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Been gone for a bit and am just back. So WHAT AND WHO are the issues for this election? Is there a page of summary statements or something? Othewise, can someone enlighten me here?
Pam
Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
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Aloha Pam,
There might be plenty of other views but to me the basic issue of this election is whether Hilo's dominance of the island politics is about to end or not. As most everyone knows there has been a long history of zero or spot planning in the districts and a pooling of resources and infrastructure in Hilo.
On the Mayoral side I believe Angel Pilago represents the force of community versus the old boy network. He has been very supportive of community planning and, most recently, voted forth a bill to allow a referendum on the issue of police priorities and marijuana. I think it speaks loudly that Angel and four other council members trust the people enough to allow them to decide the issue. So for this and several reasons I support Angel. Angel Pilago's positions and arguments are consistently morally based and in the best interest of the broadest number of people.
Also running for Mayor is Billy Kenoi. Billy is an East Side favorite son but has been dogged by heavy donations from Oahu and an incident in a bar in 2004 which doesn't bode well. Billy is extremely likable but seems to me to be part of the old boy network. He is a lawyer and has a troubled youth / up from his bootstraps history. Former assistant to Mayor Harry Kim. The Hilo lawyer guild are betting on Billy.
On the Council District 5 race Emily Naeole is facing heavy competition. She has been involved in a series of losing council efforts which have had her voting in block with Hilo. Power bases are shifting. Hilo is now losing. Emily has also been embarrassed by a continuing series of ethical complaints illustrating her general lack of respect for anyone who does not agree with her. Two strong candidates for her office are Kale Gumapac, a Hawaiian activist who I support and can bring back respect for Hawaiians in government. Also running is Wayne Joseph, a former teacher and ethics commissioner who would likely do well in office. I prefer Kale over Wayne because of the different manner in which they understand and embrace issues. On the marijuana/police referendum for example Wayne Joseph says he would have voted against it. He seemed unclear on the concept of letting the people decide and seems to think the council vote was in favor of marijuana.... it wasn't - it was about letting the people decide. The distinctions matter.
State House District 4 has Emily's cousin, Faye Hanohano, getting challenged across the board by two dems and one repub. Faye has been our "hermit House rep". Rarely seen and more rarely heard from she has developed zero footprint in the job. I saw her last night at a forum and (considering I go to LOTS of meetings over the years) it was actually only the second time I have ever seen her face.
Fred Blas, a republican retired businessman, is a hands on, can do guy with lots of local cred. Fred is a pistol but is old school in the sense he likely has a typewriter at home instead of a computer. That might be an exaggeration but internet and email are new to him. By contrast there is a bright eyed 23 year old named Anthony Marzi. Anthony is a locally raised whiz kid who has some impressive experience and tech savvy for his age. Youth and savvy and energy may put him in office. Also running is Steve Sparks. Steve is a bearded Santa of good nature and keen perception. At this point in the race I think that Anthony Marzi is gaining serious momentum but all three challengers would serve Puna better than Hanahano has.
There is an 'old school' of politics here that is beginning to crumble. The Good Old Boys and "waiting your turn" are getting pushed aside by community activism. In the plantation days people here largely voted how they were told or lost their jobs. That is being replaced, we hope, this election year.
That's my summary. Hope it helps. Now all those who think I just blew it and disparaged their favorite candidate please feel free to give your views....
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Assume the best and ask questions.
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Rob's done a pretty good job of laying it out as far as the scenery.
Certainly, this election year is shaping up to offer a chance at a genuine turning point. With the current Mayor two-termed out, no clear bloc swinging influence in the Council or anywhere else, a seriously big wave of newly registered voters, and rising participative-activism in general (as evidenced by PCDP, various petition initiatives over the past year, and the large number of candidates seeking office) the conditions for change are actually pretty well set.
One of Rob's points that I must defer from is Mr Gumapac. My comments are political, not personal. Kale Gumapac is smart, well educated, and seems to have a fire in his guts for taking on something that is wrong -- if he could only connect his vociferous dissatisfaction with the world's problems to some sound ideas about how to make Puna's part of the world better.
IMHO, Mr Gumapac is more on about complaining and take offense than workable solutions to make life better for Puna.
As for, "bring back respect for Hawaiians in government", there is no lack of people who complain about injustices to Hawaiians (that is easy with plenty of examples); what is less common and has brought lasting respect are those who do something about it and do so with finesse, clarity, and persistence, not just bluster and blame.
We all know and live the problems everyday.
What we need is to elect someone who demonstrates the ability to think about and do something about do-able solutions.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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I think that James is entitled to his opinion regarding Kale Gumapac. I see things a bit differently. For one thing Kale is a product of the Hawaiian community and they do indeed have things to complain about. I personally sense that Kale does more than complain and suspect some of the ill feeling James currently possesses is due to some strident Kanaka Council (of which Kale is a member) testimony at some hearings. Shouting was involved. It may be that my use of the word "strident' is a euphemism for loud and demanding. It may be that that is what it takes sometimes.
Personally I feel that this is a Hawaiian District of Hawaii County in the State of Hawaii and it is more than highly appropriate for us to have native Hawaiians in government. I don't expect Hawaiians to approach testimony as anything but what they are.... an imposed on people who have been abused by too many for too long. I try to be circumspect.
Kale is able to cross that bridge though and work effectively with an overbearing houle from the mainland like me. As I said earlier I don't agree with every position of Kale's. I don't need to. I am as prepared to learn from him as he is prepared to learn from me.
Emily has not exhibited an ability to grow into her council job. Kale has proven to me that he not only can but will.
So James, keep your mind open, talk to Kale and try to bridge the gap. Kale will try too. That's my prediction.
To keep on this subject Angel Pilago is an impressive individual. He has cultural and moral bearings which serve him, an will serve us, very well indeed. Angel is a native Hawaiian and has proven clearly his abilities on and off council. I am very pleased to have him as our mayor. I urge everyone who is not familiar with Angel to look closely.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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I was at the latest forum yesterday, and it was almost too much to take in. In two and a half hours, we had three Council candidates, three mayoral candidates (two and a quarter if you consider one got there very late,) and four State House candidates. While it was interesting to see the cross-over between state and local issues, the format made is somewhat hard to get into depth or cover a wide range of issues. It didn't help that there was no consistent time limit imposed on responses. Still, there was a lot to be learned, and I'm glad I went.
State House of Representatives:
It was my first face-to-face encounter with Fay Hanohano, and I was not overly impressed. She spent a lot of time talking about how hard it has been for her to get anything done and a lot of time agreeing with other candidates who had policy initiatives to propose. Ms. Hanohano seems like a very nice person, but her background is in State government and a public employees union. That does not seem like a recipe for change to me. Mr. Sparks was congenial, informed on the issues, and willing to try new ideas. It was Anthony Marzi, however, who really impressed me. His policy positions are to my liking, he has high energy, and he is proposing innovative methods to keep the citizens informed and involved in the decision making process. Mr. Marzi gets my nod in this race, and his previously mentioned lack of public speaking skill was not evident. Mr. Blas is indeed an energetic go-getter who has demonstrated an ability to accomplish things in his community by eliciting grass-roots participation from his neighbors. Because the House race is partisan, and Mr. Blas is the only Republican running, he will face whomever among Mr. Marzi, Mr. Sparks, and Ms. Hanohano get the most votes in the primary. Should Ms. Hanohano get the Democratic nomination, I plan to vote for Mr. Blas in the General Election.
Mayor:
Angel Pilago was the only one of the "big four" in the Mayoral contest to attend the forum. He once again has shown a keener interest in Puna than some of our home-grown politicians. On the Council, he has done a better job of representing Puna's interests than our own Councilwoman. In the Mayoral race, he has shown up at more events in Puna than our Kalapana native Billy Kenoi. This gentleman is our best hope for breaking out of the "good old boy" stranglehold on island politics. I have met Billy Kenoi, and I sincerely feel like he is the "new and improved, smooth-talking, loaded with empty catch-phrases" incarnation of the good old boys. Ms. Inouye should have stayed in the State Senate instead of running on her lack-luster experience as mayor 16 years ago. Stacy Higa is the head of the Hilo bloc in the current council and has been accused of thuggish behavior on several occasions. Jasper Moore, who was at the Kalani forum, is so off the wall that I would probably vote for him as a protest if we did not have a decent serious choice. Mr. Borozzo (sp.?) was there, but I don't know why. He got there late and didn't say much.
County Council:
I share James Weatherford's concerns about Kale Gumapac. I agree with several of Mr. Gumapac's views, but still find the anger coming through. Some of his postings here on Punaweb have shown this. Yes, there are plenty of things to be angry about, especially if you are Native Hawaiian, but he should take a cue from Mr. Pilago and propose positive initiatives and inclusiveness as a way of dealing with it instead of constantly saying "no more." Wayne Joseph was there yesterday, and he continues to impress with his ethical perspective. I even found his opposition to the "peaceful skies" initiative refreshing. The crowd obviously overwhelmingly supported it, and so do I, but I respect him for staying true to his own beliefs instead of going along with the flow. Kaniu Stocksdale was there, and once again seemed way out of her league. She is very nice, and her hand gestures demonstrated her hula skills. I would really like to see her dance sometime. Emily Naeole and Gary Safarik did not show up, and I have commented on them recently in the council thread. I still have not decided which of Emily Naeole's opponents to vote for, but I guess I will have to soon.
Another super-long post. Oh well, there's a lot going on here.
Cheers,
Jerry
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Pam, I cant add more to the opinions except to say it is going to be a more eventful fall that we have had in the last few past elections years! From the presidential elections on down.
The big boys are now starting their hand to hand (mouth to media?) combat and the Big Island is way ahead of that curve already. Stay tuned for the exciting new season!
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SORRY -- SCREWED UP THE OTHER TWO POSTS [B)] (can they be deleted?)
Here's what I was trying to say [:o)]
Rob,
Your suspicions have betrayed you. That is, you are 100% wrong:
quote:Originally posted by Rob Tucker
I personally ... suspect some of the ill feeling James currently possesses is due to some strident Kanaka Council (of which Kale is a member) testimony at some hearings.
My concern has zero to do with any testimony.
My view is a lot wider and longer than that -- a lot.
Except that this is only politics, I'd ask for an apology.
At least please widen and lengthen your view on everything you posted.
Rather, the concern is a pattern of shallow knee-jerk responses to issues and an overall lack of a clear idea what the job is all about other than just as a soapbox to make noise from -- a concern echoed elsewhere by people here and at Hunter's site, who recognize a need for a cool head and coalition-builder on the Council no matter what DNA is inside.
As I have said before about Kale and a blessed lot of other good folks in Puna, they have smarts and passion that we all need working for the good of this fine place and we the people. The County Council is just not where all that work is to be done, and the nature of the work to be done there requires some particular skills that I do not see in Mr Gumapac.
Rob, Here's my perspective, so that you will not have to rely on your suspicions:
In previous professional contexts I have served on selection committees for hiring new employees.
While on Council staff, it was my good fortune (in life experience, not monetary pay!) to watch many Council and Committee sessions and see who got things accomplished and how, and who were not successful and why.
That is where I first came to learn about Angel Pilago and Stacy Higa.
Based on what I saw and learned about succeeding on the Council and what I've experienced in selecting new hires, along with everything I have seen in this campaign, There is just no way that I could recommend hiring Kale Gumapac for County Council -- he does not sufficiently fill all of the qualifications.
To my knowledge, he has the personal integrity -- the most important qualification for which there is NO substitute.
To my observation, Kale possesses sufficient education and experience and this is probably his greatest strength.
In neither of the above essential qualifications does Kale Gumapac stand out relative to other candidates.
It is third essential qualification for a successful candidate that does not allow me to recommend Mr Gumapac.
The successful candidate for this job must have a consciousness of the universe of persisting and emerging issues – both opportunities and threats -- facing the County in the coming 2 to 8 years; and a fundamental grasp of the nature of alternatives available and the role and tasks of the County Council in addressing those same issues.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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Well James, Then we shall continue to agree to disagree.
I still say keep an open mind. Kale may very well be your councilman this next two years.
And.... in most things in life - two out of three ain't bad. You need to realize you could be wrong on item #3.
You did say you are voting for Emily, which is your right and judgment call.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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James try the little grey trash can next to the edit/reply icons on the post you want to delete.
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James, to delete a post, log in and go to the post in question. In the bar that extends across the top of the post with the time and date in it, there are a series of boxed icons. One of these, the last, has a garbage can. Click that and the troublesome post will go away. After you have done your corrections, I will trash-can this post.
Cheers,
Jerry
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