GaryHooser's Blog

There are 26 candidates running for election to the 7 member Kaua’i County Council.

On August 8, the top 14 vote getters will move forward to the General Election.

Based on past elections, candidates ranking #1, #2, #3, and #4 in the Primary will generally be considered “safe” and almost guaranteed to win on November 3.

Slots #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9, are where the “action” and “movement” will be, as these 5 candidates battle it out, hoping to end up in the winners circle at #7 or above.

It’s rare for #9 or #10 to move up to #7, AND never, ever, does #14 move up the 7 slots needed to win.

Obviously finishing in the top 7 on August 8th is desirable, but to have a real chance and maintain momentum heading into the General, a candidate must finish at least in the top 10 (IMHO).

On November 3rd, Kaua’i voters will choose their top 7 (elected from the 14).

Once elected, all decisions of the 7 member Council are decided by “majority vote”, which means 4 is the magic number.

Ideally, the entire Council works together as a team with each member serving in a position that best suits their individual experience, skillset, and capacity.

The reality however is that 4 members can run the show.

4 Council members working in alignment will choose the new Council Chair, decide what measures pass or fail, which Mayoral appointments are approved or not, and to a great extent County budget priorities.

Yes, 4 is the magic number.

To override a Mayoral veto requires 5 votes, so 5 is an even more magical number, but a 4 vote majority is what it takes to run the show.

The collective “mindset” of the Council majority determines everything.

The majority could be forward thinking, assertive and willing to take action to move our community forward.

Conversely, the Council majority may be timid, unwilling to “rock the boat”, and prefer instead to just hold tight, maintain the status quo, and say yes to whatever the Mayor wants.

Or the majority could be “fluid”, dysfunctional, contentious, and unable to work together.

Each voter may cast “up to 7 votes” for 7 different candidates, but there’s no requirement that all 7 votes must be cast.

Akamai voters who understand the voting dynamics will cast their votes wisely, and only vote for those candidates they truly believe in, AND will likely work well together.

Experienced voters will never, ever, ever, vote for their favorite top 4 or 5 and then go “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” to cast the final 2 or 3 votes.

Nope. Smart voters realize the 6th or 7th vote they cast could beat out their top choices, by their own one vote.

Think about it, and ask “If you were running, who would your mother vote for?”

Naturally, she would vote for you.

But if she voted for you AND then cast her other 6 votes for 6 others, those votes could be the same votes that beat you. Imagine losing an election by a single vote that was cast by your own mother.

But of course, I am nobody’s mother 😉

My voting strategy in the Primary is to help boost my choices of the best newcomers “up” on the list of 14, and then in the General focus mostly on those in the critical “middle slots” of #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9.

With that in mind – I will be voting for Fern Holland, James Trujillo, Trysten Fernandes Caberto, Mike Coots, Umi Martin, and Michelle Kaleiohi Correa in the Primary on August 8th.

I am purposefully only voting for a single incumbent, Fern Holland, because I want to give more space and a little more boost to the newcomers.

Of course all 26 candidates care about our community and want to do good. And each brings different strengths and weaknesses to the table.

But I/we must make a choice, and after thinking long and hard about this, speaking directly with candidates, reading the websites, the Civil Beat interviews, and talking to others – I believe these 6 share my core values, 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.

As good hearted as they may be, I’m not looking for “space-holders” that just sit there. I’m also not interested in voting for “talkers” who posture for the camera, then do nothing. My votes will go to doers who have a history of showing up.

End Notes: The Hawaiʻi Sunshine Law HRS Chapter 92 forbids more than 2 members of the Council from meeting in private to discuss County business. Consequently any Council majority must have their discussions and make their decisions in a properly noticed public meeting where the public is given an opportunity to speak. It’s illegal for 3 or more members of the Council to meet in private and discuss County business, whether that meeting is in their Council office, on Zoom, in a restaurant or bar, in someones living room or kitchen, or via “serial communications/text/phone/email”.

“Uncle, I need your help…”.

Those were not her words, but that’s the message I heard when reading yesterday’s email from State House candidate and friend, Nadia Alves.

Her message was direct, and similar to that of many other campaigns, all facing the same challenge.

To paraphrase:

“Ballots will be arriving in peoples homes in two weeks. I’m pushing hard to get out a final “campaign mailer” but we’re $2,200 short and need to go to press by Tuesday July 7th at the very latest. Can you help with an online contribution of $20 to $200? Mahalo for any help you can offer!”

My answer of course is absolutely yes.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I think Nadia is awesome, I trust her completely, and yes I’m going to dig deep, make a campaign contribution, and help her close this campaign out as strong as possible.

I ask also that you join me in helping Nadia. Whether it’s $20 or $200, anything you can contribute online today especially, is welcome, much needed, and will be greatly appreciated.

Whether you live in District 28, Chinatown, Iwilei, and Mauliola (Sand Island) or reside on a totally different island – it doesn’t matter.

When Nadia Alves wins, we will all win.

For the past few months she’s been working hard every single day in her district, knocking on doors, holding signs, attending events, and talking one-on-one with voters.

To get a glimpse of Nadia’s core values watch this very short PBS “Insights” clip where she says, “Our elected officials need to be accountable to the people, not special interests.”

She’s been endorsed by Our Hawai‘i, the Patsy Mink Pac, 350.org, Unite Here Local 5, Hawai‘i College Democrats, H.O.K.U., and Our Revolution Hawai‘i. She’s refusing big money corporate and special interest campaign donations, AND she’s on the Moho ʻĀina slate!

Please. Help me help Nadia – today.

Trust me, I would not be making this singular ask to help this one particular individual if I did not have total trust and confidence in her character, her values, her ability and skills, and her uncompromising commitment to doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Imua.
Gary Hooser
Please also read and share widely (with other young emerging leaders especially) – “From My Heart To Yours”

Here are other worthy candidates (State House, Senate, and L.G.) from across the islands also deserving of your help and support. If I lived in the District, my 2026 primary election vote would go to…

Aloha Friends,
I found this well written essay an eye-opening reminder of recent history…educational…and very, very provocative…I’m thinking you will also find it a worthy use of your time.

From The Economist
Written by Rosa Brooks
Jun 2nd 2026

LIKE VIRTUALLY every American over 40, I remember where I was when I learned of the 9/11 attacks. I was driving to work, listening to National Public Radio. When I got to the office people were wandering about, shocked. Some were crying. Others were huddled around computer monitors. Every screen showed the same things, over and over: the planes flying into the towers, the tiny shapes that were human beings leaping into nothingness, the towers collapsing, the clouds of smoke and debris rising.

No one knew much. Al-Qaeda was not yet well known. It took several days for officials to confirm Osama bin Laden’s group as the perpetrators. But even in those first stunned hours, one thing was apparent: this would change our world, and not for the better.

A quarter-century later, it’s easier to assess the damage. The attacks marked the beginning of the end of American global leadership, launching us into a state of permanent fear and emergency that, in turn, enabled the precipitous decline of our democracy.

The events of 9/11 themselves, and al-Qaeda more generally, did not pose an existential threat to the United States. The richest country on Earth could, and did, shrug off the economic impact, and from a cold actuarial perspective, in a nation so large—one that routinely loses 15,000-20,000 people a year to homicide—the 3,000 deaths on 9/11, however tragic, weren’t likely to cripple the country. It was our predictable overreaction that did us in.

Less than a month after 9/11 President George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan, starting a war that would last for 20 years and kill more than 6,000 American military personnel and contractors before its ignominious end.

Six weeks after the attacks Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act, permitting a previously undreamt-of expansion of government surveillance and detention authorities. Within six months Mr Bush signed a directive declaring the Geneva Conventions inapplicable to the conflict with al-Qaeda.

A year after that we went to war in Iraq as well, relying on false claims that its dictator, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction and was aiding al-Qaeda. That war would leave more than 8,000 American troops and contractors dead.

By the end of 2004 the surge of global goodwill America had enjoyed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 had evaporated. Too many dead bodies had piled up, for one thing: in addition to the thousands of American and allied military personnel killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other far-flung outposts of the global war on terror, hundreds of thousands of Afghans and Iraqis were dead.

By overseeing the indefinite detention of terrorist suspects and the use of torture, the Bush administration had also squandered any claims to moral leadership: once viewed, images of naked Iraqi prisoners piled into human pyramids couldn’t easily be unseen.

But the self-inflicted damage continued after Mr Bush left office.

Although President Barack Obama rolled back many of the Bush administration’s most egregious policies, such as the use of torture, the “forever war” proved difficult to end. Mr Obama acknowledged that playing whack-a-mole with terrorists wasn’t a sustainable strategy, but he could not seem to stop; he expanded the use of drone strikes and other targeted killings of terrorist suspects around the world.

Like the Bush administration’s use of torture, the targeted-killings programme, which continued under Donald Trump and Joe Biden, was notably lacking in meaningful due process. The executive branch insisted it had the right to kill anyone, anywhere, at any time based on classified evidence it declined to disclose—declaring itself judge, jury and executioner.

The 9/11 attacks reverberated domestically as well. The 2001 PATRIOT Act was just the beginning: surveillance and detention authorities continued to expand, and surveillance technologies developed on the battlefield were later adopted by police at the federal, state and local levels.

Legal doctrines developed in the context of national-security-related issues increasingly found their way into ordinary civil and criminal cases. As a quiescent Congress ceded ever more power to the executive branch, “emergency” authorities granted in the wake of 9/11 became permanent.

Just as perniciously, America became a nation defined by fear and mutual suspicion. Jolted out of their pre-9/11 sense of invulnerability, citizens turned on one another. Islamophobia and xenophobia rose. Conspiracy theories spread: the attacks were an inside job, or an Israeli plot, or planned by Wall Street elites who profited from insider trading. Political polarisation increased, too.

By 2014 more than a quarter of Democrats and a third of Republicans saw the other political party as a “threat to the nation’s well-being”. Far-right and white-nationalist groups gained traction.

Of course, 9/11 was not the sole cause of America’s democratic decline, but it helped create legal, political and psychological conditions which accelerated that decline.

By 2015, when a certain New York reality-TV star began his rise to power, we were a nation ripe for authoritarian takeover from within. Weakened by internal division, with a populace habituated to executive overreach and violations of due-process norms, what chance did American democracy have against an authoritarian in the White House?

By the time a violent right-wing mob stormed the Capitol on January 6th 2021, it had become clear that the gravest threat to American democracy was not a vicious and homicidal band of Islamist extremists. It was our own citizens, goaded by an autocratic president to whom we had handed vast powers.

In 1776 the American colonists rebelled against what they saw as the arbitrary and tyrannical British monarchy. As we approach America’s 250th birthday, it’s hard not to imagine Mad King George gazing out at Donald Trump’s America—and laughing.

Rosa Brooks is the Scott K. Ginsburg chair in law and policy at Georgetown University.

The calls keep coming in and I keep encouraging people to “do your research”.

If it’s helpful, I wrote/posted this yesterday “Evaluating The Candidates – 6 things I look closely at.”

But…since so many are asking me, “If you lived in my district, who would you vote for?”

So…because you asked…I did some digging…visited the websites…asked around with friends and extended ohana living on every island…checked endorsements looking especially for those supported by civic advocacy groups such as “Our Hawaii”, HULIPAC (Big Island), the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, The Patsy Mink Pac, and the “Moho ʻĀina slate”.

*Note – I purposefully have not included any incumbents. “The good guys” now serving in elective office (at all levels), should already have strong name recognition, a track record they can run on, AND they should have started raising campaign money a long time ago.

So, here I go with the deep dive.

I know also for sure, garans ball-barans, I’ll not make everyone happy.

For Governor – I’m still analyzing the various candidates and searching for someone who actually believes climate change is a real existential threat, and who will make energy independence and food self sufficiency a priority. (IYKYK)

In addition, I’m hoping to find a qualified candidate I can support who will demand that the U.S. military clean up the mess they’ve already created, comply with Hawaiʻi’s HRS343 EIS law, AND agree to stop “live fire” training, BEFORE any lease negotiations even start. AND a candidate who will oppose making Hawaiʻi the “Center for Weapons Development in the Pacific”.

For Lieutenant Governor – I’m supporting Rep. Della Bellati and explain my reasoning here: “My choice in the Hawaiʻi Lieutenant Governor’s race”.

For State House Representative

District #2 Holt, Cristina (Tina)
Hilo
I’ve seen Tina in action and she’s a dynamo. She has the uncanny ability to condense the facts, and present the information in a way that cannot be ignored. She’s fearless, she does her homework, and when elected will be a genuine change-maker.

District #3 Keawekane, Kuulei (Kiana)
Portion of Hilo · Keaukaha · Orchidlands Estate · Ainaloa · Hawaiian Acres · Fern Acres · Portions of Kurtistown & Keaʻau
Everywhere I turn, people are talking about Kuulei, her Aloha ʻĀina based values, unrelenting commitment to people and planet, cultural knowledge, and tireless energy.

District #10 Kaho’ohanohano, Ki’i
Portion of Waiehu · Paukūkalo · Wailuku · Wailuku Heights · Waikapū · Hayashi Village
I’ll never forget sitting across from Ki’i, just talking story about life and family. It was prior to her making a decision to run for election, but that conversation has stuck with me. If given the opportunity I’d vote for her in a heartbeat.

District #12 Kuoha, Keoni
Makawao · Hāliʻimaile · Pukalani · Kula · Pūlehu · ʻUlupalakua · Kanaio · Kahikinui
Keoni is someone I don’t believe I’ve ever met in person, but virtually all of my Maui friends and extended ohana are telling me he’s solid.

District #14 Kiakona, Pa’ele
Lāhainā · Kahakuloa · Waiheʻe · Maʻalaea · Olowalu · Lahainaluna · Kaʻanapali · Mahinahina · Kahana · Honokahua
Pa’ele is a guy who’s ready to make change happen, and he has a history and track record of doing just that. We desperately need “braveheart” leaders like Pa’ele, willing to stand up and be counted, AND willing to do the heavy lifting needed to get the job done.

District #19 Pacarro, Kahi
Waiʻalae-Kāhala · ʻĀina Haina · Niu Valley · Kuliʻouʻou
Kahi has demonstrated through his life’s actions, that he’s running for the right reasons and will do the right things when elected. Kahi is surrounded by people in his district who have rallied behind his candidacy, determined to make much needed and long overdue change happen. I like the guy and am supporting him without any reservations, whatsoever.

District #21 Morrow, Jake Takaya
Pālolo Valley — St. Louis Heights — Kaimukī — Maunalani Heights — Wilhelmina Rise —
Jake and I have had several direct, no holds barred, personal, policy, and political conversations. I like him. He’s the real deal and running a hard race against big money established political forces. Let’s help him.

District #26 Fujinaka, Janel S.
Makiki, Tantalus, Punchbowl, and Papakōlea
Quiet but effective is how I’d describe Janel. I met with her a few months ago over coffee and came away impressed by the depth of her commitment to making our community a better place.

District #28 Alves, Nadia
Sand Island · Iwilei · Chinatown
Nadia has the heart, the knowledge, the lived experience, a track record working at the legislature, and is steady as a rock in her commitment to make positive change happen. I know from first hand experience that Nadia Alves is awesome.

District #30 Kealoha, Kekoa O Pololu
Kalihi · Kalihi Kai · Keʻehi Lagoon · Hickam Village
Kekoa is relentless. He will not stop until he and our community, wins. He has a voice and he’s willing to use it, speaking truth to power. Let’s help him take it to the next level.

District #39 Rosenlee, Corey
Royal Kunia, Village Park, Honouliuli, Ho‘opili, and Portion of Waipahu
Corey is a known force with a proven record of leadership. You can know for sure one thing about Corey – When elected, he will not sit down, he will not back down, and he will not be quiet, until Hawaiʻi public schools are the absolute best they can be.

District #42 Paris, Anthony Makana
Portions of Varona Village, ‘Ewa, and Kapolei, Fernandez Village
Makana Paris is for sure the best pick in this race. No question about it. When Makana wins, we will all win. Trust me. I got a good feeling about this guy.

District #45 Kaopua, Kalehua
Waiʻanae · Mākaha
We’ve never met nor even spoke but reading about Kalehua, her roots, her upbringing, the lessons she has learned and now wants to share – has moved me. After talking to friends and seeing her included on other “lists” of emerging leaders running for election to the House – I’m joining also with my support.

State Senate

Senate District #2 Aynessazian, Tanya Yamanaka
Puna
Tanya and I have worked together developing, researching, and advocating community based policy initiatives with the potential to create positive and much needed change statewide. We’ve broken bread, shared laughter, and worked very, very hard together towards common goals. Tanya is a leader among the 8 citizen plaintiffs who recently won a precedent setting court ruling in Acasio v House. Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian’s presence in the Hawaii State Senate would without a doubt result in a more open government and more community based decision-making. To be clear, she would be there shining a light, for all of us.

Senate District #13 Nakamura, Jordan Kapono
Dowsett Highlands · Puʻunui · Nuʻuanu · Pacific Heights · Pauoa · Punchbowl · Pālama · Liliha · Iwilei · Chinatown · Downtown
Jordan is amazing and he can win. I’ve looked at the dynamics of this race closely and know without any doubt whatsoever that this guy can win. He’s good. Really good. Let’s help push him over the top.

Senate District #14 MacPherson, Christy
Kapālama, ‘Ālewa, Kalihi, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley, Red Hill
Kudo’s to Christy MacPherson for being willing to step up and challenge an incumbent who will go down in the history books as one of the strongest voices ever to occupy that big square building. Christy has served her community for the past 30 years working, as a substance abuse counselor for teenagers, survivors of sexual abuse, mothers struggling with issues of addiction, people living with HIV/AIDS, teens and adults coping with mental illness, and families experiencing homelessness. She will bring not just compassion and empathy, but critical solution oriented knowledge gained from working in the trenches.

Senate District #17 Brown, Nani
Portion of Mililani · Mililani Mauka · Waipiʻo Acres · Launani Valley · Wahiawā · Whitmore Village
Yes, I’ve used the words “amazing” and “awesome” probably a few too many times in my description of the candidates I’m recommending . But without any exaggeration whatsoever, Nani Brown is a force of nature. She wears her love for her community on her sleeve and carries a commitment for positive change that is unmatched. Please read this recent Civil Beat story, “Can This Underdog Take Down Hawaiʻi’s Most Powerful Senator?”

That’s it for now. In the next few days, I’ll write about the County races AND the Congressional, AND eventually also cover OHA.

If you’re interested in this stuff…and you would not have read this far if you weren’t 😉

June 30th, Tuesday morning at 9am – Aria Juliet and I are going to dive into the 2026 Hawai’i Primary Election and try our best to break it down. Please tune in to Policy and Politics on YOUTUBE and also streaming on FACEBOOK and check it out. We’ll be doing our best to at least touch upon ALL the interesting races happening in EVERY County AND the State Legislature AND our two Congressional seats AND of course the LG race. Whew! Promises to be a jam packed 90 minutes. See ya then- Tuesday June 30 at 9am. I’ll bring the coffee! AND yes, it will be recorded so the above links will still work…if you happen to miss the live action.

Gary Hooser

No candidate is perfect.

In choosing who receives my vote and my support, I start with these questions:

1) Do the candidate’s values align with my own?
2) What about their prior jobs and life experience?
3) Can I trust the veracity of their actions and words?
4) Is the candidate viable?
5) Are they willing to do the work needed to win?
6) What about “the opposition”?

It starts of course, with values.

We’re all in this together, and putting people and the planet above profits, are foundational values for me.

Others will say, it’s every man for himself, only the strong survive, government is the problem, the free market “invisible hand” is the answer.

When I see someone living in their car, my thoughts go to the fact there’s no legal, safe, or affordable place for them to live or even park their car to sleep. Few jobs pay a living wage, and affordable rentals are nonexistent.

Others will see that same person, in the same exact situation, and say “It’s their own damn fault, they should get a job.” They’ll assume it’s because they’re on drugs, and the answer is for government to sweep them away – out of sight and out of mind.

Ditto on the core issue of government regulation.

Some see protection of health and environment. Others see “impediments to development”.

We each look at the same thing, but yet we each may see entirely different things.

A candidate’s occupation, hobby’s, and leisure time choices are also good indicators of core values.

Do they spend Saturdays testing the waters or cleaning the beach with Surfrider Foundation, volunteering with the FoodBank or homeless outreach programs, or coaching youth sports?

Do they work in real estate, business, banking, law enforcement, construction, or the hospitality industry? Or have they paid the bills in the past via employment in social services, healthcare, education, conservation or perhaps in the nonprofit world?

What about endorsements?

There are of course the construction trades, teachers, nurses, hotel workers, university professors, government employees (HGEA and UPW) and others who endorse candidates. Note: Additional endorsement links will be added in the days ahead.

In addition to labor union endorsements, many of the candidates I’m personally supporting, are being endorsed also by civic advocacy groups such as “Our Hawaii”, HULIPAC (Big Island), the Sierra Club of Hawaii, The Patsy Mink Pac, and/or are part of the “Moho ʻĀina slate”.

Veracity and trust is critical.

Is the candidate trustworthy, or do they too often stray into the realm of hyperbole and B.S.?

Can you take their words and actions at face value, or must they be double-checked?

Are they credible and can they win?

Do they have a purple mohawk? Are they new to the district? Are they unknown, untested, and unfunded, running against a “proven” incumbent with deep roots, strong networks, and lots of money?

Given enough effort, money, and time – all candidates can be considered viable but let’s be real. Does this candidate have any chance at all?

Are they willing to do the work needed to win?

Will they get up early, hold signs on the highway, go home and make fundraising calls, AND then go out and knock on doors and put up signs/banners in the neighborhood?

Or will they stay home immersed in social media, thinking that’s enough?

Who is the candidate running against?

If the opposition is the devil incarnate, the basic voting decision is easy. The question then becomes “How much time, energy, and money” should I be offering in support?

If it’s “sometimes they’re ok, sometimes they’re not” – the decision of whether to support a challenger is more complex.

Personally, I want to elect people who are better than “ok” and am always seeking to support high quality challengers willing to do the work of a real campaign.

Bottom line for candidate evaluation and selection:

Explore the fundamental questions listed above, then “follow the money”.

The campaign spending commission website will tell you who gives, how much, and even their occupation. It also shows the time, date, location, and ticket price of every fundraiser held by the candidate. https://ags.hawaii.gov/campaign/cc/cc-view-reports/

A review of these reports (after July 9 especially) will often tell you more about the values of the candidates than all of the question listed above.

There you have it.

But please, don’t just take my word for it.

Take the time. Do your own digging.

Our democracy and the health of our community will be better for it.

HEADS UP AND MARK YOUR CALENDAR! June 30th, Tuesday morning at 9am – Aria and I are going to dive into the 2026 Hawai’i Primary Election. Please tune in to Policy and Politics on YOUTUBE and also streaming on FACEBOOK and check it out. We’ll be doing our best to at least touch upon ALL the interesting races happening in EVERY County AND the State Legislature AND our two Congressional seats AND of course the LG race. Whew! Promises to be a jam packed 90 minutes. See ya then- Tuesday June 30 at 9am. I’ll bring the coffee! See less

Gary

No candidate is perfect, and each brings to the table their own unique “world view”.

Rep. Della Belatti has come out strongly against government corruption, and in support of increased public participation in our government. Her background is humble and working class.

Her support base includes residents on every island who are at the moment, just trying to survive, pay their bills, and put food on the table. She also has a growing and positive reputation among citizen advocates committed to the support and defense of social justice, environmental protection, and the rights and needs of local working people.

The early and aggressive support of Mayor Kawakami by a SuperPac connected to Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) demonstrates without question his core support among developers, contractors, bankers, and the big business elite of Hawai’i.

Yes, of course he’s also supported by regular working people, but both his individual campaign fundraising AND his SuperPac support is fueled almost exclusively by big money, big construction, and big development.

My start in policy and politics began on Kauaʻi with a fight to “save Makaleha Springs” some 30 years ago.

My world view was and remains grounded in environmental protection.

Without exaggeration, every year since then I’ve fought tooth and nail against big money and big development seeking to weaken environmental protections under the guise of “streamlining” the permitting process.

We each look at the same thing, but yet see entirely different things.

I look at HRS 343, Hawai’i’s EIS law and see a sacrosanct fundamental environmental protection.

The PRP’s of the world look at this law and see an “impediment to development” and are relentless in their efforts to eliminate this and similar environmental protections, and/or provide an endless array of exemptions.

Ditto to many other areas of our community.

Big business and big development will ALWAYS seek first and foremost to increase profits and limit government regulation. That’s how capitalism works.

Candidates will always work hard to deliver for their base of supporters. And the supporters count on that. After-all, that’s why they offer help, support, and money.

My vote in the Hawai‘i Lieutenant Governor’s race is going to Della Belatti.

Myself, and many others from across the islands are supporting her because we’re counting on her to deliver, and to be the person she says she is.

The same holds true for the PRP SuperPacs, and big money donors who’ve lined up to support Mayor Kawakami. They also are counting on him to come through for them.

Yes, I’m fully aware that as a Kauaʻi resident, voting for someone other than the hometown boy, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami, will disappoint some of my friends and neighbors.

However, my own personal world view and core public policy values are much more aligned with Rep. Della Belatti’s than any other candidate in the Hawai’i Lieutenant Governor’s race.

So naturally, that’s where my vote will be going.

It seems every day there’s breaking news about government corruption, waste, fraud, abuse, inefficiencies, and incompetence.

It seems every County except Kauaʻi has made the headlines.

A 5 minute internet search using the words “County Auditor discovers, reveals, reports…” quickly brought these 3 headlines to the surface.

In 2023 the Hawaiʻi County Auditor discovered “severe vulnerabilities in internal controls, tracking systems, and administrative oversight regarding how affordable housing credits were distributed and monitored” – resulting in a former Hawaiʻi County housing development specialist being sentenced in federal court to 46 months in prison for taking bribes.

An audit by the Maui County Auditor revealed the Maui County Finance Department failed to collect nearly $17 million in TAT as of June 2022.

The Honolulu City auditor released a report in January that found after five years, the Honolulu Office of Economic Revitalization met less than 40% of its mission to promote agriculture, technology and small businesses.

So far, Kauaʻi County has avoided these headlines.

Whether this is due to our excellent, honest, and efficient County employees, the stellar management of our Council and Mayor, or the fact that Kauaʻi County does not have an Independent County Auditor – we do not know.

And we really won’t know until the day comes when the Kauaʻi Council actually complies with the County Charter, hires a qualified independent auditor, and provides the budget and support for the auditor to do its job.

Yes, we’ve heard and continue to hear, excuse after excuse as to why the Council has failed to comply with the Kauaʻi Charter requirement for an Independent Office of the County Auditor.

Yet, every other County has succeeded in establishing this office, and the results of having an independent auditor conducting regular “performance audits” of the various County departments and programs, speaks for itself.

Waste, fraud, abuse, bribery, and inefficiencies exist in every large organization, government and private.

You can be sure that public assets (equipment, vehicles, tools) are being used inappropriately for private purposes by public employees. You can also be sure there is favoritism in the granting of County permits, and the distribution of County services.

While we do not know the extent of such activity, it is without a doubt occurring in Kauaʻi County at some level.

And there’s also no question that some County operations are over-staffed and some are woefully under-staffed.

Independent audits that review the operations of County government are essential to improve government operations, increase efficiency, save money, and root out the bad actors.

The Office of the Kauaʻi County Auditor, which is required by the Kauaʻi Charter, has been vacant for eleven years.

This means not one INDEPENDENT performance audit of any Kauaʻi County department or program has been conducted for over a decade now.

Yes, there is a required “budget audit” conducted yearly which evaluates the budget, and yes occasionally the Council will request and fund an audit of various operations.

However by definition, these are not INDEPENDENT audits free of political intent or interference, whether real or perceived.

And these audits certainly do not fulfill the requirements of the County Charter.

It’s an election year.

3 of our 7 Councilmembers are asking for our vote and support to be Kauaʻi’s next Mayor.

Each is promising “leadership” and “action” and each has a long list of things they are promising to address.

My hope is the hiring of a County Auditor is high on that list – and will be completed soon, now, before the election.

Other items such as establishing a County Department of Agriculture, curbside recycling, tackling the cesspool/septic/sewer issue, providing increased support to our homeless friends and neighbors, and the debacle known as the Coco Palms Hotel – can also be addressed NOW and need not wait until the election comes and goes.

It’s important I think, to remind all 7 on the Council AND our Mayor, that regardless of what happens on August 8 or November 3rd, they each will remain in office until December 1st – and much work (not just campaigning) can still be done in the coming 5 months.

We did it. 320 of you came through and made it happen.

It’s amazing really. Gives me chicken skin. Another one of those high-five, fist bumps, happy-dance on the table kinda moments.

Thank you my friends. Thank you so, so much.

Because of you and the 320 individuals that took the proactive step of getting involved and offering financial support, the 8 citizen plaintiffs have achieved AND exceeded the $20,000 GoFundMe goal needed to cover the core legal expenses in Acasio v State House of Representatives.

Wish I could reach out and hug every single one of you, or at least send you all personal notes of gratitude. Unfortunately (though it protects your privacy), GoFundMe does not release that individual contact information.

I’ll catch up on the hugs when I see you in person at the next court hearing or victory party!

Because of course it doesn’t stop here.

We pause, reflect, and celebrate the awesome victory, then we take the next steps AFTER we hear from the State House of Representatives who’ve issued no public statements whatsoever.

The court decision is unambiguous.

The State House of Representatives violated the Hawaiʻi State Constitution.
(more legal insights here for those who are interested in “just the facts”)

We assume of course that our lawmakers in the House will now start following the law.

But so far they’ve been totally quiet.

Check out Civil Beat on Sunday 06/21, and read more about “Next Steps”.

I encourage you also to continue reaching out to YOUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE and continue to ask them “Whose side are you on?” – until they respond in writing to you.

AND please SHARE this story with your friends and networks AND ask them to SHARE and yes, ask them to continue supporting the GoFundMe campaign as the 8 plaintiffs roll up their sleeves for the next phase in this ongoing legal battle.

Everyone should know by now, there’s no giving up and no letting up.

A quick recap on this amazing story.

It was early January 2025 and a handful of private citizens gathered at the Capitol for a “Good Governance Caucus” meeting, only to find out the official House Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures had no plans to hold any public meetings.

Even though their own existing “House Rules” stated clearly that every committee of the House must hold decision making meetings in public AND the fact that the State Constitution says the same thing – the response from House Leadership was “nope” not gonna do that, and “we make our own rules and decide which rules we follow or don’t follow”.

The citizens of course were outraged and hugely disappointed as they were planning specifically to attend the meeting or at least submit testimony to this committee.

I was there and “on the rail” discussing this with various legislators and citizens, and likewise flabbergasted at House Leaderships decision.

Someone asked, “What are we gonna do?” Then another said, “They can’t be allowed to get away with this, let’s call attorneys Lance Collins and Bianca Isaki”.

So we did.

I’ll never forget Lance’s initial response, “This sounds interesting, and I’m interested.”

From there, an informal coalition was formed, 8 citizens who had planned to attend and or testify before this committee, stepped up to be plaintiffs – and a lawsuit was filed.

And on May 29th they/we won.

First Circuit Court Judge James Ashford ruled in Acasio V House of Representatives that the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives violated the Hawaiʻi Constitution when the House Advisory Committee on Rules met in secret and made decisions.

The research, consultations, legal filings and court hearings have stretched out now for 18 months. Lance Collins and Bianca Isaki have donated hundreds if not thousands of hours of legal services directly and with discounted fees. These two are heroes in my book. They have done, and continue to do truly awesome work for so many in our collective community.

The plaintiffs have also donated their funds, paid their own travel to get to court, and do not receive any money from this whatsoever – all funds raised are paid to fulfill direct legal expenses.

I’ve been there as a volunteer, along with many others, from the beginning – and it’s an honor to walk along-side these 8 AND with Lance and Bianca AND now the 320 of you who’ve made this all possible.

Mahalo to all!

Imua.

Gary Hooser

My phones been ringing off the hook (IYKYK) with friends asking, “Who are you supporting for Kaua’i Mayor and Council?”

At a recent “candidate forum” hosted by Malama Kaua’i and HAPA, voters were given a valuable opportunity to see and hear in person many of the candidates.

Of the 18 Council candidates present: Mike Coots, Umi Martin, Jimmy Trujillo, and Trysten Fernandes Caberto all hit the ball hard from my perspective.

Michelle Kaleiohi Correa and Dane Smith also definitely scored points with me.

For those counting, that’s already 6 and doesn’t include my #1 choice, Councilmember Fern Holland who was unable to attend the forum.

And it doesn’t include Councilmembers Bulosan and Kaneshiro both of whom bring valuable institutional knowledge to the table.

Other candidates who stood out and am guessing will wind up in the top 14 on August 8 were Todd Ozaki, Taylor Shigemoto, Keola Kaiminaauao, John Mattos, and Paul Applegate.

James Langtad, John Montemayor, Nelson Mukai, Yelena Okhman, Herman Wilson, and Skyler Workman also deserve a huge mahalo from all of us. They made showing up for voters a priority and should be commended for doing so.

*Note: I’ve included links to those candidate websites that I could locate.

I deeply appreciate every single person who has chosen to be a candidate, and publicly put themselves and their values out in the open for public scrutiny.

To be clear, my bias, and my core political base of values can best be described as that of a Bernie Sanders Democrat. Yes, I know he’s an “Independent”, but he hangs with the Dem’s.

And yes, I understand the Council race is “non-partisan”.

But core values matter.

This is why voters must look closely at a candidates background.

What have they done up until now?

What issues have they publicly championed or opposed in the past? If they’ve not testified, not carried signs, nor written letters or spoken out on issues – Why not?

Who are their friends and associates? Who’s “backing them”?

I strongly encourage everyone to do a bit of homework and make up your own mind.

Visit their websites and see what issues and solutions are front and center. Do they mention environmental issues at all? Do they speak of doing more to support the unhoused? Are they willing to speak openly about “taxing the rich” and those not paying their fair share?

Naturally I have my favorites.

In addition to Fern Holland, I’ve known and worked alongside Council candidate Jimmy Trujillo for at least 20 years. Jimmy was in the water on August 27, 2007 (IYKYK). He’s an avid apiarist, a long time member of KKCR Community Radio, and has a solid history of community involvement. Those facts alone are enough for me.

We each get 7 votes, and for this primary I’m thinking about using all 7.

So now I gotta figure out where my other 5 votes should go.

As to the Mayoral portion of the candidate forum, the common theme at the end was clearly, “Some of the names have been there a long time. They have good priorities but why haven’t they addressed these issues already? Some of the new people are very interesting and have excellent ideas but do they have the experience and capability to do the job?”

Yes, the Mayor runs the County’s day-to-day operations, but the Council can set priorities via tax policy, the passage of ordinances, and budget oversight.

So it’s a valid question to all 3 Mayoral candidates who now serve on the Council – Bernard Carvalho, Felicia Cowden, and Mel Rapozo: “Why during the past 4 years on the Council haven’t you proposed for public discussion and public vote, some of the good ideas and proposals offered up at the forum?”

The other 3 choices for Mayor are:

Megeso-William Denis who also ran for Mayor in 2022 is a 13 year resident of Kauai with a background in business.

Laura Andaya-Lindsey has an administrative/management experience working in community, focused on social services.

Michaela Widener had a refreshing, innovative approach to problem solving, and presented herself with confidence, conviction, and commitment. Made me think of Mamdani.

My choice? It’s still up in the air.

But gonna have to pick someone on August 8th.

The “top two” will then move through to the primary.

There are no perfect candidates.

Please. Do your homework, talk to friends and neighbors, attend the forums, and reach out directly to the candidates – then vote for the person that best represents your values and world view.

As a “Boomer” who came of age during the Vietnam War, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, I struggle sometimes with technology.

I admit it. I don’t always download, upload, or side-load the right app, nor do my passwords always line up nicely.

My personal relationship with most technology is “love/hate” at best, and I resist with all my might giving in to it’s constant demands.

Now, with A.I. virtually taking over everything, I’m fighting back.

I’m mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.

Not long ago, I got an email from the mortgage company, asking about my home insurance. I was told to go to their website, sign in, and upload documents confirming the insurance was current.

Why they just couldn’t call my insurance company for this I do not know.

I responded to the email and received back a “Sorry this email address is not monitored, please go to the website and access your account.”

So, they can send me an email but I cannot reply via email?

I made a note to myself that from then on, I would always send them back an auto-reply saying my email is not being monitored, please go to my personal website, log in, establish an account, and upload their documents.

Not wanting to jeopardize the status of my mortgage, I next tried calling them on one of the 5 telephone numbers listed at the bottom of my mortgage statement.

Of course. I promptly entered A.I. telephone hell.

An hour later I hung up.

I was over it.

Then a crazy idea hit me that sent me rummaging through my desk drawers to find a pen and paper.

Some of you reading this might also have experience using these two items.

Others, I’m sure, are familiar with the phrase “the pen, (and paper) is mightier than the sword (and big business, big government, and big A.I.)”.

Aptly armed, I rolled up my sleeves, tossed down a strong cup of iced coffee (to chill my veins and energize my anger), and began hand-writing the mortgage company a letter on actual paper, in pen, and using CURSIVE.

Trust me on this. They will rue the day they messed with this Boomer.

I wrote a request for a copy of my mortgage, a breakdown of interest rate calculations along with insurance/tax payments, AND asked that a written response be mailed via USPS to me, AND a face-to-face meeting to discuss my account.

My old school rebelliousness was alive and kicking.

When finished, I folded the paper nicely, reached for an envelope. Thatʻs when I stopped as the devil in my ear whispered further instructions.

So I unfolded the letter, tightly crumpled it, opened it, and re-crumpled it in my fist. Next, I somewhat smoothed out the wrinkly paper, only to make a small tear on the top and at the bottom. Very tiny tears. Just enough to get jammed in any machine attempting to scan the letter for A.I. review.

To complete the task, I drove to the post office to put icing on the cake. I mailed my letter with “return receipt with signature” requested.

Rebel satisfied.

It’s been two months now, and I’ve heard nothing back. Neither an A.I nor human-crafted reply. My regular monthly statements all look and feel normal.

I called my insurance company and spoke to a very nice HUMAN lady who told me all is good.

Pen, paper, cursive, written-report request, in-person meeting request, crumple, tear, and return receipt. To me, this was a Boomerʻs Revenge equivalent of the group “Anonymous.”

Remember them? They gained notoriety in the 1990s by organizing the online Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. You know, the attacks that shut down big businesses and government agencies by overwhelming computer systems with online requests.

Now I’m certainly not recommending vandalism or causing harm to any large corporations operated by A.I. and owned by oligarchs who pocket obscene profits by preying on the elderly, the vulnerable, and the technologically unsophisticated.

But this Boomerʻs Revenge tactic could, hypothetically, be used to communicate with health insurance companies denying treatment, government agencies failing to provide appropriate services, or just about any large corporation failing to respect and/or seeking to overcharge and otherwise abuse us old guys.

I gotta wonder, though. What would happen if 40 million victims (young and old) of predatory federal student loans decided to hand-write using pen, paper, AND cursive, to the U.S. Department of Education—requesting a copy of their original loan agreement, and detailed history of payments, charges, and interest computations?

Seriously. If you or your business wants to communicate with me, provide a human being for me to actually talk to. Not a machine. Otherwise, we can exchange notes written on paper in cursive and delivered via the mail.