Considering the county election office......

[Rob Tucker]

Considering the county election office in the primary and cries for the Council Chairman Dominic Yagong to resign due to his possible conflict and influence over the election process......

Is anyone going to wonder about the current elections staff, loyalists of Billy Kenoi, having influence on Kenoi's winning by a small margin?

Ken? I'm thinking of you.

[Guest]

Actually Rob, No - I do not.

First, I am not a Billy supporter. As far as I am concerned, I think he is still the same punk in a bar looking to pick a fight as he was years ago. I don’t trust him as far as I could physically throw him.

Now to further clarify, I did not support Harry either.

I would imagine if Billy LOST to Harry by the same number of votes Harry actually lost to Billy; Billy would be screaming lawsuits and recounts all day and night long.

Although, I still feel Harry would have been a better alternative than Billy.

Now, as far as the elections staff, I never felt there was any credibility issue there in the first place. With the “old” wrongly terminated staff and now with the “new” staff. Further, as the public record reflects, there was never any form of “credibility” issue concern of the “old” elections staff – even by the bellicose, arrogant and ignorant Chairman, and/or his grossly overpaid and much more grossly incompetent Clerk. It was “drinking on the job” and running a private business out of a County Warehouse.

Further, as we saw yesterday, when the election staff was presented with a competent, respected and respectful leader, the entire election went off without any form of issue.

Now, as far as what I suspect was Dominic’s original plan, I truly believe he did set out to put the elections office in turmoil, and I believe he wanted to put in a “loyalist” as the Chief Administrator. What he failed to realize was his Clerk, whom he charged with doing the “dirty” work was too much an idiot – and was the one who railroaded Dom’s original plans.

Then when the grossly inept Clerk screwed up the Primary to the point the Gov had to step in – and then the realization that ole bellicose Dom LOST – he just self-imploded.

So – no I don’t think there was any “gerrymandering” of the votes to elect Billy. And I think the elections office performed admirably – and without any form of wrong doing or conflict or influence. And I hope ALL of them had a good stiff drink at the end of a very long, stressful tiring day!

As for Tiffany and your immature little kindergarten jealously rant as to her possibly becoming Billy’s Exec Assistant – who is “more dirty?” Billy for offering the job, or Tiffany for taking it?

As for my opinion, I think Tiffany would make an excellent Executive Assistant or even Managing Director for this County and any Mayor elected. But I think Tiffany’s true calling will eventually be the County Council.

Now, I am wondering why you have a knack at blaming the baby for being born instead of the parents who created it???

[hikatz]

Ken, I don't agree with your take on the County election office, there has been problems in the past! Jamae Kawauchi and Dominic Yagong with good intentions, tried to straighten out the "alleged" shenanigans that were supposed to have gone on. So this would be a FAIR HONEST ELECTION.
My opinion if the election process was still bent in this County, I believe Lincoln Ashida would have won instead of Mitch Roth!

Estimates, Harry Kim raised in small donations less than $20,000 to Billy Kenoi's almost $600,000!

For the little campaigning Harry Kim did, the closeness of the race speaks volumes of how well liked and respected he still is! Unfortunately to many of the newcomers to the Island he was still an unknown! That is why I think he lost!

[Guest]

What were those problems and when, where and how have they been publically disclosed?

And if there was definite election "rigging" going on - why was that not disclosed to the public?

The only thing disclosed to the public was "drinking on the job" and running a side business out of a County Warehouse.

Now, as for terminating ANY employee - be it government or private sector, there are laws that prevent that from due only to "allegations."

That is why 3 of the 4 terminations had already been reversed and ordered reinstated.

So is this what we have become? When our candidate loses, we blame the election workers?

You and Rob are now sounding like Donald Trump!

Watch and see – “taxedtodeath” will eventually lead right to Dominic Yagong!

[Rob Tucker]

One memorable example was back in 2000. Steve Hirakami was running against Gary Safarik for Puna council. As of midnight on election night Hirakami was leading by a chunk. Steve H. got tired and went home. Everyone was wondering why the ballots from HPP hadn't arrived. It eventually took over eight hours for those ballots to make their way from HPP to Hilo. Miraculously the next morning Steve Hiakami lost and Gary Safarik won.

In those days the council was not nonpartisan. Steve Hirakami was Green party and Gary Safarik was Democrat. Hilo did not want a Green Party council member.

As for the current mess.... I think that there is enough evidence of misdeed for everyone to be curious about how those primary precincts failed to be supplied to open in time. Jamae Kawauchi did not physically cause those apparent errors. I think it was union payback, nothing more.

[Guest]

Yes, I do remember this situation vaguely.

So, ole Dom laid in wait a full decade plus 2 to make his move?!?

This entire mess is at the feet of two - soon to be and greatly deserved - unemployed tax paid people.

PERIOD!

They made this "baby" you desire to blame for its birth!

[Kelena]

The problem is not whether a given candidate might benefit from the problems in the elections office, the problem is that the public's confidence in the result, whatever the result, can be weakened when the elections office loses it credibility, as it has done this year. The problem isn't the loss of a particular candidate, but the loss of confidence that occurs when the elections office is run in such a chaotic, vindictive and political way that a man actually keels over and dies from it as a result.

There was a problem, as I have said all along. There still is. I am glad the state took over and have more confidence in the way the election was handled as a result. Although it wasn't handled perfectly, it was handled with integrity. That's the difference.

[Rob Tucker]

Yeah Ted, That sounds great. But please consider this.....

Billy Kenoi's financial supporters are the unions, developers, contractors, engineers and big business.

My expectation at this point is that we will see...

Geothermal expansion with minimal regulations and oversight.

GMO expansion with minimal regulations and oversight.

Public lands placed in private development.

Union geared improvements at 3 to 4 times the cost of actual construction.

Puna will lose. Trying to get any equity from Kenoi on the Fuel Tax Revenue taken from our 750 miles of private roads without benefit to those roads will be a continuing battle.

Development of park lands for Puna will proceed at a snails pace with union costs consuming available dollars.

Have a nice day.

[Frank]

my goodness pohoated, i feel better now that there's a lot of good stuff for the BI, billy is connected, in our future. seems to me that story was taken from his previous win. where oh where did the last 4 years go?

[Frank]

scuse me pahoated, not pohoated