Aloha Friends,
Am hoping the Mark Twain quote brought a smile to your face 😉
Please know that I am alive and well, and fully engaged in our ongoing campaign for re-election to the Kaua’i County Council. Our campaign is committed to winning on November 8th and I am committed to being an even stronger voice for you on the council. I will continue to challenge the status quo (and win) in support of protecting our environment, preserving our quality of life and restoring faith and confidence in our government.
I was surprised and disappointed more Kaua’i residents who share our values, goals and vision for Kauai’s future did not show up to vote on August 13th. The 34% voter turnout was abysmal and we have to work together to change that.
To restate the results, I finished #9 out of 13 candidates in the August 13th Primary. To win re-election in the General Election on November 8th, I must finish in the top 7. This is absolutely doable, but requires a redoubling of effort. We must make sure those who share our values and vision for the future show up and vote on November 8th.
There are several key areas upon which our winning strategy is based:
#1: Most importantly, our supporters need to be informed as to the urgency of this Council election, so that they show up and vote in November.
Voters need to know that amendments to the Kaua’i General Plan which will guide development on Kaua’i for decades to come will be reviewed and voted on by the council that is elected November 8th.
Voters need to informed and reminded that if they want strong voices on the council who are willing to ask the questions and make the tough choices needed to protect our environment, preserve our quality of life and restore faith and confidence in our government – they need to show up and vote on November 8th.
#2: We need to organize our community. Those actively opposed to my reelection (the agrochemical industry and large landowner/developers) have shown in the Primary that they are organized. They are running a slate of candidates called the “super six” and they all finished in the top 6 slots during the Primary.
If all six were to win in November, the strong voices now on the council in support of the environment, controlled development and open government would be greatly diminished. That is why we have to work extra hard to promote not only my candidacy, but those of other Council candidates who support a vision that puts the protection of people and the environment first. Ask the tough questions, examine the past actions and accomplishments of each and every candidate and then limit your valuable votes to only those candidates who you truly believe will represent you and your values.
To win in November we need to expand and motivate our amazing, diverse and island-wide base of support.
#3: We must share our vision of the future. We need to contrast our values clearly against those candidates who; while they say they are “for the people” have shown that they inevitably make decisions that put development and profit ahead of people and the environment.
We can win this and win strong, but only if people understand clearly what is at stake and are motivated to act. There is so much on the line for Kaua’i in this election.
That is why I am asking you to please help today if you can!
1) We need volunteers to help with sign holding and many other activities. Please email gary@garyhooser.com so I can add you to our volunteer list!
2) Campaign contributions are needed prior to September 1 to restock campaign supplies and increase a range of efforts to get our message out. http://garyhooser.com/donate-now/
3) Can you organize a “meet and greet house party or coffee hour” with 10 friends and neighbors? This can be a simple hour-long gathering that provides your neighbors/friends an opportunity to share directly with me their individual concerns and priorities. Email gary@garyhooser.com
4) Would you be willing to offer a short (two or three sentences max) personal statement of support that I can publish in our public materials? Email gary@garyhooser.com
It goes without saying that it is an honor and a privilege to serve you on the Kauai County Council. If you like the work I am doing on your behalf and would like me to continue in this service, I must have your active help and support in order to win on November 8th. Please choose one of the ways above to join with “Team Hooser” and help create this win together!
Sincerely,
Gary Hooser
Note: We all know that there are many issues facing our community that need to be addressed. I have put forth my thoughts and positions on some of these key issues here:
*The Mark Twain quote is from the text of a cable sent by Twain from London to the press in the United States after his obituary had been mistakenly published (The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition)
GaryHooser's Blog 
I Voted for you and was really surprised at the numbers as well… It is disheartening to see the lack of voters turning out at the polls and yet they continue to complain about the current situations. If I can help let me know- I am an ISA Certified Arborist and support you 100%! There are natural ways to remedy weeds and world hunger- these Big Bio companies continue to mislead the public. Princeton, Yale and Harvard have ample research proving these pesticides are harmful to people and the environment. I was tagged in a PRO GMO Facebook post by Juno Apalla and was appalled to see she was a supporter of GMO. Even worse is that she won in primaries as well:(. I consider her a friend, but after learning of her PRO GMO support I’m hoping she will look at the research and consider changing her views .. What a shame. Let me know if I can help you in any way- I am busy, but will make time for this important cause. Time is of the essence. Aloha
Can you provide more detail as to why you think Juno is “Pro GMO”? I hesitate to paint her with a pro-gmo label if perhaps she simply “liked” a page or commented off-hand that something was interesting etc. Would you mind reaching out to her and ask her directly if she favors increased regulation for the agrochemical industry here on Kauai? I like Juno personally but don’t know where she stands on these issues. Actually every candidate should be asked similar questions. For example if Bill 2491 (Ordinance 960) is upheld on appeal “Would that council-member support immediate implementation of the law?” Thank you also for your offer to help Erin. I will make sure you are notified via email when our campaign conducts various activities and needs the help/support etc. Mahalo!
You got my vote!