FACE Oahu’s Issues for 2010

On Sunday, April 11, 125 members of FACE’s Oahu Chapter came together at our Issues Dialogue to narrow down the concerns we will take up beginning this year.  This was the culmination of the 40+ house meetings and surveys which were conducted throughout our Oahu member organizations over the last three months.

Education, specifically the issue of Furlough Fridays, was our community’s biggest concern.  The issues of affordable housing and economic development were also considered highly important, and they received the next largest tally of votes. For Education and Economic Development, FACE Oahu will be forming task forces to begin the issues cutting process.

Immigration, especially the issue of family reunification, emerged as an issue of great concern in our talk story sessions as well as in this Issues Dialogue. Since FACE Maui has taken the issue of Immigration on as one of its main concerns, we have decided to make this the first Statewide FACE issue.

Matters regarding the environment and sustainability also came up in several of our house meetings.  Although this subject area was not selected for action, land use will be included under the scope of the Affordable Housing task force.

The gathering was also a celebration of our victories on healthcare both locally and nationally.  FACE members worked tirelessly in support of national healthcare reform, as well as securing the passage of a bill requiring greatly increased transparency from health insurance providers contracting with the State for Medicaid services.  As we prepare to move on to our new slate of issues, we are continuing to work to ensure the passage of HB 1642 prohibiting tax rebates to for-profit health insurers for Medicaid contracts .

We will present our issues agenda to candidates for public office at our Accountability Assembly on Saturday, June 26, and ask them to commit to working with us in creating a better future for the people of Hawaii.