Hawaii Island Political Races

[BKHale2007]

For a discussion of the upcoming County Council, mayoral, and state legislative races. Also the congressional campaign on this island.

[pzarquon]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

How 'bout a brief rundown of the major races and declared candidates? (I mean, besides the formal list we'll be able to get at the Office of Elections website.) Which are the ones to watch? Who are the players already on the campaign trail?

I lived on the Big Island briefly, and hope to again soon, but never voted there, and haven't paid attention to much since the days of Keiko Bonk.

[BKHale2007]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

Headlining today's Hawaii Tribune-Herald is the announcement by former Hamakua County Councilman Dominic Yagong that he will run against Harry Kim for mayor. The article is not yet online, so allow me to share an excerpt with you.

Yagong said he is confident of victory despite joining the mayoral race somewhat late. "Believe me, we're entering this not to set up anything in the future. We're entering this to win," he said. "I've never played for second place."

My take on Harry Kim: the bloom is somewhat off the rose, but he is in no way another Stephen Yamashiro.
And I'll gather and post the names of candidates in all the aforementioned races. As for former candidates, Keiko Bonk is now on Oahu, where she heads the Japanese Cultural Center.

[BKHale2007]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

Rep. Eric Hamakawa not running for office. Andy Smith, Lingle's East Hawaii liaison, may run again (as he did in 2002).

http://starbulletin.com/2004/07/04/e...l/borreca.html

[BKHale2007]

Jimmy Arakaki Seeking Eighth Term on County Council

Today's Tribune-Herald has a front-page article on Hawaii County Council Chairman Jimmy Arakaki's seeking an eighth term in office. But he's being challenged by those who assert the candidacy violates term limits set forth in the County Council.

[mel]

Re: Jimmy Arakaki Seeking Eighth Term on County Council

I could not help but notice a lot of Mike Gabbard signs all over Hilo and along the Hamakua Coast into Honokaa when I arrived here for a week-long vacation.

[Konaguy]

Re: Jimmy Arakaki Seeking Eighth Term on County Council

I could not help but notice a lot of Mike Gabbard signs all over Hilo and along the Hamakua Coast into Honokaa when I arrived here for a week-long vacation.

UGH !!! The same thing happened in Kailua-Kona, but luckily there is some Ed Case signs that cropped up.

[mel]

Re: Jimmy Arakaki Seeking Eighth Term on County Council

Another thing I noticed, is almost a total lack of a mayoral campaign going on there. I saw zero Harry Kim signs, and a few Dominic Yagong signs and a banner around. I know Harry Kim is a low-key person, but it is kind of strange to know of such a high profile race and see almost no campaigning occuring in that race.

One race that has always seemed to be an underachiever on the Big Island is the race for County Prosecutor. I think the same guy has run for that seat for years, often unopposed, and gets elected by a landslide with hardly anything said or written about that race.

I think the anti-Gabbard forces don't have much to worry about, even though at least on the Big Island, Gabbard may be winning the race for lawn signs. The last poll indicated that Congressman Ed Case was very far ahead in this race.

[BKHale2007]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

One race that has always seemed to be an underachiever on the Big Island is the race for County Prosecutor. I think the same guy has run for that seat for years, often unopposed, and gets elected by a landslide with hardly anything said or written about that race.

I think that's Lincoln Ashida. The Councilman for my district, Michael Tulang, was appointed when Bobbie Jean Leithead-Todd resigned, but almost nothing is known about him. And, of course, Jimmy Arakaki gets re-elected again and again with little to no opposition. Things are changing this season: even the Tribune-Herald, in an editorial recently, suggested he resign.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

[I]
I think that's Lincoln Ashida.

Actually it is Jay Kimura.Lincoln Ashida is the County Corporation Council

[BKHale2007]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

My bad. The mayoral campaign is not hot yet but Yagong could be a formidable challenge.

[BKHale2007]

Profile of Mayoral Candidate Roger Christie

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/...ws/local01.txt

An excerpt

Believing that developers have enjoyed greater access to the County Council than Big Island residents, Christie favors concurrency legislation that would require developers to build up front new roads, schools and other infrastructure needed to sustain their projects.

Tighter restrictions are warranted to preserve the rain forest and even individual trees of distinction, Christie said.

"Just because you own it doesn't mean you get to kill it as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Some form of waste-to-energy incinerator will be needed to handle East Hawaii's garbage once the Hilo landfill becomes full in an expected two years and must be closed, he said.

But that facility, along with a similar one to be built in West Hawaii, are not enough, he said.

"I'd raise the consciousness of recycling so every molecule of so-called trash is reused in some way," said Christie, who added he supports construction of the proposed Hilo sorting station, a kind of super recycling facility.

But he's against hauling the garbage to the county's other landfill located near Waikoloa "because more trucks through Waimea is a bad idea."

[BKHale2007]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald's endorsements:

Mayor: Harry Kim

County Council District 1: Fred Holschuh

CC2: Mike Tulang

CC3: no endorsement

CC4: no endorsement

CC5: Gary Safarik

CC6: Bob Jacobson

CC7: no endorsement

CC8: no endorsement

CC9: Peter Hoffmann

[Miulang]

Re: Profile of Mayoral Candidate Roger Christie

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/...ws/local01.txt

An excerpt

Believing that developers have enjoyed greater access to the County Council than Big Island residents, Christie favors concurrency legislation that would require developers to build up front new roads, schools and other infrastructure needed to sustain their projects.

Tighter restrictions are warranted to preserve the rain forest and even individual trees of distinction, Christie said.

"Just because you own it doesn't mean you get to kill it as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Some form of waste-to-energy incinerator will be needed to handle East Hawaii's garbage once the Hilo landfill becomes full in an expected two years and must be closed, he said.

But that facility, along with a similar one to be built in West Hawaii, are not enough, he said.

"I'd raise the consciousness of recycling so every molecule of so-called trash is reused in some way," said Christie, who added he supports construction of the proposed Hilo sorting station, a kind of super recycling facility.

But he's against hauling the garbage to the county's other landfill located near Waikoloa "because more trucks through Waimea is a bad idea."

Now dis guy get one good coconut sitting on top his head! The opala problem is bad on ALL the islands. Pretty soon you going run out of space foa dump stuff. Maui get one really bad opala problem; even though it's free to drop stuff off at the Central Maui landfill, some loloheads dump opala on the roadside in front of the landfill! What kine dis, anyway? If da opala dump not open, why dey no can come back some other time? Really disgusting. And they used to blame da tourists for da opala. I tink sometimes da locals moa worse den da tourists!

The State of WA has one beeeeg landfill in da middle of da state dat's looking foa customers. You guys can always barge your garbage up hea...

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Hawaii Island Political Races

If one coconut stay on top my head I would look pretty lolo because the only way one coconut would stay on top my head is if one wen drop on top.

Trouble with having a coconut for one head is that you gotta crack em open before the wata turns da meat to mush and da whole ting turn into one rotten, stinkin' mushy pulp. No good for the noggin.

The reason why there's so much opala just outside the landfill is because of one simple reason, no where else to dump their stinking baby diapers. Most people don't make special trips to the landfills. They typically are enroute to other places. Can you imagine going to work and stopping by the refuse center to drop off your two bags of garbage. It's closed and you have no time to find another site so you go to work and your garbage turns to compost using your car's trunk or worse yet, the passenger compartment.

After work 8-hours later while the car baked in the sun, you open your door and HO BOY DA HAUNA!! Junior's diapers and the rotten mango from the fridge just turned your car into a Hazmat emergency! That's why they dump it outside the gate. Keep the refuse centers open or leave a bin for those after hour drops and you wouldn't see that problem.

And the reason why people dump their stuff along the sidewalks fronting their apartments is because Bulk Refuse was supposed to pick up that stuff weeks ago but didn't see it. When I was leaving Oahu for the Big Island I left some bulky items out for Bulk Refuse to pick up the next day. Well guess what, they didn't come and I wasn't about to haul that stuff (broken washer, old furniture etc) back to the newly repainted and refloored house.

The city tells me they forgot that street and now 18th Avenue looks like a friggin landfill because some city refuse worker forgot that street and they won't come for another MONTH! Meanwhile I got a plane ticket outta here, no place to keep the stuff and a major problem on my hands. Most people will simply say, "hey I called for the pick up, I did my part, the city failed and for that it's their opala problem now not mine" Fortunately for me, my neighbor said he would keep the opala in his yard until the next pick up, fortunately for me.