce.

Please list any initiatives you have supported in Maui County to increase food access and food production that you are proud of:

As a part of church leadership at Hope Chapel North Shore, I’ve been supporting an initiative called the 5 & 2 Food Pantry, which is partnered with the Maui Food Bank as a distribution site. We provide regular support to families or individuals in need.

Hawaiʻi imports roughly 85% of our food supply. How will your platform address increasing local food production?

This is not a good trend for a sustainable future. I would like to encourage more small businesses to produce food or support local farmers to equip them with what they need to do business. I want to reduce taxation on ag and food production, and also provide more frequent low interest loans for capital expenditures or assist in land acquisition for the purpose of farming.

Please indicate your position on the following policies:

Creating County funding mechanisms to support DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks. REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION
Increasing local food procurement for Maui County schools. SUPPORT
Increasing Farm to School initiatives including school gardens. SUPPORT
Pursuing County Farm to Food Bank Funding. SUPPORT
Developing regional organic waste and composting services. SUPPORT
Restructuring the Department of Water Supply and Department of Wastewater to encourage strategies for conservation, efficient water use, storage, and growing water resources. SUPPORT
Increasing the budget for the Maui County Department of Agriculture. REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION
Offering subsidies to local farms that have shown the ability to sustain production. SUPPORT
Supporting policies that allow for increased affordable housing for farmworkers. SUPPORT
Improving policies around hunting and utilizing invasive protein sources. SUPPORT
Funding updated shared processing facilities, including slaughterhouses and food hubs. SUPPORT
Implementing new inspection policies to reduce the spread of invasive species. REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION
Establishing local control of water resources through a Maui County Community Water Authority, with the ability to establish regional community boards. SUPPORT

Please elaborate on any of your above positions here.

Yes, I almost emphatically agree with all of these issues. I answered in the lens of what my candidacy would have jurisdiction over, but would support getting it done on either the county or state level. I’m a hunter myself, and like the idea of reducing restrictions on harvesting our deer population for consumption. I also have personally provided testimony on the county council’s proposal for a water authority to take over the management of these resources for East Maui especially.

Are there other issues, County-wide or within your own residency area, about food security that concern you, and how do you plan to address these issues if elected?

Outside of the water rights issues, I live Upcountry and our community is affected the most by a water infrastructure and supply problem. I think we need to get more intergovernmental coordination to have 1) the DLNR grant the water leases to the county, and 2) have the state co-partner with the county on funding new collection systems (wells), and 3) enacting sustainable development legislation that requires all future developments to utilize reclaimed water for all non-potable uses and use the proceeds from the water management authority to fund the new utilities to said projects.