Mayor Harris

[helen]

I am just wondering how come Jeremy Harris is not running for mayor this time around?

[pzarquon]

Re: Mayor Harris

Because he can't? It's another Fasi Law (like the offset from the governor's race and the resign-to-run rule): Term limits! He already got a bonus two years, finishing Fasi's last term before his two four-year runs.

After calling off his gubernatorial run (and I sure breathed a sigh of relief), who knows what's next for Jeremy. Or John Pritchett, for that matter, who relies on Jeremy for material. Sit out the two years and try for the State Capitol in 2006?

[Albert]

Re: Mayor Harris

Because it's against the law for him to run again. And let us all be grateful for that.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Mayor Harris

Revised Charter of Honolulu 2000 Edition

Section 5-101. Election and Term of Office --

The electors of the city shall elect a mayor whose term of office shall be four years beginning at twelve o'clock meridian on the second day of January following the mayor's election. No person shall be elected to the office of mayor for more than two consecutive full terms.

http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/refs/rch/rc050101.htm

[Karen]

Re: Mayor Harris

What do any or all of you readers think about this ability to vote for mayor, by mail?! I was so surprised. I guess I am just an old fogey, even at 47, but I think the idea stinks, even as tempting as it is for the convenience. I would never vote by mail so that anyone in certain offices can know my name and my vote, plus things can get lost by USPS, oh yeah.

[pzarquon]

Re: Mayor Harris

I love that you can vote by mail. One year, even though the polling place was across the street from where we lived, we went that route. (I was going to be out of the country on election day.) It seemed a secure and sturdy system (your vote goes in an envelope that you seal and sign, which goes into another envelope lacking any identifying information). Easy and convenient, you can get your vote in early and take your kids to the beach on Election Day.

And, as municipalities and states make a steady march toward the immature and unproven "electronic voting machine," I'm finding voting by mail to be a preferable option... because, at least, a paper record is created.

I'm less worried about a nosy or nefarious mail carrier who can only mess with as many mailed votes as he can grab than I am a hacker whose one keystroke can disenfranchise thousands of people in a nanosecond.

[Karen]

Re: Mayor Harris

I'm less worried about a nosy or nefarious mail carrier who can only mess with as many mailed votes as he can grab than I am a hacker whose one keystroke can disenfranchise thousands of people in a nanosecond."

Those aren't the only possible problems. While I agree with you that electronic or online voting is open to huge abuses, what about votes being tampered with AT their point of destination? What about the votes that will affect those working for present administration? it only requires one bold, dishonest vigilante type to have your ballot trashed and you not even know it ever was.

I grew up in Texas where we had voting machines, but they weren't electronic, just hardware in which you moved a plastic lever, which was counted. I didn't feel unsafe with them, while I know ANY system is open to abuse, just some worse than others.

I know what my bottom line is! I just don't take to change well. (grin)

[Albert]

Re: Mayor Harris

But we've had absentee ballots for a very long time, haven't we?

Of course, they do seem to be having considerable problems with email votings.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Mayor Harris

But we've had absentee ballots for a very long time, haven't we?

Yup. And it comes down to trust, really. Are those counted correctly? Is that optical scanner we're currently using really recording the votes correctly? I trust them more than I do the touch screen or other varieties that are beginning to be put in place. Several parts of California have halted their use after miserable experiences recently, and more communities are thinking about it.

Google "electronic voting" and you'll find all manner of horror stories and polemics, I suspect.

[helen]

Re: Mayor Harris

Because he can't? It's another Fasi Law (like the offset from the governor's race and the resign-to-run rule): Term limits! He already got a bonus two years, finishing Fasi's last term before his two four-year runs.

He has been mayor for that long?

Wasn't the offset from the governor's race always been like that. I think that is the reason for the resign-to-run law. Fasi as mayor would run for governor, he loses the bid for governor and he is still mayor for another two years.