Mayoral roundtable Thursday 9/4

[frankiestapleton]

Haven't seen much publicity for this event coming up tomorrow, Sept. 4 in Hilo at the former 7Seas Luau House, next to Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium and now called Aunty Sally's Luau Hale. The AAUW and LWV are sponsoring a free public roundtable forum with all 8 mayoral candidates (they've all confirmed they will attend...how many show up is another thing). Doors open at 6 p.m., with the program to begin at 6:30 p.m. It will be aired live on KPUA radio with Ken Hupp, and will be videotaped by Na Leo o Hawaii.

How it works is like this: 8 tables will be set up, with one of those designated for the media. Those from the public who want to ask candidates questions face-to-face will sit at one of the 7 remaining tables. All 8 candidates will start out on stage where they will be introduced and asked to talk for a few minutes on one main issue of their choosing. Then the candidates will each go to a table for questioning by the public at those tables. After a certain amount of time, the candidates will be asked to move to the next table. They will all rotate tables until they've been at all 8 tables (including the media questioners), then will return to the stage for a brief summation, and pau. Voter registration will also be available at the event.

This is free and open to the public (in fact, it goes nowhere without the public!) The organizers encourage the public to show up as close to 6 p.m. as possible if they want to be at a table. Other seating will be available for those who don't want to directly question the candidates.

Hope to see you there.

[james weatherford]

We went, saw Rob, and some other Puna-ites.
All the candidates seem to be running to keep from falling at this point. The stump speeches are well molded by now.
One candidate said it was their 14th event.
For me (and, probably most participants) this was the first opportunity to sit face-to-face with several candidates in the same place and time.

Issues raised (and candidate responses) were familiar:
transportation -- road congestion and safety, mass transit;
economic change;
energy and agriculture sustainability;
waste (only the noun form, nothing on the verb form);
mountain issues: depleted uranium and telescopes.

Two criteria rise above any specific issue position:
competence and independence.

Riley, Moore, and Pilago are independent.
Pilago, Higa, and (maybe) Kenoi are competent.
With only objective criticism intended, Inouye doesn't meet either criteria.

Angel Pilago for Mayor! competence and independence.



James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park

[Rob Tucker]

This was a very interesting affair. The method of having several tables of 10-12 people at which the candidates would, one by one, visit each table for 15 minutes was enjoyable and informative. The fifteen minutes went by fast. There was a tendency for various candidates to take the first question and give it a ten minute answer. While I have full praise for the organizers of the session the table moderators could have been more aggressive in making sure more questions got heard.

I wanted to ask Lorraine why my impression of the Democratic majority in Honolulu seems solely intent on status quo and the consumption of money might be wrong. I am not too impressed with her record as Senator. She will cite a number of very, very expensive government pork projects but makes zero mention of the roles she might have played in improving the track records of DLNR, DHHL, DOE, DOT Etc. With all the talk about trying to get our electric utilities to get off the oil gouge she seems oblivious to the fact that she was in a position to do something about that... and did not.

My impression of Stacy Higa improved some but not a a mayoral candidate. He has been too entrenched in Hilo life support for me to consider him. OTher council members, notaqbly Pilago, Hoffman, Yagong, Jacobson and Ford have shown an ability to think beyond their districts - something a mayor would need - no history of that with Stacy that I can see.

Jasper Moore has perfected the role of mayoral gadfly. Some, but not all, of his ideas and opinions ring with me. No sense of administrative qualifications but I believe he is pursuing a path of issues and being successful at that. I have hear the mantra of "the world as we know it is about to end" in the 1970's and 1980's... not in the 1990's... but again here in 2008. I think change is indeed coming and in serious ways, I also think we need to approach the challenges with optimism not pessimism.

Randy Riley was amiable and did not stray from his "what you see is what you get".

I enjoyed Billy Kenoi's talk time... he grabs issues and waves them about.... but I have not been able to overcome the simple fact that, as likable as he is, he is a lawyer with a bucket of money. That seems soooo familiar doesn't it?

Angel Pilago spoke clearly and openly about the need for self determination and home rule. That our communities are the center of our well being and future and government needs to trust the people. He has long demonstrated his belief in this and he maintains my support. Angel looks to our citizens and leaders to function cooperatively for the common good. His point regarding the new telescope centers on his faith in community and home rule... They do not ask us to have their telescope. This our home and we will have the say. Mahalo Angel. IF they ask us we might even say yes. But they have to ask first.

[james weatherford]

Good summation, Rob.

This description rang especially true for me: "...Lorraine ... seems oblivious..."; and, in my observation, about a lot more than only electricity.
For example, I asked what she as Mayor would do about road safety, pointing out that this County had the most dangerous roads in the sate.

The canned answer that came spilling out was about road building; and, yes, within the first fifty words was the word 'legislature'.

I (with a genuine attempt at politeness) gently interrupted and reiterated my question as addressing safety -- she became lost, and did a few minutes of rambling before someone mercifully rescued her with another question. It seemed that a question on road safety was not an issue about which she had practiced for -- a Ronald Reagan moment.


James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park