Rep. Karamatsu's Op-Ed: Fundamental Needs

Rep. Jon Karamatsu, Vice Speaker of the House, has an Op-Ed in today's Honolulu Advertiser about the legislature balancing both sustainability and affordability during the last session. "As the youngest member of the House of Representatives," he writes,

I may view the successes and failures of the legislative session from a different perspective than some of my colleagues. For most people my age in Hawai'i, sustainability is important, but affordability is the immediate concern — being able to afford the basics such as housing, healthcare and education, for themselves and their young families.

...It's important to recognize that our state's well-being will depend on keeping Hawai'i affordable. The world around us is also changing, becoming interconnected and more competitive. While my generation is trying to solve one set of issues, our kids will face a brand new set of problems. We are aiming to develop an economy that will provide the kinds of jobs needed to first afford, and then sustain, quality of life.

Here is a link to the article.

[update, 5/18/2007]

Correction: The op-ed lists Rep. Karamatsu's gas expenses as $3,000 for one year, commuting from Waipahu to Honolulu. Rep. Karamatsu later realized he had made a mistake in the calculations. The following is a breakdown of his actual car expenses:

Car Expenses
Fuel: $2,111.70
Insurance: $864.00
Registration: $165.25
Service: $754.19
Auto Miscellaneous: $103.03
Total: $3,998.17