My mom called in a panic a few days ago.

Posted on August 26, 2026 by garyhooser

She’d read my piece on the stress and trauma of Hurricane Lala, and when I failed to answer her phone call, she immediately went into her “mama bear” mode, calling others to make sure I was ok.

Needless to say, I called her back as soon as I was able. She didn’t immediately believe it when I told her “I was fine” and “Trust me Mom, I am ok!” But eventually she settled down and made me promise to take care of myself and to keep her posted.

I encouraged my beautiful 94 years young mother to read again the piece I wrote, but make sure she read it all the way to the end – where it stated clearly that “I’m feeling better now”.

Yes, I’d been feeling very low, dismal really, for days. Dwelling on the storm, wallowing in the fear of its approach, thinking about my friends on Hawaiʻi island especially who have been severely impacted.

But then, when I took a deep breath, called to check in on those friends, offered my help and support, and yes even made a modest donation in support of the recovery effort – voila!

I felt better.

Lessoned learned.

Or rather lesson remembered.

When we take action to move forward and make things better, we feel better.

When we help people, we feel better.

I’m asking you now, to help me feel even more better.

Regardless of where you might call home, whatever island, or state, or country that you might reside in – Can you chip in today to help folks through-out Hawaiʻi who continue at this very moment to dig out from the mud and destruction?

Many are still without power, unable to return to their homes, or have no homes left to return to.

Trust me. You will feel good, and I will feel even, more good, AND the lives of the people we help will be improved.

Today, I made a modest donation to a GoFundMe account that’s working in alignment with Hawaiʻi Mutual Aid Network.

And yes…it feels good that I can help, even just a little bit in this way.

I cannot shovel the mud or haul around generators, but I can give a little bit of money to help those that need it, AND I can ask others to join me in this effort.

And yes, as I mentioned before I’m also making a modest contribution to Shannon Matson, a candidate for the Big Island County Council, who is out in the field helping impacted people every single day.

Why is a Kauaʻi County resident helping a candidate for the Hawaiʻi Island County Council?

Because we’re all in this together.

Shannon Matson is a totally awesome, community based, hard working, passionate about helping, smart, proactive, change-maker individual who at the end of the day would do the same thing for us.

Regardless of where you call home, let’s help these folks, AND help ourselves at the same time.

Trust me on this.

Join me in helping, and you’ll feel better.

I did, and I do.

Love you mom!

Gary

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Who’s watching the henhouse (AKA Kaua‘i County Government)?

Posted on August 24, 2026 by garyhooser

“We hand out subsidies, tax exemptions, no-bid contracts, loan guarantees, land concessions, and regulatory favors — and we ask for almost nothing back. No enforceable promises. No penalty when the promises break. No accounting anyone can follow.” Richard Bodien Blog https://bodien.com/

It’s true. In terms of the big picture discussion, what Richard Bodien writes is absolutely true. I strongly encourage you (on every island – re State/County operations/accountability) to read his entire piece.

Yes, of course there are sometimes “provisions and penalties” but unless the F.B.I. gets a hot tip, the media sinks their teeth into it, the public initiates an investigation, or the State or County auditor dig in, there’s pretty much zero enforcement – at least for the big guys/issues/projects/permits.

That’s certainly what it feels like.

Perhaps ask a resident of Kōloa, or someone who has driven by the Coco Palms property – every single day for the past 34 years.

The County of Kaua‘i has no full-time independent auditor AND no full-time investigative office whatsoever. Agencies and Commissions will respond to complaints but never initiate their own investigations.

Every other County in the State has an “Office of the auditor” which has discovered, investigated, and sometimes referred to federal law enforcement – “waste, fraud, and abuse”.

An office of the auditor is required by the Kaua‘i County Charter, yet has been vacant for 11 years.

Consequently there are no independent eyeballs routinely reviewing Kaua‘i County subsidies, tax exemptions, new development compliance, no-bid contracts, land concessions, land purchases, and regulatory favors.

When the County purchases land is there an independent appraisal? Is the seller at “arms length” from the County person/agency initiating the purchase? Is there a real estate agent who receives a commission?

Millions of dollars change hands, with no independent watchdog.

The Kaua‘i Council does authorize a required financial audit of the County Budget, and occasionally will hire an “outside auditor” to conduct a performance audit – but there is no focused, sustained effort to detect waste, fraud, and abuse within the operations of County government.

According to the Kaua‘i Charter, individual Councilmembers may not “interfere with the administrative processes delegated to the mayor…”

However, “The Council or any authorized committee thereof shall have the power to conduct investigations of the operation of any agency or function of the County and any subject upon which the Council may legislate.”

Individual Councilmembers may not meddle, give instructions to individual County employees, or attempt to manage the County day-to-day business.

That’s the Mayor’s job.

HOWEVER, a majority of Councilmembers may authorize and conduct an investigation to ensure that County operations are being conducted fairly, efficiently, legally, and ethically.

That’s the Councils job.

It’s called “checks and balances”.

If you ask Kōloa residents who’ve been tracking closely the seemingly never-ending real estate development in their town, and speak with those folks who’ve been driving by the Coco Palms fiasco for the past 34 years – I believe the consensus would be overwhelmingly clear.

The time for an up-close, independent review of both, is long, long, overdue.

It would seem impossible, irresponsible, and downright crazy to think the permits (County and State) granted to the Coco Palms developers are still valid. Clearly, for whatever reason, the County and the State has turned its head to look the other way, over and over again.

It’s way past time to crack down on the “developer/deal makers”, and the Coco Palms dream/fantasy that’s been sold and resold to investors and public alike, over and over again, for the past 34 years.

The development concessions granted to the various Kōloa developers, likewise seem excessive, unnecessarily generous, and fail to adequately protect cultural and environmental resources.

Is there favoritism? Have all County approvals made been “above board”, conducted in the Sunshine, by individuals without financial conflicts or benefits?

Are County agencies properly enforcing the law and protecting the publics interest, the unique historical, cultural, and environmental elements of Old Koloa Town and the Poʻipū/Kōloa community?

The investigation into the Kōloa situation and the Coco Palms fiasco, cannot wait until the hiring of a full-time independent auditor. The Council could and should, move forward now with a thorough, open, and transparent investigation of both.

The important, and long overdue task of hiring a new full-time independent auditor must then be undertaken by the new, incoming County Council. It makes no sense and will no doubt raise further ethical questions to have the existing Council that includes two Mayoral candidates, select the new auditor.

After-all, the new auditor will be responsible for auditing the new Mayors agencies and operations.

Gh

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The “Lala trauma”…what’s next?

Posted on August 17, 2026 by garyhooser

My blood pressure’s elevated, the quality of my sleep has deteriorated, my general “mood index” has tanked, and overall I feel like crap.

The trauma and stress from “Lala”, is weighing heavy on me.

And apparently, another storm is only a few days away.

For the past 10 days, from one end of our island chain to the other, we’ve all, each and every one of us I suspect, been wrapped in the anticipation and then the reality of Hurricane Lala.

Many have lost their homes, and some their lives. Countless friends and neighbors have incurred damage to personal property that will never be recovered. ‘Utter Devastation’: Lala Turns Hawaiʻi Upside Down – Civil Beat

The basic clean up will take months.

The bridges, roads, and homes that must be rebuilt – will take years to complete.

The number of us who’ve been traumatized by this event is unfathomable.

Even we lucky ones who escaped direct physical harm have been hit hard emotionally, which for many translates to our health, as there is a real cost of the cumulative stress.

So what’s next?

How do we move on?

How do we get better?

My first step after checking in with my own family, is reaching out to friends on Hawaiʻi Island. Just making the call or sending that text, is therapeutic.

If I can help friends who’ve been impacted by Lala with more tangible support and clean-up assistance, I will.

While I don’t have thousands to give to anyone, I can and will add my modest donations to that of others.

My instincts tell me to give and support first those people I know personally, and then only to those organizations I know and trust completely.
The Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) has information on donating directly to impacted families via the Hawaiʻi Mutual Aid Network here. AND Civil Beat provides a list or community organizations that are also accepting donations and actively providing support to impacted families.

After reaching out, helping if I can, and getting my own yard and house in order – I/we then need to figure out a way to get back to normal, back on track with whatever we were doing prior to the Lala trauma.

For me, that of course is “policy and politics”.

Bad weather comes in all shapes and sizes, and the storm of corruption that engulfs our State government must also be stopped and stopped now. No doubt there will soon be many new “emergency declarations” and an increase in “non bid contracts” to deal with the disaster that is Lala.

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by government in the coming years on the recovery efforts.

My sincerest hope is that our State legislature will use the coming weeks to proactively support Lala restoration efforts AND to close the “contractor loophole” that crooked contractors and their political friends drive through regularly, ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING TIMES OF DISASTER AND CRISIS.

The November 3 General Election is also coming at us.

My thoughts go out today to those candidates whose lives were already stressed and stretched thin, who now have the Lala trauma also pressing down upon them.

Many spent every last dime left in their campaign accounts just to make it through the Primary.

Now, they are faced with an impossible conundrum. They have their own Lala family impacts to deal with, AND they need to raise money for the General election.

However, political fundraising now and in the foreseeable future will be viewed by many, as politically and morally reprehensible.

What to do?

Yes, it’s up to us, those of us who did not incur great physical damage from Lala, to step up even more. And we must not wait to be asked.

Trust me on this, a $20, $50, or $100 campaign contribution, especially at this time when it’s impossible for them to ask – is much needed by every candidate with a tough General Election coming up.

For me, this means sending over a campaign contribution today in support of Hawaiʻi County Council candidate Shannon Matson. Please join me in supporting Shannon or any candidate, you feel good about, especially those with lives now immersed in the trauma of Lala.

That’s all I got.

And yes, I’m feeling much better now.

Mahalo for asking!

Gary Hooser

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Our State legislative leaders must step up and do the right thing, and we as citizens must demand it.

Posted on August 14, 2026 by garyhooser

Pardon me while I go on a bit of a rant, but I’m sick and tired of legislative leaders who refuse to lead, preferring instead to just keep their heads down and look the other way.

70% of our friends and neighbors believe voting is a waste of time.

“Why bother? Nothing’s going to change. They’re all a bunch of crooks and big money controls everything anyway.” Is the common refrain.

Meanwhile, the bribery, both legal and illegal continues.

Please join me today in taking action to stop the corruption, make positive change happen, and start rebuilding the peoples faith in our government.

Reach out via email and phone to your District Representative and State Senator (type in your address to find) and tell them “ENOUGH ALREADY”, that it’s way past time for them to step up, support a special legislative session, and CLOSE THE CONTRACTOR LOOPHOLE.

Contact information for all State Representatives is here and all State Senators is here.

Hawaiʻi must do as other states have already done, and ban the practice of government contractors giving money to elected officials who authorize and fund their government contracts.

It is legal today for the head of a contracting company doing business with the State, AND its board of directors, AND their spouse, brother, sister, and mother to each give $2,000 – $4,000 to the Representative and Senator who approves the funding for their State contracts.
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The ability of government contractors to fund directly the campaigns of lawmakers who fund their government projects, is at the center of the “pay to play” culture that permeates that big square building on Beretania Street.

This is legal corruption and it must be stopped.

Please, make the call and send the email – TODAY.

Ask our Hawaiʻi government leaders to lead.

When they tell you “not now maybe later”, remind them they’ve been saying “later” for the past 4 years, and enough is enough.

When they tell you “it’s complicated”, “there’s no time”, “it’s not that easy” and “we can just wait until January and try again during the regular 2027 legislative session” – restrain your anger and and try not to swear.

Listen to them intently, take a deep breath, and then tell them again as politely as you can:

“This is important. I know that if you wanted to make this happen, it would happen. I’m asking you again, please lead on this, do the right thing and close the contractor loophole”

It is without question that if “House/Senate Leadership” wanted to end this practice and put a significant dent in the “pay to play” culture that now exists at the capitol – they could do it.

But they don’t, and they won’t.

They could close the “contractor loophole”, they could pass and fund a strong “publicly funded elections” program, AND they could stop the “two ticket to a fundraiser scam” (IYKYK).

But clearly they won’t do any of these things because the status quo works just fine for them.

“Leadership” in the Hawaiʻi House and Senate will not move on these issues until forced to do so by a majority of “their members”.

That’s the bottom line.

Until a critical mass of individual legislators (and candidates) make it clear that closing this loophole and re-instilling faith and confidence in government is a priority, nothing will happen and the corruption will continue.

Fortunately, 10 forward thinking House Members have already signed a formal letter in support.

If you have a moment, please send a huge mahalo to Representatives – Terez Amato HD11, Ellie Cochran HD14, Joe Gedeon HD18, Tina Nakada Grandinetti HD20, Kim Coco Iwamoto HD25,Della Au Belatti HD26, Ikaika Hussey HD29, Garner M. Shimizu HD32, Kanani Souza HD43, and Amy Perruso HD46.

This is what leadership looks like.

So while my friends on Kauaʻi must definitely reach out and contact Senate President Ron Kouchi AND House Speaker Rep. Nadine Nakamura – EVERYONE from across the islands must contact via phone AND email their own district State Senator and House Representative TODAY (prior to August 24th) AND ask them politely and professionally to support a special session and – “close the contractor loophole”.

Please, let’s do this.

Whether your district legislator is Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter.

The question to ask is simple, “Do you support holding a special session and passing into law a strong ban on government contractor campaign contributions?”

Call and email, today please. Ask the question, and keep calling and emailing until you get an answer.

This is how democracy works.

We’re all in this together and together if we each do our small part, we can win.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Post 2026 Primary – a missive of gratitude, reflection, and commitment

Posted on August 13, 2026 by garyhooser

To friends and fellow advocates.

Apologies for not posting sooner my “post primary” thoughts.

Honestly, I’ve been stuck, going around in circles, thankful for the many candidates who gave it their best shot, hugely disappointed in the many who lost, angry and seeking to blame those who failed to show up to vote.

However, when all is said and done, I am also ecstatic over the high quality of the candidates, the strength of their values, and the promise and potential of their commitment.

Please join me today in saying MAHALO to every single candidate who ran for election to public office during the recent Primary election. Our democracy is stronger because these individuals were willing to put their names forward, endure the public scrutiny, and face the possibility of falling short on election day.

Yes, we celebrate and congratulate those who won on August 8th, but we must also recognize, honor, and appreciate those who fell short.

I remember losing my first race for the Kauaʻi County Council. It was in 1994, but it could have been yesterday. We were sitting around the driveway, talking story, sharing the grinds, friends and family who’d been helping me campaign night and day, for months.

The first printout was announced at around 9pm on KONG radio.

It was devastating. I remember going out that night and taking the Hooser bumper sticker off my car.

Yes, losing sucks.

But the next day I got up, put a new bumper sticker back on that car (front AND back bumper), went out to the highway, held my “mahalo” sign, and waved to the steady stream of smiles, shaka’s and honks.

Yes, that very first campaign was indeed a humbling experience that nearly broke my heart and almost my bank (I’d made a personal loan to my campaign of $10,000 from a credit card “cash advance” for that “last push” prior to election day).

Fortunately, I had friends and family, and a community who helped me through it all.

My phone never stopped ringing. Friends, new and old, from across the island, called to tell me mahalo and pledged to help should I decide to run again in the future.

I remember the countless hugs from random shoppers at Big Save and Safeway who stopped to tell me mahalo for being willing to run and serve.

Miraculously it seems, my campaign bank account began to creep into the black as contributions, from $20 to $100 started coming in…as more people realized the personal financial commitment I had made to the campaign.

In 1998, I ran again for the Council and won, then in 2000 I ran for reelection and won again.

In 2002 I ran for the State Senate against an incumbent Democrat and won again.

In total I’ve run in 10 different election campaigns, winning 6 and losing 4.

But without question losing that first one was the hardest.

My hope today is that each of us will ACTIVELY reach out to those candidates in our community who fell short, and MAHALO them, AND make a contribution to their campaign bank accounts as well.

Please. Let them know how much we need and appreciate them. Offer to help, and to join with them in their commitment to make our Hawaiʻi a better place, for all of us.

My message for those candidates who fell short on August 8, is first and foremost to go outside for a walk, take a swim in the ocean, or maybe hike up into the valley.

Shake off the loss if you haven’t already. Shake it off and ACTIVELY seek out new ways to continue contributing towards making our communities better, our government more responsive, and our democracy healthier and stronger.

When you’re ready and need our help, just call and we’ll be there.

Imua.

Gary Hooser
garyhooser.blog

P.S. Yes of course, I’ll be giving a further “shout out” in the future to those candidates that will need our help in the General. But today, we honor and appreciate those that fell short.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

2026 Kaua‘i Primary Election Results – Translated

Posted on August 9, 2026 by garyhooser

What’s it all mean for the residents of Kaua‘i County?

To summarize and speculate a bit, the next Mayor of Kaua‘i will be either Council Chair Mel Rapozo who received 7,580 votes in the Primary, or former Kaua‘i Mayor now Councilmember Bernard Carvalho who got 5,720 votes.

If Councilmember Felicia Cowden, who came in #3 with 3,176 votes, was not in the race, who would have gotten those votes?

Those are the “swing votes” that could very well determine the winner on November 3.

That’s the first question.

The second question is, will the Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) SuperPac “For a Better Tomorrow” and others, keep dumping money on this race ($138,191 so far) in support of Carvalho?

AND will Rapozo keep getting support from his SuperPac supporters, HiVISION2020 and others ($120,929 and counting)? Source:Civil Beat

The August 8th vote totals for Kaua‘i Mayor:

7,580 40.6% RAPOZO, Mel
5,720 30.6% CARVALHO, Bernard, Jr.
3,176 17.0% COWDEN, Felicia E.
501 2.7% ANDAYA-LINDSEY, Laura
381 2.0% WIDENER, Michaela B.
234 1.3% DENIS, Megeso-William

Ok, what about the 7 member Kaua‘i County Council?

Of the original 26 candidates, the top 14 listed below will “move forward” and be on the November 3rd ballot.

Voters will then vote for “up to 7”, and the top 7 vote-getters become our new Councilmembers.

Doing the math on the Council race is a bit more complicated.

All 14 candidates will “move up” in the “vote counts” on November 3, but “positions in the lineup” will normally remain the same or vary only slightly.

To “move up” in position which is the only metric that matters, means the candidate must increase their vote count at a higher percentage rate than the others – in order to “gain” on the candidate ahead of them in the lineup.

History tells us the top 4 or 5 Councilmembers in the Primary will likely remain in the top 4 or 5 positions in the General.

Ditto for the bottom of the list. Historically #14 never ever moves up to the bottom winners slot of #7. Yes, #14 will get more votes in the General, but so will everyone else.

Cutting to the chase: All the “action” will be focused on the “middle slots”.

This means candidates now sitting in positions #8, #9, and #10 will be trying their best to boost themselves into the winning positions of #5, #6, or #7.

The hard reality: In order for #9 to “move up” to #7, candidates now sitting at #7 and #8 must “drop”. And of course dropping to #8 or below means losing.

Before the math puts you to sleep, let’s translate this further into reality (a speculative reality, but a reality nonetheless).

The top 4 or 5 are “safe”. Kaneshiro, Holland, Ozaki, Correa, and Bulosan are pretty solid in their vote counts and unlikely to slip lower in ranking. They cannot take their election for granted, but so long as they keep on keeping on, they should be fine and will remain in the “winners circle”.

The next 5 or 6 positions are where the movement and action will be.

There are really only two slots in play, #6 and #7.

This means to have a seat at the Council table, Smith, Coots, and Martin must turn it up to overtake Shigemoto, Applegate, and DeCosta.

To speculate further, because Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) SuperPac “For a Better Tomorrow” has already invested heavily in supporting the election of Smith ($45,201) and Ozaki ($44,544), my guess is the SuperPac money will continue funding media support of both.

Those candidates setting now in the bottom half of the list definitely have a hill to climb. To win, they must be relentless in their commitment, and focus their energy campaigning the old fashion way – on the streets and in the neighborhoods.

Please, take a look, crunch the numbers yourself, then find a candidate you like and help them!

#1 KANESHIRO, Arryl J.  8,214
#2 HOLLAND, Fern Anuenue   8,193
#3 OZAKI, Todd R. 8,027
#4 CORREA, Michelle Kaleiohi  7,434
#5 BULOSAN, Addison 6,301
#6 SHIGEMOTO, Taylor H.  5,284
#7 APPLEGATE, Paul Noboru  5,279
#8 DECOSTA, Billy D  5,073
#9 SMITH, Dane  4,761
#10 COOTS, Mike  4,110 
#11 MARTIN, Umi  3,990
#12 RAPOZO, Cheree  3,447
#13 KAIMINAAUAO, Keola   2,872 
#14 MATTOS, John H. (Scooby)   2,394

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32 years of political education – things I’ve learned and people I will vote for

Posted on August 7, 2026 by garyhooser

I’ve been there.

I’ve served a total of 16 years in public office, 8 years on the Kauaʻi County Council and 8 years in the Hawai‘i State Senate.

For a short period, I served as State Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC), charged with administering HRS343 (EIS law).

I’ve helped start and run several nonprofit advocacy organizations, and remain immersed in the world of policy and politics.

My political education started with my first campaign for Council in 1994. It comes not from books and lectures, but from real life experience, from being there, up close and personal.

I’ve attended the meetings (both formal and informal), met the people (both official and behind the scenes decision makers), studied the laws and rules, and successfully navigated the sometimes treacherous waters.

When first elected to the Senate, I sat on Ways and Means (WAM), and then later served as the Senate Majority Leader.

I’ve been in the rooms and participated in the discussions.

I’ve witnessed bills being killed for no reason except for a Chair’s personal animosity towards the introducer.

I’ve learned the power of one persons voice, when they were willing to use it.

Though I’ve never witnessed, nor been aware of actual bribery, I’ve seen and lived the experience of paid industry lobbyists being everywhere, all the time, offering to help, and implying bad consequences if your actions are not accommodating to their needs.

Needless to say, over the years I’ve met and worked with a wide variety of council members, legislators, mayors, lieutenant governors, governors, and members of Congress.

At the end of the day for me, while I fully acknowledge the imperfections, I remain a true believer in our democracy.

This is the foundation of my commitment to help elect candidates who share that belief and the basic values of putting the needs of people and the planet, ahead of the almighty dollar.

I’m writing today to ask you yet again to join with me on this journey to rebuild and strengthen our democracy by supporting and voting for those good people listed below.

U.S. House of Representatives
CD1 Jarrett Keohokalole

CD2 Jill Tokuda

Lieutenant Governor
Della Au Belatti
Read: Why I believe Della Au Belatti is the best choice for L.G.

State Senate
SD #2 Aynessazian, Tanya Yamanaka
Puna

SD #13 Nakamura, Jordan Kapono
Dowsett Highlands, Puʻunui, Nuʻuanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown, Downtown

SD #14 MacPherson, Christy
Kapālama, ‘Ālewa, Kalihi, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley, Red Hill

SD #17 Brown, Nani
Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, Waipiʻo Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village Nani Brown can win if/when the people of District #17 show up.
According to Civil Beat, the incumbent Senator for this district is: “Silent On Bribery Charges Leveled At Former Staff Member”.

State House of Representatives
HD #2 Holt, Cristina (Tina)
Hilo

HD #3 Keawekane, Kuulei (Kiana)
Portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidlands Estate, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, Portions of Kurtistown & Keaʻau

HD #10 Kaho’ohanohano, Ki’i
Portion of Waiehu, Paukūkalo, Wailuku, Wailuku Heights, Waikapū, Hayashi Village

HD #12 Kuoha, Keoni
Makawao, Hāliʻimaile, Pukalani, Kula, Pūlehu, ʻUlupalakua, Kanaio, Kahikinui

HD #14 Kiakona, Pa’ele
Lāhainā, Kahakuloa, Waiheʻe, Maʻalaea, Olowalu, Lahainaluna, Kaʻanapali, Mahinahina, Kahana, Honokahua

HD #19 Pacarro, Kahi
Waiʻalae-Kāhala, ʻĀina Haina, Niu Valley, Kuliʻouʻou

HD #21 Morrow, Jake Takaya
Pālolo Valley, St. Louis Heights, Kaimukī, Maunalani Heights, Wilhelmina Rise

HD #26 Fujinaka, Janel S.
Makiki, Tantalus, Punchbowl, and Papakōlea

HD #28 Alves, Nadia
Sand Island, Iwilei, Chinatown
I know from first hand experience that Nadia Alves is awesome.

HD #30 Kealoha, Kekoa O Pololu
Kalihi, Kalihi Kai, Keʻehi Lagoon, Hickam Village

HD #39 Rosenlee, Corey
Royal Kunia, Village Park, Honolulu, Ho‘opili, and Portion of Waipahu

Kauaʻi Mayor
No recommendations

Kauaʻi County Council
Each voter may cast up to 7 votes.

Fern Ānuenue Holland

Trysten Fernandes Caberto

Mike Coots

Michelle Kaleiohi Correa

Umi Martin

James Trujillo

Maui Mayor
Bissen, Richard T. Jr.

Maui Council
Kamekona, Carol Lee
Kahului

Pahia, Bobby
Upcountry

Hawaiʻi County Council
Kagiwada, Jennifer (Jenn)
District #2

Hoffeld, Cyd L.
District #4

Matson, Shannon
District #5

Canelas, Justin R.
District #6

Powers, Manu
District #7

***************************************
Note: The above are my personal choices “If I lived in the district…” and do not represent the position of any organization.

NONE of these candidates are on the PRP SuperPac For A Better Tomorrow list and NONE have received funding support from them.

Read my latest blog post on this topic “Let’s cut to the chase. Big money is a corrupting influence on our democracy.”

My endorsement decisions were made after much thought, speaking directly with many candidates, reading the websites, the Civil Beat interviews, and talking to others.

For State legislative seats, I purposefully focused primarily on “new candidates” and refrained from endorsing incumbents and uncontested races.

I believe the above listed candidates share my core values of putting people and the planet above corporate profits, AND will serve in a manner that is proactive, working together with their colleagues, and our community, to resolve the many challenges facing our island home.

It’s up to you now.

You’ve either voted, or not – either way, today’s message is for you.

Complete your ballot, sign, and drop in the box at a Voter Service Center TODAY (locations statewide can be found here). Ballots must be received by the County Elections Division by close of voting, 7:00 p.m. August 8.

Do not mail.

If you do not have a ballot, and perhaps are not registered to vote, YOU CAN REGISTER AND VOTE AT THE SAME TIME – IN PERSON and that info is here.

No later than August 8th, please cast your vote in support of these exceptional candidates. AND SHARE this message far and wide.

Together, we can make positive change happen.

Gary Hooser

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Let’s cut to the chase. Big money is a corrupting influence on our democracy.

Posted on August 6, 2026 by garyhooser

Big money is a corrupting influence on our democracy, on our elected leaders, and on the legislative and government decision making process at all levels – County, State, and Federal.

The actions of Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) and related SuperPacs such as For a Better Tomorrow prevent grassroots candidates from winning, and raise the fundraising bar so high that it limits many potential candidates from even thinking about running for election to public office.

PRP’s history of intense and personal negative campaigning (Did you see how they treated former Governor Ben Cayetano?) – further inhibits new candidates unwilling to put their family and business through such a process. Read Civil Beat: An Inside Look at the Hawaii Super PAC That Helped Defeat Cayetano

Without a doubt, PRP controls the biggest and baddest of the SuperPacs in Hawaiʻi. They’ve already spent in excess of 5 million dollars to ensure the successful election of “their people” on August 8.

For an overview AND for a list of the candidates benefiting from the money, read Civil Beat: Big Money In Hawaiʻi Politics — The Carpenters Union Is Crushing Everyone


The candidates who benefit from PRP’s financial support will claim they do not “cooperate” with PRP and they don’t actually receive the money spent by the SuperPac.

Core supporters will claim their candidate is a “good guy”, doing nothing wrong, and PRP’s support is “part of the game” and does not mean the candidate has “sold out” to big development or big money.

My response: Corruption by any other name is still corruption. The money could be coming from the good lord herself, and it would still be a corrupting influence on our democracy.

Regardless of whether the candidate is a nice and good person. If they’re not willing to publicly state their support for true campaign finance reform and opposition to the big money political influence being wielded by PRP and related SuperPacs, they do not deserve our votes and support.

It’s way past time for ALL candidates benefiting from this corruption (legal or illegal) to declare out loud and in public, their position on this.

AND, let’s clear something else up.

PRP membership consists of Union Carpenters AND 250 companies that do contracting/development and who earn their profits to a great extent via government contracts to build bridges, stadiums, highways, schools, harbors, airports, and rail systems etc.

Those same contractors/developers, benefiting from the government contracts, then hire/pay members of the carpenters union, who then kick back some of that money for SuperPac “political action”.

So please – let’s all stop characterizing PRP as simply “the Carpenters Union”.

The people driving this money and attempting to control our elections, are business executives who own and operate some of the largest businesses in Hawai‘i, they are not men and women wearing tool belts, pounding nails, or carrying the lumber.

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Meanderings on mom, politics, and August 8

Posted on August 4, 2026 by garyhooser

My mother turned 94 on July 30th and yes, that’s where Claudette and I have been for the past week – celebrating this beautiful woman, talking story nonstop, revisiting family memories, and eating way too much southern cooking.

Mrs. Loretta Eileen Barron or “Ms Eileen” as she is commonly referred to, is doing well and looks fabulous. Attaining the age of 94 does not come without the price all of us pay as the years pass, but overall Ms Eileen is active, alert, and as feisty as ever.

The week spent with mom, dad, brother, nieces and nephews was a good one.

Believe it or not, I was able to set aside the stress of the upcoming August 8th Primary Election, and just focus on family.

Yea, right. In my dreams maybe. 😉

Yes, I enjoyed tremendously the week spent with mom and family.

But 24/7, I also thought of my friends and colleagues working hard knocking on doors, canvassing neighborhoods, holding signs on the highway, and constantly on the phone reaching out to community members – working hard to connect with and earn the support of voters in their district. See a complete list of recommended candidates here.

Also on my mind was the culture of corruption (read my blog piece Corruption by any other name, is still corruption), the acceptance of “pay-to-play”, and the willingness of far too many now in public office to ignore and accept the status quo, as “just the way the game is played”. Read Civil Beat, “Dela Cruz Silent On Bribery Charges Leveled At Former Staff Member” and for a summary, Pay To Play: Political Corruption Investigations In Hawaiʻi Over The Years.

You and I, all of us on the ground, in communities on every island, must send a message loud and clear on August 8th that our democracy is not a game of monopoly, played and won by those with the most money.

Together, united in purpose, we must show up to elect those candidates willing to stand up and speak out against the millions being spent to literally buy our elections.

The rich and entitled get only one vote at the ballot box, just like you and I.

And there are far more of us, than them – but we must show up.

Only a few days remain until the polls are closed on August 8th and the winners are declared.

If you’ve voted already, mahalo to you, but it’s not enough and it’s not over.

Please, please, please, – call, text, email, and message family members, friends, and neighbors Remind, encourage, cajole, and emphasize to them the importance of voting.

Remind them it’s too late to use the mail, and they MUST drop their ballots off at a Voter Service Center (locations and hours are here).

Help new voters register to vote and then drive them down to vote in person if needed. Voter registration can be done “on line”, or in person through until the end of the day August 8! Here is a link to Voter Registration Info.

If the new voter expresses frustration perhaps over not knowing who to vote for, take a moment to discuss the choices with them, remind them that leaving a vote “blank” is perfectly ok, and if they only cast a single vote for Della Belatti for Lieutenant Governor – that single vote is important and can literally make the difference.

And yes, if you think it’s worthy, please forward to them my own list of “If I lived in the District, this is who I would vote for” (posted here on my blog).

Bottom line is remind every single person within your scope of influence (including the clerk behind the counter of the convenience store) of how important voting is – and if necessary, help them navigate the process.

We can and we must prove that grass roots democracy can win over big money.

Let’s do this.

Imua,

Gary Hooser
Son of an incredible mother.
People often give me credit for the work that I do, but this is the woman who deserves all the credit.

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Waste, Recycling and Kauaʻi Politics

Posted on July 26, 2026 by garyhooser

On Wednesday, July 29, at 8:30am, the Kauaʻi County Council is taking up Resolution No. 2026-24, urging Mayor Kawakami and the County Administration “to prioritize waste diversion, curbside recycling, and a Materials Recovery Facility as the Kekaha Landfill nears capacity.”

This is like Mom and haupia pie to many of us who place a high priority on environmental protection and earth friendly public policy advocacy.

No doubt, the room will be full of Kauaʻi residents exercising their civic duty and offering testimony in support.

Traveling around the continent, it seems like every neighborhood has some sort of system that collects recyclables at the curb.

Sometimes there are multiple containers for (cardboard, glass, metal, plastics etc) and sometimes all the recyclable items are in one container, to be separated elsewhere in a “MURF” (materials recovery facility).

How could anyone be against “curbside recycling”?

I’m guessing the main questions will be related to “cost and benefit”.

Would curbside recycling cause me to recycle more?

Probably not.

My family is pretty good about separating our trash and dropping off our recyclables regularly at the centers located around the island.

We’re probably at about 95% for paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, and metal cans. At home with food waste, we’re about the same, composting in the back yard about 95% of what we don’t eat (the other 5% goes to the chickens).

But regardless, I’d be willing to pay more if there’s a significant difference in the amount of total waste that’s diverted and recycled.

Such a program, properly structured, would hopefully motivate those lazy buggah’s not now doing their civic duty, and help those perhaps limited in mobility and unable to drive regularly to drop the stuff off.

The most obvious questions are how much will it cost, how much waste will be diverted, and do our political leaders possess the political will to actually implement such a program and place this additional cost on residents?

Submitting a “Mom and haupia pie” Resolution to the Mayor (10 days before the Primary), and asking him to figure this out and make it happen – is the easy part.

I applaud the effort to stimulate the conversation and “move the ball forward” in dealing with this important challenge facing our community.

My applause would turn to a standing ovation, if the Council truly embraced their responsibility and in addition to passing this non-binding Resolution, passed into law an actual binding ordinance or two that would have an immediate impact on waste reduction.

Our Kauaʻi Council could pass an ordinance now that emulates the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County – and completely bans the use and sale of polystyrene foam food ware, disposable plastic food ware, and disposable plastic service items.

The Kauaʻi Council could also pass a separate ordinance banning the sale of single use plastic water bottles. Such bans have been successfully implemented in numerous towns and cities elsewhere.

The impact of these two ordinances on immediate waste reduction would be huge AND implementation costs minimal.

It’s an election year, 3 of our Councilmembers are running to serve us as Mayor and ALL 3 are claiming to be the leaders we need to resolve the many challenges facing our community – including the landfill/solid waste issue.

Resolution No. 2026-24 is a good way to start the conversation and curbside recycling is a worthy goal, but our community deserves more than just passing this hot potato to Mayor Kawakami.

Let’s encourage our Council to elevate the discussion and action needed to eventually implement curb-side recycling, AND immediately pass an ordinance banning single use plastic water bottles, AND an ordinance banning polystyrene foam food ware, disposable plastic food ware, and disposable plastic service items.

With strong community support and involvement in the process, today’s County Council could pass these two ordinances before the General Election, AND the next Mayor (with the new Council’s support) could then finalize plans for curb-side recycling and follow through with its implementation.

Wow. Wouldn’t that be cool.

Let’s do it.

Gary Hooser
Former Kauaʻi County Councilmember

Please email your testimony to counciltestimony@kauai.gov ASAP and no later than one hour before the meeting.

Then show up this Wednesday, July 29 at 8:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. Arrive by 8:30 a.m. and sign up to speak on agenda item “Resolution No. 2026-24 re Curbside Recycling.”

Each speaker gets 3 minutes. If you donʻt want to wait until the Resolution comes up on the agenda, you will be able to speak under “Communications,” which comes at the beginning of the agenda.

Even if you don’t want to speak at the meeting, please show up in support and email your testimony in ahead of time.

Screenshot

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