As we close out the year and head into 2024, I wanted to reach out one last time to touch base, wish you well for the coming holidays, share with you my top priorities of the coming year, and yes – ask for your help as well.
So…here it is:
Support and protect family, friends, and community.
Keep “self-care” front and center. Personal Reflections: Crossing bridges and walking about
Keep walking the walk – both literally and figuratively.
Make the Hawai’i public policy environment more like Minnesota (IYKYK).
Help elect across the archipelago 15 strong, authentic, and values driven, new voices into public office at the State and County level.
Create and support a successful County focused “ballot initiative” drive to implement systemic change. For details and examples read this blog post – Are you ready for some direct democracy?
We can do this. We can protect, support, and help each other. We can elect enough new voices to change the direction of our government, and we can exercise some “direct democracy” at the County level.
And we can exercise the “self-care” needed to grow in strength and enjoy the life we deserve.
I am willing to do my part but I need your help in several areas.
1) Can you help identify potential candidates (all islands) who have roots in the community, share our common values, and who are able to relate to the average voter? Yes, I’m making a list and will be gathering with like-minded friends and colleagues…and checking it way more than twice.
2) Let me know if you are willing to help in a campaign (canvas neighborhoods, hold signs, telephone banking etc), assuming of course the candidate matches your values.
3) Please also send me any ideas you have for a County specific ballot initiative. Read this blog piece first for examples!
4) Make an online contribution to Pono Hawai’i Initiative (PHI) before the end of the year. PHI is a 501c4 nonprofit, but because it’s allowed to “do politics”, support candidates, and actively oppose or support legislative policy changes – contributions are not tax deductible.
I am the Executive Director for PHI and receive a modest stipend (approximately $1,400 per month in 2023) to help cover and recover costs associated with what is essentially full-time advocacy. PHI also has other administrative, legal, and research associated costs.
To move forward and make our 2024 goals a reality means we have to step up our game and our investment in support of candidates and public policy change – which means we need your help today, to launch us properly into the coming year.
Can you help today with an online contribution? Whether it’s $20, $200, $2,000, or $20,000 – you can be assured the funds will be put to good use helping to make our community and world a better place – for all of us.
As always, never hesitate to reach out and contact me directly should you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or especially if you want to help!
Sincerely,
Gary Hooser
GaryHooser's Blog 
Let me know if you are willing to help in a campaign (canvas neighborhoods, hold signs, telephone banking etc), assuming of course the candidate matches your values.
Gary,
I am available for writing, editing, and web work. I am too old and live too remote to be useful for street work.
I spent thirty years in corporate Amerika. My specialty is positioning and messaging. My skill is writing and editing. My experience is marketing, primarily B2B, but I also introduced consumer products like Microsoft Word for Arabic, AOL Instant Messenger, and Office for Business. I am on Linked-In.
I worked on my first campaign when I was thirteen, school board. I was at the first Earth Day. I lead my first protest in high school. College was Indo-China Peace Campaign in Columbus and Peopleʻs Assembly to Impeach Nixon in Austin. I stood for Jesse Jackson as a delegate in Texas and Washington. I worked with HULI PAC last year.
I am currently working on producing a new political communications product this year.
I might be useful to some candidates as a resource for creating or critiquing positioning, policy, and propaganda.
I also have written a number of books as a ghostwriter. They can be a great promotional vehicle.
Maybe you would like to publish a book (at no cost).
Just ask.
With aloha, And best wishes for 2024, Richard
http://www.hawi.earth
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