Rep. Jordan with Susan Murray and Dr. Gerard Akaka of Queen's Medical Center - West Oahu

In this episode of Jordan's Journal, Rep. Jordan talks with Susan Murray, Chief Operating Officer of the Queen's Medical Center - West Oahu and Dr. Gerard Akaka, The Queen's Medical Center Vice President, Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer about the plans to attend to healthcare needs in a growing community and broaden their ability to elevate the health of Native Hawaiians and the entire West Oahu community.

The show will air on Channel 54 on Tuesday, March 26 at 1 pm.  You can also view the episode on Rep. Jordan’s Vimeo channel, which has been embedded below.

Episode 26 - The Queens Medical Center - West O'ahu from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

Jobie Masagatani, DHHL Chair Designate, on the next Jordan's Journal

In this episode of Jordan's Journal, Rep. Jo Jordan talks with Jobie Masagatani, Chair Designate of the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) about the issues facing the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust.  Discussion will focus on a recent Hawaii Supreme Court Ruling on State funding for the Trust.

The show will air on Channel 54 on Sunday, March 3 at 8:30 pm and be rebroadcast on March 4 and 11 at 1 pm.  You can also view the episode on Rep. Jordan’s Vimeo channel, which has been embedded below.

Episode 25 - State Dept of Hawaiian Home Lands from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

Pat McManaman, DHS Director, on the Next Jordan's Journal

On the next episode of Jordan’s Journal, Rep. Jordan is joined by Pat McManaman, Director of the State Department of Human Services. Director McManaman provides an overview of the Department and then delves into the background and significance of a current piece of legislation, HB868.

Last year, Rep. Jordan submitted a resolution that led to the Department conducting a study which focused on developing methods to help families reliant upon public assistance to attain financial independence. The study resulted in the introduction of HB868, which would eliminate the asset limit for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

This episode is an excellent way to learn about the Department of Human Services and serves as a prime example of the Legislature cooperating with a State Department to better serve the people of Hawaii.

The show will air on Channel 54 on Sunday, February 17^th at 8:30 p.m. and be rebroadcast on February 18^th and 25^th at 1:00 p.m. You can also view the episode on Rep. Jordan’s Vimeo channel, which has been embedded below.

Episode 24 - State Dept of Human Services from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

Homelessness is the topic on the next Jordan's Journal

Homelessness continues to be a major societal problem nationwide and Hawai‘i is no exception. Tackling an issue of this complexity is no easy task and there is no magic solution. Fortunately, we have an individual who welcomes the challenge and is confident we can virtually eliminate homelessness in the islands over the course of the next decade. His name is Colin Kippen, Hawaii State Coordinator on Homelessness. On the next episode of Jordan's Journal, Rep. Jordan sits down with Mr. Kippen to discuss his role as well as his organization's mission.  

Mr. Kippen has spent his professional career between Hawaii and the nation's capital working as an attorney dealing with a range of social issues, focusing on native rights law. The Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness (HICH) was created through executive order by Governor Abercrombie in July of 2011 and serves as a state level entity in cooperation with the US Interagency Council on Homeless (USICH), which was established by President Obama in 2009. The USICH's Hawaii ties do not end with the President; General Shinseki is currently heading the Council. 

Having support at the national level is important, but the war on homelessness will be won at the local level on an individual-by-individual basis. Mr. Kippen stresses that the keys to overcoming this great societal ill are community and collaboration. At the institutional level, solving homelessness requires a comprehensive effort spanning from education, healthcare (to include mental health and substance abuse programs), and education to veterans’ and Native Hawaiian affairs. Even with all of these players working together, tackling homelessness ultimately comes down to the community and the efforts of individuals like you and me. 

If you'd like to help the HICH eradicate homelessness in Hawai‘i, or just learn more about the organization and its programs, you can contact Mr. Kippen via email at ckippen@dhs.hawaii.gov or call him at 808 586-0974. 

Episode 23 - Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

The episode will air Monday, January 28th at 1:00 p.m. on Olelo Channel 54.
You can also view the episode on Rep. Jordan's Vimeo and Youtube channels.

Rep. Jo Jordan's December 2012 Newsletter

Rep. Jo Jordan's December 2012 Newsletter

‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i

`Ulu`ulu: The Henry Ku`ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai`i from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

The next episode of Jordan’s Journal is an exciting one, and one that may have you glued to your computer hours after watching it. 

Former House Rep. Heather Giugni appears with Rep. Jo Jordan to talk about ‘Ulu’ulu, an online repository of Hawaii film footage dating as far back as 1928. 

After watching the episode, I browsed the website, http://ulululu.hawaii.edu, and found a number of moments in our Hawaii history that I would never have been able to see before. Take a look at this political goodie, it’s a roundtable discussion with the candidates for the U.S. House 1st Congressional District special election to replace US Rep. Cecil Heftel for the remainder of his term in 1986. You’ll recognize Hawaii politicians Democrat Steve Cobb, Republican Patricia Saiki, Democrat Mufi Hannemann, and Democrat Neil Abercrombie. This is the election that took Abercrombie to Congress. 

The website is part of ‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i at UH West Oahu. Its mission is to “perpetuate and share the rich moving image heritage of Hawai‘i through the preservation of film and videotape related to the history and culture of Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawai‘i.”

At “The Archive,” they collect donated moving images related to Hawaii and its history from local businesses, organizations, and individuals, and staff work to catalog, preserve, and give the public access to these historic items. 

The videos online are just a few of the 17,000 videos, including 500 films, that “The Archive” holds. Because of copyright you won’t be able to watch the entire videos online, but you can view 10% of each video. If you find something that you are interesting in learning more about, the website instructs you to contact them or the original owners of the copyrighted material. 

You can watch this episode on ‘Ulu’ulu on Vimeo above, or catch it on Olelo Channel 54 on the following airdates: 12/16 - 8:30 p.m., 12/17 - 1:00 p.m., 12/24 - 1:00 p.m., 12/31 - 1:00 p.m.

Access to Justice Commission Meeting in Wai'anae

Wai'anae Access to Justice Meeting

Access to Justice Commission on next episode of Jordan's Journal

Rep. Della Au Belatti, Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, and Rep. Jo Jordan

On the next episode of Jordan's Journal, Rep. Jo Jordan sits down with Rep. Della Au Belatti and Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald to discuss an upcoming Community Briefing on the work of the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission as well as to gather input from the community planned for the Leeward Coast. The shows special guests share the history of the Commission and what community members can expect from the meeting. Belatti and Recktenwald are appointed members of the Commission.

The Hawai‘i Access to Justice Commission, created by the Hawaii Supreme Court Rule 21 in 2008, comprises judges, attorneys, legal service providers, governmental representatives, and members of the Hawai‘i legal community. The Commission's primary purpose is to substantially increase access to justice in civil legal matters for low and moderate-income residents of Hawaii.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Wai'anae District Park Multi-Purpose room. From 6 - 6:45 p.m., six service providers will be on site for a legal fair in which attendees will be able to get their initial civil legal questions answered. These service providers include:
Domestic Violence Action Center, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Mediation Center of the Pacific, National Hawaiian Legal Corp, and
Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii. At 6:45 p.m., a formal presentation will be given by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald and Associate Justice Simeon R. Acoba, Jr.

For a preview of what will happen at the Community Briefing and to learn more of the Chief Justice and Rep. Belatti, watch this episode of Jordan's Journal online (embedded below) or catch it on 'Olelo 54 on these air dates and times:

Mon 11/26 @ 1:00 PM

Sun     12/2 @ 8:30 PM

Mon  12/3  @ 1:00PM

Mon 12/10 @ 1:00PM

Episode 21 - Access to Justice from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

Zipper Lane Update on next "Jordan's Journal"

Traffic is a major issue coming to town from West Oahu.  Hawaii Department of Transportation Deputy Director Jadine Urasaki is the guest on the next episode of "Jordan's Journal". Rep. Jo Jordan talks with Jadine on the latest news on the H-1 Zipper Lane and the P.M. Contraflow project..

You can watch it here, or tune in on Sunday, July 15 at 8:30 p.m. on Olelo, Channel 54.  The show repeats on Mondays, July 16, 23 and 30 at 1:00 p.m., Channel 54.

Rep. Jordan introduced HB2684, recently enacted into law as Act 320. The bill requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on the extension of the zipper lane westward from Waipahu toward Kapolei, west of the Kunia on-ramp.  It appropriates $200,000 for the study.

Waianae Residents Invited to Town Hall Meeting

How as the state budget balanced?

What was cut from government?  What was funded?

What laws passed, and how will they affect me?


Waianae residents can find out the answers to those questions during Rep. Jo Jordan's upcoming Legislative Town Hall Meeting.  Here are the details:

WHEN:   Wednesday, June 13, 2012

TIME:  7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE:  Waianae District Park (in the multi-purpose room)

ADDRESS:  85-601 Farrington Highway


SPECIAL GUEST:  House Finance Chair, Rep. Marcus Oshiro

For more information, call the office of Rep. Jo Jordan at 808-586-8460 or email repjordan@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Finance Chair Marcus Oshiro on next Jordan's Journal

House Finance Chair, Rep. Marcus Oshiro, joins Rep. Jo Jordan on the next episode of "Jordan's Journal".  The show airs on Sunday, June 3rd, 8:30 p.m. on Olelo, Channel 54.  You can catch the repeat on Monday, June 4th, 1:00 p.m. and June 11, 1:00 p.m., on the same channel.

You can also watch the video here:


Rep. Jordan is a member of the House Finance Committee.  Together, they discuss the challenges of balancing the budget this year, restoring certain services now that the economy is slowly recovering, and the outlook for the next biennium.

They talk about the cooperative relationship this year between the legislature and the Governor's Office, and some of the key initiatives that were passed as a result.  Major steps were taken to restructure public employee benefits going forward.  Some important issues remain and will be taken up again next year, such as providing payments towards the state's unfunded liability for retiree benefits.

Rep. Oshiro will be the special guest at Rep. Jordan's upcoming Legislative Town Hall Meeting.  It will be held on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Waianae District Park Multi-purpose Room.  More information on that to come.

Rep. Jo Jordan and Charleen Aina - Part 2

On the next "Jordan's Journal", Rep. Jo Jordan continues a fascinating discussion with State Deputy Attorney General Charleen Aina on the passage of SB2783, the OHA settlement bill, and why the legislature was key to the entire process.

The show airs on Sunday, May 20th, 8:30 p.m. on Olelo Channel 54.  It repeats on the same channel, Monday, May 21st and May 28th, both dates at 1:00 p.m.

Or, watch it here:

Jordan's Journal - Charleen Aina, Part 1

Charleen Aina, State Deputy Attorney General, was the lead state attorney on the recent OHA settlement case, in which the state has agreed to transfer 25 acres of prime Kakaako Makai land valued at over $200 million to OHA - the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.  The agreement, signed into law as Act 015, resolves all disputes and controversies relating to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs' portion of income and proceeds from the Public Trust Lands between November 7, 1978 and June 30, 2012.

Rep. Jo Jordan talks with Aina on the next Jordan's Journal.  Aina has been with the Attorney General's Office since 1976 and has worked on a variety of high profile state issues.  It was through her assignment with the Governor's Office that she started to learn about the complex settlement.  You can watch Part I here, or on Olelo, Channel 54, Monday, May 14th, at 1:00 p.m.



According to Aina, in order to understand the settlement, you do have to go back to 1978 when Hawaii had its last constitutional convention.  The adoption of a section to the Constitution specifying the State's obligation to the native Hawaiian people, per the Admissions Act, when Hawaii became a state, was at the heart of the now past dispute.

As usual, the time flew by, so Rep. Jordan asked Aina to stay for a second taping resulting in Part II.  Part II with Charleen Aina airs later in May.  Stay tuned.

Rep. Jo Jordan's April 2012 Newletter

Rep. Jordan Newsletter April 2012

Waianae Coast Flood Mitigation Meeting Broadcast Dates

On March 28, Rep. Jo Jordan (Waianae, Makaha, Makua) held a Waianae Legislative Town Meeting on Flood Mitigation. This interactive informational briefing was a follow-up to an initial meeting held on September 29, 2011. 


Representatives from various government agencies briefed attendees on the results of community cleanup efforts, the impact of the March 2012 storms, and the common sources of flooding.  They also spoke on the near-term (to be completed within 1 year), mid-term (to be completed in 1-5 years), and long-term (to be completed in more than 5 years) flood mitigation projects.

Lawmakers shared information about pending capital improvement projects, such as the Puhawai Road Drainage Improvements.  Rep. Jordan requested and secured  about $2 million in general obligation bond funds - $150,000 for planning, $350,000 for design and $1.5 million for construction. Rep. Jordan, Rep. Karen Awana, and Sen. Maile Shimabukuro informed the audience on a number of bills relating to flood mitigation that will benefit Leeward Oahu if passed.

The meeting may be viewed online at Rep. Jordan's Vimeo account, or on Olelo on the following dates and times:

                                          Monday              04/23/2012        8:00 PM           VIEWS 54

                                          Tuesday             04/24/2012        8:00 AM           FOCUS 49

                                          Friday                04/27/2012        1:30 PM            FOCUS 49

                                          Sunday              04/29/2012        10:00 AM          VIEWS 54                                  

Waianae High School's Searider Productions Earns Distinction

Waianae High School's Searider Productions program has been named an Apple Distinguished Program for its use of Macs, MacBooks, iPads, and Apple software. Through the implementation of Apple technology, students have been provided with innovative and highly interactive learning opportunities that focus on mastering contemporary digital media and computer technologies. Students are able to explore areas such as video production, internet journalism & social media, graphic arts & design, 2D & 3D computer modeling, and interactive media creation & design. 

The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that are recognized centers of educational excellence and leadership. The selection of Waianae High School's Searider Productions highlights its successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful, innovative implementations of technology.

A key organizational principle is the integration of real-world work assignments into the learning experience and formal curriculum. Students have had the opportunity to work on projects for private, public, and non-profit organizations. Students have also entered various digital media contests and have been recognized locally and nationally for their work.

Although the Searider Productions program is constantly growing and incorporating new and innovative approaches to stay current, it always remains true to its roots and its ultimate goal of preparing students for success in school, work, and life. Through the implementation of innovative Apple technologies, students are able to showcase their digital media skills and are better prepared for higher education, employment and entrepreneurship in digital media-related industries.

Rep. Jo Jordan (Waianae, Makaha, Makua) recently spoke with Candy Suiso, Executive Director of Searider Productions, on an episode of Jordan's Journal. The episode may be viewed below and on Rep. Jordan's Vimeo account.

Waianae Legislative Town Hall Meeting

Rep. Jo Jordan recently held a Lawmakers Listen, where she was joined by House leadership in briefing her constituents on what has taken place in the current legislative session and to field questions from the community. The event, which was held in Waianae, had a tremendous turnout and can be viewed on the following dates and times:

Wednesday, April 11 at 2:00 PM on FOCUS 49

Friday, April 13 at 6:00 PM on VIEWS 54

Monday, April 16 at 11:00 AM on FOCUS 49

You can also watch the meeting online via Rep. Jordan's Vimeo site: 

Jordan's Journal: Kamuela Enos

There is a lot of talk about supporting local agriculture, encouraging young people to farm, and revitalizing economies in impoverished areas. Kamuela Enos, Director of Social Enterprise for Ma'o Organic Farms, is doing all of those things and more on O'ahu's west side.

Rep. Jo Jordan hosts Mr. Enos on the next episode of Jordan's Journal, where they discuss some of the truly amazing, revolutionary things taking place at Ma'o. The farm gained a great deal of notoriety when First Lady Michelle Obama made several visits to the farm during APEC. You may also recognize their produce from top restaurants like Roy's, Alan Wong's, Chef Mavro, Town, and Prima. Ma'o products are available for sale in Whole Foods, Down to Earth, Foodland, several farmers markets across O'ahu, and through a weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Box.

Producing local, organic, healthy, and delicious fruits and vegetables is only part of the story of Ma'o. The 501(c)(3) non-profit is operated by interns from the Wai'anae area. Mr. Enos explains their internship program, which includes 100% tuition assistance for Leeward Community College and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, monthly stipends, and matching interns savings account contributions 2:1.

Mr. Enos discusses the "culture of college" Ma'o is creating in a place where 90% of youth don't complete a year of college. Ma'o firmly believes that "poverty is an attitude" and is working directly with the youth to overcome the dysfunction and disconnection to the land that has crippled the leeward side of O'ahu.

Ma'o stands as an example of what the future of Hawai'i could be and serves as an inspiration to us all. Please tune in to Olelo Channel 54 this Sunday, April 1 at 8:30 pm and learn more about what's taking place in the Lualualei Valley. The episode will be rebroadcast on Monday, April 2 and Monday, April 9 at 1:00 pm.

Episode 15 - Kamuela Enos of MA`O Organic Farms from Jo Jordan on Vimeo.

Rep. Jo Jordan's March 2012 Newsletter

Rep. Jordan Newsletter March 2012

Lawmakers Listen with Rep. Jo Jordan

This past Wednesday, Rep. Jo Jordan welcomed House leadership to her community in Waianae for a Lawmakers Listen Town Hall Meeting. Speaker Calvin Say, Vice Speaker Joey Manahan, Majority Leader Pono Chong, Finance Chair Marcus Oshiro, Economic Revitalization & Business Chair Angus McKelvey, and Rep. Sharon Har made the trip to Oahu's leeward side. There was a strong turnout with 50 people from the Waianae area participating in the forum. Half of the attendees filled out a feedback form and their responses have been compiled here.

The meeting was an overwhelming success, showcasing the political awareness of the Waianae community. Questions and comments from the community members in attendance were insightful, relevant, and heart-felt. In addition to bringing up issues ranging from the proposed state bank to the OHA Kaka'ako land settlement, five individuals used the opportunity of having face time with lawmakers to personally thank Speaker Say for having a significant, positive impact on their lives.

It was a great night for the Waianae community as well as the House leadership who made it to Waianae District Park last Wednesday evening.