O'Shea, Dennis

O'Shea, Dennis

Office Seeking: Maui Council Member (South Maui)

Party: Republican
Website: dennisoshea4maui.org

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?

As a council member I am one vote, but I will push for way more local organic farming and legislate for local small farms to receive the water they need to farm sustainably and responsibly. I will vote to secure the rights of the water for the people and not corporate private interests. We need far more food production that will stay here on Maui. I will look at increasing government moneys and grants for companies like the Maui hub and encourage more local farmers markets. I am not an advocate for corporate farms like Mahi Pono or Bayer. Too many chemicals that are extremely harmful to our islands, people, and our wildlife.

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

The only initiative I have supported thus far are 22-119, 22-151, 22-56. We cannot produce food without water.

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

This is a serious situation. maui's food supply will be done within 3-5 days. I will vote for, support, and create legislation to support local farmers. We need to ensure they have the means to produce, process, and transport as much food as possible. The permitting process to build facilities for them to wash and process their food must be streamlined. We also need to look at tax breaks for those who are producing food for our people.

Please indicate your position on the following policies:

  1. Creating County funding mechanisms to support DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks. SUPPORT

  2. Increasing local food procurement for Maui County schools. SUPPORT

  3. Increasing Farm to School initiatives including school gardens. SUPPORT

  4. Pursuing County Farm to Food Bank Funding. SUPPORT

  5. Developing regional organic waste and composting services. SUPPORT

  6. Restructuring the Department of Water Supply and Department of Wastewater to encourage strategies for conservation, efficient water use, storage, and growing water resources. REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION

  7. Increasing the budget for the Maui County Department of Agriculture. REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION

  8. Offering subsidies to local farms that have shown the ability to sustain production. SUPPORT

  9. Supporting policies that allow for increased affordable housing for farmworkers. SUPPORT

  10. Improving policies around hunting and utilizing invasive protein sources. SUPPORT

  11. Funding updated shared processing facilities, including slaughterhouses and food hubs. SUPPORT

  12. Implementing new inspection policies to reduce the spread of invasive species. REQUEST FOR MORE INFORMATION

  13. 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.

100% support giving the water rights to the people, Not a foreign Canadian corporation. Also support regional water boards, but the members of those boards need to be voted in and not selected by any political entity.

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?

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