My name is Erin McLaughlin. I was born and raised in Michigan were I attended college at Central Michigan University. I got a BS in Special Education. Immediately after graduation, I moved to Maui where I taught at Baldwin High for 11 years until I decided that it was time to move on. When I got out of education, getting involved in politics was really the last thing on my mind. I honestly just wanted to sit on the beach in Kihei an rent Jet Skis all day. It seemed like a pretty simple idea and many tourists I talked to really wanted to have something like that down there. But the county and the state would not issue permits or allow it in any way.
That made no sense to me. You would think that in a time of economic hardships a new business would be welcome. It turned out that special interests were behind it. They did not want thrill crafts in the waters. They claimed that they would pollute the ocean and be harmful to whales. I was puzzled at how such a small vessel is more harmful than all those huge boats. Plus something this small would not hurt a whale especially with a jet engine and not a propeller one. Jet engines are actually better on the ocean than propellers.
So I really was at a standstill at what to do. I did not get why the government would be so against somebody wanting to live the American dream. Isn't that better than living off assistance? I really researched the matter and discovered that Hawaii was one of the least business friendly states in the nation. I talked to so many people who tried to start businesses but couldn't. That is when I realized that this problem was much bigger than just thrill crafts.
I was always taught that America was the land of opportunity, not the land of "you don't have a permit for that." While I understand that Hawaii is not mainland, it is still United States. I always believed in the free market capitalism that built this nation and allowed it to become a superpower. I always believed that it was our system of free enterprise that built this country and not the government.
So something about this was just wrong. I am a devout Christian and I prayed every night that somebody in our government do something. Then I realized that I was praying for somebody else to do something that God was calling me to do myself. So I made a late entry in the Maui County Council race that year. I knew that I had entered too late to really make an impact, but I could at least get in a public forum and voice all my concerns. Don Guzman, Democrat, won that race but to his credit is working on a bill to change the permitting process and invited me to come look at it.
Beyond that one issue, I see a lot of problems in this state. I see a society that has become way too dependent on government assistance programs instead of making their own way. Nothing makes me more ill than when I hear a mother at Foodland tell her son that he has to take advantage of his EBT. What kind of values are those?
I also see a state where cost of living is ridiculously high. Gas cost almost $5.00 a gallon. Vehicle registration is almost $300. This is a state ruled by Democrats who are supposedly about helping the poor. I feel that if you are requiring somebody to have that vehicle registration in order to drive that car, than it ought to be free or at least reasonably affordable for everybody.
Finally, the governor called a special session of legislature to redefine the definition of marriage. The problem with that is that it violates church's rights. As a Christian, I have a problem with that. A church should have the right to decide who they will or won't marry. The government should have stayed out of it.
This past election season I had the privilege of serving as Campaign Chairperson for Cranston Kapoi. He is a great man of God and the people really liked him. I learned so much from working with Cranston. The most important thing I learned was that we have to get candidates that the people want to vote for. He was a first time candidate coming from his own carpentry business to challenge Speaker Joe Souki. That was no easy task but we did capture a third of the the vote and I know Cranston can do even better next time.
The reason I want to do this is because of my five kids (Lance, Neil, Xian, Brady, and Chloe). I do not want them to grow up and not have the opportunities in Hawaii because of this kind of government. I don't want that for other people's kids either. Also, I refuse to sit back and wait for somebody else to do what I believe God has called me to do.
My goal is real simple. I want to find candidates that the people want to vote for. I don't believe for one minute that the people of Maui and Hawaii are happy with the Democrats. The low voter turnout tells me that. But that low turnout also tells me that the people don't see the Republicans as a better choice. That is what we need to change.
On top of finding good local candidates, I really want to get behind whomever the next GOP candidate for President is. I will support whomever it is but I am really a big supporter of Dr. Ben Carson. He is not afraid to call a spade a spade. His ideas are really good especially for health care. His story is one of inspiration and I really think he is the GOP's best chance at beating Hillary.
Over the coming weeks, I will unveil some of the ideas I have for moving this party forward and starting to win elections.
