Republican Candidate for Ewa’s Senate Seat Demands Change

Chris Fidelibus Wants to Bring Voters’ Voices to State Capitol

News Release from ChrisForEwa.com

August 5, 2016 – Small business owner Chris Fidelibus has pledged to be the voice of Ewa residents as he runs for State Senate District 19 as a Republican in the primary election. As a 34-year-old husband and father of a 5-year-old, he understands the struggles of trying to raise a family in Hawaii from the high cost of living to a struggling education system and the growing homelessness epidemic.

“I own three small businesses and help my wife Len operate her residential care home, so, as a family, we’re fully aware of how much energy and time it takes to survive in Hawaii,” Fidelibus said. “I believe it’s a common sentiment among many people in my district and across the state that our government and career politicians aren’t listening to our needs. As taxpayers, our government should work in our favor and make life a little easier instead of allowing problems to flourish and creating brand new ones.”

Fidelibus says education is a top priority for him as his son is beginning to enter the local school system. He wants to make sure that teachers are paid an appropriate salary that takes into account the state’s cost of living and that they’re given the tools they need to properly educate students, including air conditioning, which is much needed in the dry Ewa plain. He believes the state needs to prioritize education when it comes to budgeting.

Fidelibus says the education system needs to be re-evaluated on other levels as well. The Hawaii State Department of Education needs to cut down on bureaucracy and ensure school administrators and teachers can coordinate more efficiently with officials. One specific example is the process for School-Level Educational Officers and how the DOE selects vice principals and principals. Fidelibus has heard concerns from educators that otherwise qualified individuals are being bypassed, which hinders autonomy that a school needs to address the specific needs of its students.

Another major issue Fidelibus wants to immediately address for his district and the state is the rail and overall traffic congestion that shaves hours off the day for many islanders. With two of his businesses located in Waikiki, Waikiki Dive Center and Waikiki Sport Fishing, he’s often fighting traffic. He agrees with other lawmakers and government officials that there needs to be more direct answers as to why the rail project is so obscenely over budget and delayed.

The Honolulu Rapid Transit Authority needs to be held accountable. He also wants more open and direct communication with the Federal Transit Authority and Hawaii’s Congressional delegation to exhaust all possibilities to fund the rail’s completion to Ala Moana.

As for the traffic issue as a whole, Fidelibus says the city and county and state need to better coordinate infrastructure improvements to make it more efficient. Many different projects in various areas are concurrently being completed, causing increased traffic. Projects should be prioritized and focused on specific areas rather than being fanned out.

Homelessness is another big issue that has made its way to Ewa. Fidelibus wants to identify and focus on the areas of the state most impacted by homelessness first and prioritize assistance for homeless families with children. He believes in reaching out to stakeholders in each community like businesses, nonprofits and churches to form public/private partnerships. He recognizes the success of government and nonprofit collaborations like the Hale Mauliola temporary housing site at Sand Island accomplished by Honolulu city officials and the Institute for Human Services.

“I may be new and I know it won’t be an easy job, but we have to try something different as a state” Fidelibus said. “Things won’t change if we continue to elect seasoned politicians who only represent themselves. I want to bring the voices of the people of Ewa to the State Capitol and make sure they’re heard.”

To learn more, visit ChrisForEwa.com.