Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

[terrence k. teruya]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

I would like to take this moment to thank all the wonderful and supportive people that have given Miss Hong and myself great support. Yes it is unfourtunate that the same type of leadership will get in office yet again. It is not because we were not offered colorful choices but truly it is the lack of participation of the majority. Yes I too tire from same old politics, I am a electronic technician by trade but if someone is not doing the job, I refuse to sit back and let them control my life as well as the many people I know.

What do we know...what we have always known...trash, infrastructure,public safety,and many others. If you listen to every candidate, they pretty much had the same answers but the question is who will DO IT THIS TIME and really address these problems. I am a city employee also and will do my best to support the next leadership. I am saying that the next leader is taking 4 years of my life so they better do the job they are elected to do.

People say I got guts to have run in this race but it is more of disgust is what motivated people like Miss Hong and myself to run. Yes it may be Banium for four years, if he fails then its Mufi for four years, then when the public has had enough we will run again and this time say we told you so. Now lets get to work on these problems,we are so close to financial disaster, I hope these candidates prove us wrong.

It will take more than my tae kwon do training and chinese kung fu to ever hope to win this fight. Many of my supporters are first time voters, I have plans to return again but not in the immediate future. Congratulations Miss Hong, you did a wonderful job of gathering votes, maybe we should team up and fight together, I would be glad if either of us gets into office. We know the problems because we live it everyday.

THANKYOU EVERYONE and all the candidates who got on the ballot to give the people of honolulu a choice!! Well next week is my training on the new hybrid electric bus...lets see if it works for our city or be another money eating machine.

[lillian l. hong]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Mahalo to Mr. Teruya for his nice long note. Please keep me and others inform of your electric bus. You are the insider, and you are the one dare to speak up.
I was off this thread for few days. Every time I think of the Senior fair I laughed. Seniors wake up early. Seniors go to bed early. Our Senior Fair
opened at 8:30 a.m. and closed at 4:30 p.m. I had to get up every morning around 5 a.m. It was not my rountine. I came home, ate, and jumped on to the bed and slept!
Dr. Bainum and Mufi both had a booth to greet seniors and others. I got so many surprised people, not just seniors, saw me, eyes wide opened, and asked me if I am really Lillian Hong. They were so happy to meet me in person. Some gigled and gave me hugs. I did OK for my sales. I am very grateful for all those who came into my booth and say hello.
Update: I saw on TV news at 10 p.m. Mayor Fasi endorsed Mufi Hannemann.
Please take good care of yourself and your loved one.
Love, Lillian Hong

[pzarquon]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

I saw on TV news at 10 p.m. Mayor Fasi endorsed Mufi Hannemann.

He was surprisingly emphatic about it. Up to and including mutterings about repurposing his trademark yellow "shaka signs" to be Mufi signs. I wonder why the enthusiasm? Is it fondness for Mufi, or an aversion to Bainum? I suspect it might be the latter.

The question is, does Fasi's say so automatically move his thousands of voters into Mufi's column? What were those voters saying with their votes? None of the above, or we'd like the Fasi administration's style back? If the latter, Mufi's a good fit. If voters were saying they want something else, I'm guessing Fasi's endorsement implies that Bainum is the alternative to "politics as usual."

Fasi also said he's done with running for elected office. Of course, that doesn't mean he's done with the business of politics!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

This is my theory as to why Frank Fasi ran for office despite the odds: Isn't there a campaign law that allows a candidate to keep their campaign warchest instead of reimbursing it to donors as long as they keep running for office?

But if you spent all of the money for other purposes (illegallyl) but still have to justify the spending for campaigning, you simply keep running for office, cook the books to reflect supposed campaign spending until the warchest is depleted on paper.

What got me thinking about that was when I was assigned to report on Frank Fasi's run for Mayor on radio back when Morgado was running against Harris. In the past all campaign headquarters on election night was heavily catered with food and entertainment...except Frank's. Arnold had a massive luau while Frank had ham and cheese sandwiches cut into quarters. I felt as if I was cheated out of a night of good food! So what happened to all the campaign money! Hmmm.

[pzarquon]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Candidates in debate on debates
Crystal Kua, Honolulu Advertiser, Oct. 5, 2004

Mayoral candidates Duke Bainum and Mufi Hannemann are accusing each other of dodging debates and community forums leading up to the general election. Hannemann is challenging Bainum to agree to all televised debate invitations. He said there were seven invitations for televised debates and that Bainum has only agreed to one so far. But Bainum's campaign says Hannemann has gone back on his statement that he would meet Bainum "any time, any place," because Hannemann has either canceled or not made commitments to three joint community events.

[lillian l. hong]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Hi, everyone,
I am still here. I am still opening this thread almost every night, and read some of the mails. Somehow I just don't feel like talking about the Mayor's race any more. I have put aside my trade since November, 2003 to emphasize on running for Honolulu Mayor. I am now catching up with my jewelry and craft trade. This is the X'mas season. I am still watching the TV news about Dr. Bainum and Mufi. I am still reading the newspapers about them. I watched Presidential's debate. I watched vice presidential's debate also. I will go thru the voting process. I don't know who I am going to vote for the president/vice president. I don't know who I am going to vote for our Honolulu Mayor. I don't know whether I should vote what people called, "lesser of the 2 evils". I don't know whether I should leave it a blank vote to indicate I am not fully happy of the 2 candidates.
Can somebody please help me?
Love, Lillian Hong

[Miulang]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

I don't know whether I should leave it a blank vote to indicate I am not fully happy of the 2 candidates.
Can somebody please help me?

Dear Ms. Hong:
I think many people face the same dilemma as you, regardless which race you're talking about. Here is my take on things: If you can vote with your conscience and feel strongly about a candidate, there is no question what your decision should be. If you have doubts about the effectiveness of both candidates running for any office, consider the merits of what each candidate has to offer and try to think about who would be better and then vote for that person. Unfortunately, to not cast your vote for one or the other person means that you essentially have voted for the person who will end up with the most votes anyway. Some people call this "voting strategically". Your vote does count, no matter who you vote for, especially in a closely contested race. If it means choosing between the "lesser of the two evils", then at least you have made a statement. If you don't cast your vote for either candidate, you essentially are handing over the election to whoever has the most votes anyway.

I hope this holiday retail season rewards you well.

Miulang

[Mocha]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Just a note to Lillian Hong: You always do a courageous job of running for office. I saw our mutual friend Lilian Hiratani two weekends ago...and I mentioned that she should have told all her friends to vote for you. You do have more friends and people who now vote for you Lillian...be true to yourself and keep to your principles.

[lillian l. hong]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Mahalo to Miulang & Mocha.
Your kind notes help.
I'll watch some more TV news and read some more newspapers about Dr. Bainum & Mufi.
For all others that are with this threads:
are you already decided? Are you also in my shoes, so to speak?
Love, Lillian Hong
P.S. to Mocha: You are really our friend: You know Lilian & Lillian! Haha!

[pzarquon]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Eep. Malia Zimmerman at Hawaii Reporter has stirred things up quite a bit with her piece on Jennifer Toma-Bainum, wife of Duke Bainum. In short, Jennifer Toma-Bainum became caretaker for and eventually managed the estate of a driver for Charlie's Taxi, and ended up in court contesting that control against the man's Mainland family.

The substance covers events predating their marriage in February (the third for both), and IMHO are irrelevant to the campaign. Yet, the race for the mayor's office is what prompted the digging in the first place, and even while the man's family proclaims no interest in local politics, the neighbor - a primary source - certainly seems to make the link.

Considering the source, the reliance on official documents and on-record interviews is commendable. Beneath it all, it's an all-too-familiar a story of one family's struggle and unanswered questions in the wake of a loved one's death.

As Ian Lind notes, "It makes for an interesting read."

[Linkmeister]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

I'm listening to the two of them on PBS right now. Not much new, I have to say.

[Miulang]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

What the heck is going on? Now Mufi is ragging at Bainum because Bainum doesn't own a home on Oahu? Mufi is wondering how Bainum can spend $3 million to mount a mayoral campaign and yet still live in an apartment in Waikiki? I didn't realize "home ownership" was a prerequisite to running for mayor. At least the guy lives on Oahu, although I guess his wife owns a house in Hilo. Danged but these third marriages cause all kinds of complications, don't they?

Miulang

[Linkmeister]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

See, this is why I'm not enamored of Mufi. He seems to get a little whiny sometimes. That's a pretty silly thing to try to trash your opponent with, I'd think.

[BKHale2007]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

his wife owns a house in Hilo.

Olaa Residential Lots?

[BKHale2007]

Re: Honolulu Mayor's Race 2004 - Chapter 3

Sunday's entry of Ilind.net leaps to Bainum's defense.