One Day Special Election To Be Held - Puna

[David M]

Promises can be made, but the reality is neither will deliver. After 2016, either one will just be a Junior Senator with their WH connection gone, and that's only if elected in 2016. Once the few thousand votes are counted, Puna slides into the same oblivion as the rest of us.

David

Ninole Resident
Please visit vacation.ninolehawaii.com

[missydog1]

I decided to look at their records in Wikipedia. Both impressive experience.
Then I looked at the Controversies list on both.
This is for Hanabusa. Schatz has no controversy section.

quote:

---

Wikipedia
In 2002, when in the State Legislature, Hanabusa emerged as the leading advocate for legislation authorizing $75 million in tax credits for Ko Olina Resort, a move she declared necessary to spur development for the Leeward area, but which others saw as a reward for a close associate and political backer, Ko Olina developer Jeff Stone. When Governor Ben Cayetano vetoed the tax credit bill, Hanabusa took the unprecedented step of suing to overturn the veto.[13][14]

Within months, Hanabusa's then-fiancŽ John Souza received a preferential deal in purchasing one of Stone's homes in Ko Olina. In February 2005, less than two years after Souza bought the home, he sold it for a $421,000 profit, according to real estate records. Souza and Hanabusa, who were engaged at the time and married in 2008, then bought a $1-million home in another Ko Olina subdivision developed by Centex Homes of Texas.[15]

The Ko Olina tax-credit legislation, intended to promote development of a Òworld-classÓ aquarium at the resort, expired after plans for the aquarium were abandoned. Ko Olina Resort eventually returned the tax credit, but the Lingle Administration and Hanabusa disagreed on how to use the returned funds.[16]

While in Congress, Hanabusa was called a "loan shark" by the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington for abusing her position to pay herself excessive interest payments to settling her campaign debt. Hanabusa's spokesperson stated these interest payments were merely repayment of a bank loan.[17]

When Rep. Glenn Wakai introduced legislation to prevent the eating of dogs and cats, Hanabusa refused to hold hearings on it in the Senate Judiciary Committee, preventing it from passing.[19]

---

quote:

---

Ballotpedia
Controversy

HanabusaÕs deputy chief of staff, Christopher Raymond, in an e-mail sent June 28 discussed that the nationÕs top drug lobby had agreed to run a campaign supporting the congresswomanÕs challenge to Sen. Brian Schatz and wanted to coordinate it with her strategists.[42]

Such an effort could be in violation of campaign finance laws, which prohibit candidates and their staff from substantial discussions with interest groups about their independent political activities.[42]

Officials with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and HanabusaÕs campaign denied that the group had offered to run such an effort but acknowledged talks about a possible fundraiser for Hanabusa and about the state of the race in general.[42]

Campaign officials blamed the e-mail on a misinformed staffer, saying, "He made inaccurate assumptions about the type of help PhRMA could provide the campaign,Ó according to campaign spokesman Peter Boylan.[42]

Matt Bennett, a spokesman for PhRMA, said officials there did not offer to do a campaign on HanabusaÕs behalf, but that the group had ÒpreliminaryÓ discussions about hosting an industry fundraiser for Hanabusa through its political action committee.[42] He also said that a PhRMA lobbyist had spoken with Jennifer Sabas, a top Hanabusa campaign adviser, but that they had talked only about the state of the Democratic primary campaign in Hawaii.

Boylan echoed that, saying Sabas did not provide PhRMA with any information Òthat would constitute coordination in violation of the law.Ó[42]

PhRMA wants to unseat incumbent Brian Schatz because he supports legislation that would require drug makers to reinstate prescription drug rebates for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.[43][44] Hanabusa is opposed to the bill, and has signed a letter saying drug companies would pass on the cost of the rebate to consumers.[44]

---

Protecting the rights of people in Hawai'i to eat dogs and cats. Big Pharma's candidate. Shady support of Ko'olina resulting in real estate enrichment. "Called a "loan shark" by the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington" - I can't even pick what perturbs me the most here.

[Carey]

I posted a Logistic ? in Punatalk & will copy here, as this is in keeping with the initial topic of this thread:

"
Something has felt off about the upcoming election & I was almost asleep tonight when I realized what was bugging me...

There are 6,800 voters in the 2 precincts that are now supposed to all be voting on Friday at one location over 11 hours
that is over 600 voters per hour if every registered voter takes their right to vote, or
10 voters per minute

I have worked as an intake volunteer at polls in Keaau in the past, and never did we have 10 voters per minute every minute of the day.

Is this even possible to do?

even if only 1/2 of the voters show up, 5 voters per minute every minute is still higher than I remember seeing...

Does anyone know who could answer this logistics ?, or know of any precinct in Hawaii County (or state) that has been able to handle 6,800 registered voters in a day?

How many Office of Election staff personnel & volunteers are scheduled to work this Friday holiday?"

[HiloPuna]

Carey
Good questions. Good hearted concerns. But I'm afraid that the issue is so theoretical that its almost mystical, e.g. How many angels could fit on he head of a pin?
If 1/3 of the voters show up it will be a record turnout and may be the #1 precinct in the entire state. There are only two races to be decided, the only reason any attention is being paid is that the US Senate race is a multi-million dollar affair that is usually settled over the airwaves, not in the streets of Paradise Park.

KathyH
I had already forgotten about the scandal with the Hanabusa campaign at its formation this election. Thanks for the reminder. My beef with her ethically was her defense of the Bishop Estate trustees during that scandal. When she failed and they were forced to resign she then led the opposition to Margery Bronster's reappointment as AG in retaliation. In that she was successful, not to her credit.

[Carey]

We have seen first hand the "storm effect" of a snow storm that immobilized the entire Chicago area just before a primary, and the result... so I am not totally positive that the turnout will be usually low....


if enough people are pissed & see this as a way to have their say.... just would hope that the Office of Elections is ready for a best (for them, maybe worst) case scenario of a high percentage of the registered voters coming out to exercise their voting rights....

[missydog1]

It will be interesting, Carey. On one hand people complaining no one will be aware. OTOH a theoretical deluge I of voters.

I wish they had set it Friday after next.

HiloPuna, thanks for the info on the trust scandal. I didn't follow any of this when it happened, so I don't know the context for the Wiki listings. I posted them to see if people would maybe discuss and add details, just as you did.

[opihikao]

Carey, the news this morning stated there will be twelve (12) electronic machines, and people can also bring in their absentee ballots for collection. (*No link yet, it was on KGMB/HNN)

JMO.

[csgray]

HiloPuna said: "There are only two races to be decided, the only reason any attention is being paid is that the US Senate race is a multi-million dollar affair that is usually settled over the airwaves, not in the streets of Paradise Park."

Actually we have a county counselor's race to be decided too, and proponents of one of the candidates has been accosting people who are lined up to take showers at the pool and other aid stations to urge them to vote for their candidate because "Illagan's people can't get out to vote." When it happened to me I thought it was just a one time thing with an over enthusiastic supporter but it has happened to other people as well. I don't know if the candidate knows his supporters are so gleeful over people's misfortune, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth.

Carol

[davidr]

I believe the candidates have a chance to support Puna and take a stand on legislation that would help the entire country. They should champion a bill to eradicate invasive species. That would include Albizia trees, coqui frogs. little fire ants and the list goes on and on. Every state could benefit by this legislation!

[opihikao]

FYI: Puna in the New York Times

(*Snipped - More at link)

PUNA, Hawaii — Politics seldom intrudes on the easternmost district of the Big Island of Hawaii, a hard-to-reach paradise where the homes are nestled among lava-formed cliffs and the papaya and macadamia nut harvests loom larger than the machinations in Honolulu, let alone in Washington.

“Traditionally, Puna is the place time forgot,” said Dawn Hurwitz, 58, who has lived here for almost half of her life. “This is the Wild West.”

But nobody has forgotten about Puna this week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/us/rar....html?_r=0