In 30 days or less voters will begin receiving their primary election ballot in the mail. Visit https://olvr.hawaii.gov to register or update your registration.
On Kaua`i all 7 council members are elected “at large” (not by district). Therefore each voter “may” cast up to 7 votes. Some voters will choose to cast only a single vote for their top choice and others will cast the full 7 votes they are allowed.
Prior to casting your vote, I encourage you to reach out to all 17 candidates (see complete list below) who are seeking to gain 1 of your 7 votes. Share with each your thoughts on Kaua`i policy and politics.
**Again, regardless of the island or races involved – all are encouraged to complete this exercise by contacting candidates on your island and in your district.
Seriously. Take the time. Send each candidate a note. Introduce yourself and share your thoughts and concerns on important County issues. The nature of their response, or their failure to respond, will help ensure you make an informed voting decision.
*Spoiler Alert – I’ve written at the very bottom of this piece…about the actual responses I received when I did this exercise myself...5 of 17 candidates responded to my email outreach. Only 5 of 17 candidates took the time to respond to a local voter asking simple basic questions. Sheesh. WUWT?
My own priorities include the below topics, but please create your own list and send out that email – sooner rather than later is always best.
Bill No. 2922 will “allow the sale of intoxicating liquor at the Wailua Golf Course…and at County stadium facilities for community and special events…”. Why on earth do we need to allow the sale of “intoxicating liquor” at any County facility? Nothing good IMHO will come of this.
County Auditor – Why has the council not appointed a county auditor as required by the Charter? The council must do what’s s necessary to identify and hire a competent independent auditor whose job is to identify county government inefficiencies and expose – waste, fraud, and abuse.
Homeless/Houseless – Until space is available in our homeless shelters, the county should identify a suitable property, provide security and basic toilet facilities – for local homeless residents to sleep in their cars at night without fear of arrest or harm. Not a 24/7 camping facility but a safe, legal place to park their cars and sleep between the hours of 6pm and possibly 8am.
Cesspool/Septic Conversion – Instead of forcing home-owners to pay $30,000 to $40,000 to convert from a cess-pool to a septic system, homeowners should have access to conventional modern sewer systems – end of story. Money to pay for it must come from the federal, state, county government and the homeowners – But leadership on this issue, starting with a credible and specific long-term plan, must come from the county.
Expand Youth Programs – Kaua`i County should have the best after-school and summer/holiday youth programs on the planet – paid for by second-home absentee owners who can well afford it.
Youth sports, surfing, swimming, theatre, art, technology, and more. These programs and activities are already offered by private entrepreneurs and various organizations, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The county should support increased access to existing private programs by providing funding assistance and transportation support to underserved youth who otherwise are unable to participate.
The exercise is easy really. It’s easy and it will yield valuable information upon which to base your vote.
Contact each council candidate, ask them your questions, share with them your concerns, and then compare their responses (or lack thereof) before making your final voting decision.
Abe Apilado Jr. a.apilado74@gmail.com, Addison Bulosan addisonbulosan@gmail.com, Bernard Carvalho carvalhob003@hawaii.rr.com, Felicia Cowden feliciacowden@gmail.com, Sherri Cummings malamaanahola.sc@gmail.com, Billy DeCosta billyndrena@hawaii.rr.com, Ana Mo Des voteanamodes@gmail.com, Fern Holland votefern@gmail.com, Ross Kagawa kagawar004@hawaii.rr.com, Arryl Kaneshiro arrylkaneshiro@gmail.com, Butch W. Keahiolalo butchkeahiolalo@gmail.com, KipuKai Kualii kipukai.kualii@gmail.com, Jeffrey Linder lindnerji@gmail.com, Jacquelyn (Jakki) Nelson nelson5599@twc.com, Mel Rapozo melrapozo@gmail.com, Bart Thomas bart@voteforbartkauai.com, Clint Yago clintsr54@gmail.com
Please, please, please write your own email and send it out…and then let me know your response. Regardless of where you live…what island or whatever…try this exercise out on candidates who are seeking your vote!
Now a report on the results that I actually got.
Title: Results of the policy and politics “exercise”
I wrote last week, “Contact each council candidate, ask them your questions, share your concerns, and compare their responses (or lack thereof) before making your final voting decision.”
So I did.
I sent a short email to each of the 17 candidates running for election to the Kaua`i County Council asking for their thoughts on a handful of issues. In the subject line I put “Questions from a voter”.
So far, ten days later, I’ve received 5 responses.
I sent a second follow-up email just in case the first one got lost.
17 candidates for the Kaua`i County Council and 5 took the time to respond to my very basic (and friendly in tone) email.
Needless to say, I’m impressed with the 5 and appreciate the courtesy they’ve shown by taking the time to respond.
Mahalo to incumbent CouncilMembers Addison Bulosan and Felicia Cowden for your personal, prompt and thoughtful response to my questions and concerns. Mahalo also to incumbent Councilmember Ross Kagawa who responded also…but it was a day too late for me to include in my original The Garden Island column.
Mahalo also to new council candidates Fern Holland and Abe Apilado Jr. for likewise being responsive to my outreach.
From each of the 5 responses I learned something valuable.
Councilmember Bulosan reinforced my understanding that he does his homework, thinks through various options, and then seeks a collaborative path forward toward solutions.
Councilmember Cowden’s response demonstrated clearly her high level of empathy for all who live in our community. Her commitment to “show up” and engage with the community is unquestionable.
Councilmember Kagawa’s email came in after the requested deadline. To put it mildly, Councilmember Kagawa and I have not always seen eye to eye on issues that came before us, and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw his note. Rather than just ignoring my request and tossing it into the trash, he spent his valuable time offering a thoughtful response. Mahalo Councilmember!
New candidate Fern Holland is a change-maker, an incredibly hard worker, and someone who thrives on problem-solving and community collaboration. She doesn’t wait for the community to get involved but knows the importance of actively reaching out and engaging them in the process. Fern’s response was “forward-thinking”, reflecting an attitude of abundance rather than scarcity.
Abe Apilado Jr. is also running for election to the council and responded saying, “I will humbly bow out of answering questions via email…however I will be doing voter registration pop ups…from time to time…Maybe we can talk story then.”
While initially taken aback by his response, the fact that he took the time and courtesy to reply – motivated me to look him up.
What I found on FaceBook was a video campaign announcement demonstrating on no uncertain terms that Abe Apilado Jr. has a huge heart. While I am not clear about what other skills or qualifications he may hold, his underlying motivation to serve the community is solid.
These 5 candidates responded to this voters email outreach and consequently have earned my added attention and appreciation.
As to the other 12 – why they failed to respond I do not know.
Perhaps they’re busy, in poor health, traveling, or their email is not working properly, or they “don’t do email”, or maybe they just think it doesn’t matter.
Easy accessibility is a fundamental attribute needed for anyone trying to earn the votes of people in the community. No legislator, council member, or candidate, should be too busy to check their email and get back promptly to a constituent/voter who reaches out.
Gary Hooser
The above represents the consolidation of two different columns published in The Garden Island newspaper.
GaryHooser's Blog 
Thanks Gary for making it easy to comment here. I do, “do email”! On little ole Kauai, having personal opportunities to engage with Council folks should be easy – easy as “the people you run into at Long’s” – everybody has to shop for toothpaste or toilet paper, eventually!
Side note: Trying to parse an incumbent’s (state) record is not so easy. Is there a site or sequence by which I can easily get reliable info such as for example: Senator Inouye’s 2024 voting pattern on the ‘Clean Elections’ bills? (she claims to be for it and term limits – nothing to lose when you are 84, yeah?…but it all goes against her more pronounced patterns of protecting institutional power. Your thoughts?)
Rob Culbertson
Hey there my ole friend Rob. Speaking of ole…old…getting on in years…Are you saying State Senator Inouye is 84 years old? My guess is she might be 74 but not 84? And age is of course only a state of mind…and body…and brain…and speaking of brain…the sum total of all of your life experiences is an invaluable asset…if you can remember those experiences and have learned from them…LOL…seriously though…I think longevity is in general a good thing BUT those in leadership positions and in positions of power and influence MUST step aside and allow and support new leaders to step up and lead…Us old people gotta step back sometime and make space for others to step up. That’s my biggest beef with the good Senator from the Big Island and others who have held their seats way too long…they should step back and or step into other roles that need support…and allow others with new energy and new ideas…people like Laura Acasio…make space for them to step up. As to tracking a legislators position on any issue…best I think to track the Bill through the process and note where that particular legislator votes on the floor or in committee.
Yup! 84..look it up (on recent CB interview page 4 – most relevant.) Both Laura and Lorraine.. https://www.civilbeat.org/category/candidates-2024/page/4/?arch-query&arch-date-from&arch-date-to&arch-rpp=10
Rob Culbertson
Hello Gary, I went ahead and performed the exercise. However, I’m not very good at keeping things short and concise. This is what I sent to each candidate:
Title: 3 voter issues
Aloha,
As a concerned voter, I have some topics which I would like to see what your opinions are concerning them. I am seeking candidates who resonate with me on the ideas and possible solutions to problems to issues that we are facing on this island.
My top three issues are houselessness, bicycle transportation pathways and expanded bus services.
Regarding houselessness, I feel that the county should make every effort to provide areas where folks could camp with minimal services provided. I understand that the overwhelmingly vast majority of people on this island wish to live in some type of housing. However, there are those very few, including myself, who prefer not to live in a house.
I do not have a drug addiction, a mental illness, nor am I a non-contributing member of society. I currently live in a work trade situation where the county deems it is illegal to be. For some reason, living under a tarp doesn’t seem to be legal in this county. I’m curious what solutions you have to those of us folks who are in a similar situation that I am.
Regarding bicycle pathways, I believe it behooves the county to make it safer to be on a bicycle. Let’s face it, the Kuhio highway with its narrow shoulders and daily overgrowth of weeds stretching into those shoulders, make it virtually impossible to have a safe and enjoyable bike ride. I think there should be a bike path going halfway around the island that is not on the highway. We should prioritize different modes of transportation rather than promote the consumption of fossil fuels.
It’s very disappointing coming from an area which has wonderful bus transportation systems and then seeing that our island has cut services on Sundays… It’s quite bewildering. Meanwhile, there are empty paratransit shuttle buses cruising all around the island. It’s also disappointing that we went with gas powered buses instead of electric powered buses as was originally designed. I believe that the buses should have a back cart to carry bicycles, extra luggage, and e-bikes. The current configuration does not allow for this.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this email and I look forward to hearing whatever responses that you have.
Scott Valkenaar (aka Scotty Poppin’s)
I received a very prompt reply from Butch. I am very impressed. He may get my second vote alongside Fern. Here is his response, followed by my response back to him.
Aloha Scotty, First of all thank you for reaching out. I am in line with your top 3 issues and have answered my candidate surveys with almost word for word what you stated: 1) Forcibly moving homeless people from one temporary location to another temporary location has never been a solution in my opinion. I also stated years ago that it shouldn’t be illegal to sleep in or “on” your car. Leaders in the tourism authority were cracking down on those tents on racks because it wasn’t a bed in a hotel. I do believe they need to “camp” in designated areas but there’s been many times I had my kids sleep in the back of the truck while we were camping. I also empathize with your houselessness. I also was houseless on the mainland and briefly on Kauai. I stated in one of my recent candidate surveys that there should be a designated area or campground for individuals to “camp” or reside. It should be a place that is safe with amenities for cleanliness. Perhaps a permit to reside is needed and drug and alcohol use should be monitored to ensure it doesn’t become a haven for habitual users. Honestly it would make more sense to have someone like yourself to co-manage or caretake the site. Lastly, I was very disappointed with the County when they shut off the water at Lydgate after designating it a homeless camp during Covid. We can talk more about this later.
2) I couldn’t agree more with your 2nd issue. As an avid cyclist, our multi-modal infrastructure here is shameful compared to the rest of the world. Ironically, the section of coastal path continuing to Nawiliwil is being held up right now because of the homeless camp behind the airport but conversations are being had. I would like to see transparency in the 2013 Multi-Modal Transportation Bill. Where did all the money go for cycling paths, cycling lanes, multi use paths, public buses, etc. Tucson has over 130 miles of multi use paths. We can do that and more. It also protects coastline access from large land grabbers who want to remove public access to beaches and mauka hunting areas. Lastly, please call either the State or County (depending on the road) when you see areas that need maintenance. The more people that call the quicker is goes to the top of the list. Ride safe! I’ve been hit twice on Kauai but I do ride a lot (11,000 miles last year).
3) I did notice that the bus stopped running on Sundays and posted a link on my IG page @butch_for_councilmember. I would also like to see more “ride share” and “park and rides” integrated with the Kauai Bus. I would like to be able to take my truck or bike down to a central busstop in Kapaa, park in a large secure lot, or lock my bike in a bike locker, and then jump on the Kauai Bus to my destination. We are truly missing the mark and it’s evident by seeing nearly everyone driving solo from one end to the other.
Thank you again for reaching out Scotty. Aloha, Butch Keahiolalo County Council Your Vote Your Voice
Aloha Butch,
I really appreciate your prompt and thorough response. You just earned one of my votes. I will pass along your response to others who think the way I do and perhaps reside in similar situations.
Unfortunately, most of the people that I communicate with and most of the people who live in a situation like I do, do not participate in our democracy. It’s unfortunate, but I feel that my vote represents about 10 people.
I am sick and tired of the good old boy network that’s been prevalent on this island for many years. Fern Holland has already got my vote, and I don’t intend to cast more than three. You have my second vote.
I hope your days are filled with light love and joy. And please be safe. Being hit twice on kuhio highway would certainly be a motivation to have more bike paths installed.
Scotty
Jul 4, 2024 4:13:33 PM Scott Valkenaar scottypoppins72@gmail.com:
Thank you for this Scotty! It is interesting and I agree that his responses are thoughtful and in alignment…Wondering why he did not reply to my email? Oh well. I will look at him closer as well…and let you know if I find out anything interesting. Have you checked out his website? I assume he has one (not every candidate does and too many of them rely only on social media IMO)
No Gary I haven’t checked his website yet. He’s not spending much on his campaign so he doesn’t have a lot of materials. 27 out of his 30 years on island were spent as a teacher and firefighter. I also got a well reasoned and thought out reply from Addison.