Originally Posted by shaggadelic

Hi, to whom it may concern


I am wanting to ask a question to all the canidates. What are your thought on the issue of our race track being taken away. I am 21 yrs old and I love cars. I need to know what you are going to do for us, the race community. Are you gonna get us our tracks back? Make a new one? Right now there is a fairly great amount of street racing going on and this was caused by our politicians not passing a tax credit to a world class facility which would have brought more revenue for our islands. Instead they gave tax credits to the Ko'olina aquriam because they say that will bring more tourist. This track is a big issue for my generation and I know if we don't get a race track there will be more deaths due to street racing and you only have the politicians to blame in my eyes. The reason being is that one of my good friends was arrested for street racing and I had to bail him out of jail on a friday night. A night that if we had a race track he would of never got into trouble for racing. He would have been at the tracks. Please let me know your thoughts. Remember WE ARE THE FUTURE not the people in there 50's and 60's, no offense. You guys have told me that all my life, and if this is true PROVE IT!!!



Undecided Voter,
Santiago D.

Originally Posted by ed case

September 18, 2006

Dear Santiago:

Thank you very much for contacting me regarding my position on
race track driving. Yes, you are the future and the fact that you
wrote to me regarding something you care deeply about is a
positive step in my view.

As you noted in your e-mail, there are many tax or economic
incentives that can be given to businesses, including to a business
interested in building of a world class race track facility here in
Hawaii. Such incentives are determined primarily by county and
state officials who also determine the regulations, including
restrictions, if any, related to the use of private, county, or state
lands. There is no federal involvement on race track driving unless
the lands in question are federal or the non-federal lands would
require an environmental impact statement to comply with national
environmental laws. There are federal grant or loan opportunities
available for businesses or economic development projects, but
such opportunities would have to be sought by the proponents of
the race track project. If asked, I would be more than willing to
support such a request .

For now, the most effective way for you to have your voice heard
on this issue would be to contact Governor Linda Lingle, Mayor
Mufi Hannemann, and your local and state representatives.
Although you can write individually, critical mass also makes a
difference so if you have friends who care about race track driving
as much as you do, it may be helpful to organize yourselves.

I appreciate your sharing your thoughts with me. Please know that
I do care about what you think and believe that your participation
in an issue that means a lot to you is important. Let me know if I
can be of further assistance to you.

With aloha,




ED CASE
United States
Congressman
Hawaii,
Second District

Originally Posted by dan akaka

Dear Santiago: We received your email to Senator Akaka. Senator Akaka understands the need and importance of recreational activities for younger voters. He will speak with the city and state leaders who are involved in the race track issue, and express his desire to have this issue resolved properly.



We hope that you and your friends will consider voting for Senator Akaka. We appreciate that you took the time to get in touch with us, and we are happy to answer any other questions you have about Senator Akaka or the campaign.



Very truly yours,



Andy Winer

Campaign Manager

Akaka in 2006

Originally Posted by DTO808

Great job on the letter and I hope that it does pull through to open up tracks!

BTW I don't think Akaka wrote that second letter...but then again if he received it and didn't respond that's also something to consider.

Originally Posted by Richard Noah Hough

Dear Santiago D*******,

Hear me out but first a disclosure:

First, if anyone dies because of street racing it is their fault not a politicians. Personal responsibility.
Second, if any pedestrian dies because two people are racing they will go to jail for manslaughter, and again that is blood on their hands.
Third, as a candidate for the U.S. Congress a local race track would not be a federal concern - HOWEVER

You are sort of correct. You cannot encourage a race track to be develop in Hawaii and then just pull the carpet from under the participants feet. Especially racing. I agree that a substitute track needs to be developed, as it also gives the police even more credibility when they argue in court why someone racing on the streets should be punished. I also agree with your anger over one of the reasons for closure - tourist dollars. Perhaps Hawaii should start catering to its own residents and less so to visitors - am I right?

Anyways, as one seeking a federal office (Congress), the only thing I would be willing to do is argue for public safety from a bully pulpit. I would not seek federal dollars for a track, but, instead encourage a new track or to maintain the old one.

Finally, don't always believe what an owner tells you. A few tax breaks would not have saved the track, its about profits and he wasn't making what he wanted out of the land and is seeking to push the blame on others to save face with his customers. We need a track, but, it must be profitable or nobody is going to bite.

Richard Noah Hough

Originally Posted by Randy Iwase

Randy Iwase for Governor
info@randyiwase.org
Thank you for your question. When Randy was a member of the Honolulu City Council and the State Senate, he supported a race track facility on Oahu. He continues with his support.

Originally Posted by Clayton Hee

Dear Mr. D*******:

Thank you for your email. I supported a new race track this past legislative session and although I was not a member of the legislature at the time I would not have supported the tax credit for the Ko’olina aquarium which has yet to be built. Thank you again.

Clayton Hee