(08-25-2025, 04:00 AM)HiloJulie Wrote: Harry Kim is 100% Hawaiian..
Harry is second generation Korean, who grew up in Olaa working at his family Kim Chee factory, and was a far better benevolent dictator, as head of CD, than he ever was a consensus builder as mayor. And even then, when he first got the CD gig in '77, he wasn’t all that good at it. You’ll note his first crisis as the director of CD was a lava flow, from Kiai, threatening Kalapana. And, back then, he played dictator with a heavy hand, and pissed the community off big time. So when he came back in 1990, with the lavas from Kupaianaha, he had worked out the bugs a bit. In other words he figured out how to get what he wanted while endearing himself to many in the community. But god help you if you were a woman left alone with him..
As to his time as mayor. Harry talked a good talk, but never really figured out how to walk. His handling of the TMT protests up on the saddle is a good example. Nice talk, but nothing came of it.
As to Hawaiian.. I mean, come on, he's Korean. But hey, by your measure my great grandkids, who are third generation born right here.. and speak much better on my behalf than Harry, are pureblood. And still, I don’t think a long winded, nationally oriented, opinion piece by any of them would get any more traction hereabouts. So why Harry? Because you were swayed by his charms?