Military
The military is important to Hawai‘i’s economy, and, as with any other sector of the economy, we have to be careful to make sure the benefits of any particular project outweigh the costs to Hawai‘i’s people. We cannot simply assume that any proposal to increase the military’s activities in the state is automatically good. Rather, we need to work with the military to identify proposals that take advantage of Hawai‘i’s unique assets without destroying them.
Makua is the Kaho‘olawe of our generation. With well over one hundred cultural sites and more than forty endangered species threatened by live-fire training, Makua is simply the wrong place for military activities. Major General Mixon, commander of the 25th Infantry Division, recently invited the State of Hawai’i to start negotiations over return of Makua to the people. As governor, I will take him up on that offer. Together, we can work to return Makua to culturally appropriate use.