Trump's actions prompt surge in public forums as worries about cutbacks climb

Belatti said the Makiki town hall was just one example of community engagement. Up next for her is a forum set for Wednesday evening at Waiwai Collective on University Avenue.

“Our Kuleana: Fighting for Hawaiʻi’s Future,” which will focus on federal and state budget cuts, features Kai Kahele, chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees; Deb Zysman, Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network’s executive director; Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻopua, a UH Mānoa professor; Will White from Hawaiʻi Appleseed; and state Rep. Tina Grandinetti.

The forum will be moderated by state Rep. Ikaika Hussey. Echoing other lawmakers, he told Civil Beat the state is not only facing the likelihood of huge cuts to federal monies but also a reduced revenue stream locally.

“There’s the revenue that we’re no longer getting because of the tax reforms that were just passed in the last session,” he said. “So there’s a pretty hefty amount that we need to cover.”

That conversation, said Hussey, should include discussion of shifting away from depending on imports by growing the size of the local economy.