GaryHooser's Blog

Publicly funded elections, SB1543, has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 5th at 2pm!

Mahalo to all from across the islands for the hard work and persistence. It’s time now to double-down, provide supportive testimony, and pass the word to friends and neighbors.

If you believe that corporate and special interest money should stay out of politics – your testimony is critically important.

Go here to the Capitol Website to testify: https://bit.ly/3nx67Af

Your testimony can be as simple as “Please pass SB1543” or add whatever additional information as to why this is important to you – that comes to mind/heart.

When passed into law, SB1543 will establish a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices.

SB1543 will create an even playing field for candidates and refocus elections back to the needs of the people and not just the needs of those who donate the most.

This measure is a top priority of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, is strongly supported by Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and many other community leaders working to reduce the influence of big money on Hawaiʻi elections.

The States of Maine and Connecticut have successfully implemented similar public funding systems with positive results that include increased voter turnout, greater electoral competition, more women candidates, and in general more diversity.

This is one of those bills that’s truly important and represents systemic change. Some call publicly funded elections “The reform that makes all other reforms possible.”

Please take the time to submit your testimony now, today, and prior to 2pm tomorrow Tuesday, April 4th. Late testimony is better than no testimony but if can – submit something NOW.

Every call and email is important, regardless from which island it is coming from. Please remember – short, to the point, courteous and professional, and TODAY.

Sitting in the Kapa’a crawl, heading South, and not moving at all for what seems like a long, long time – I found myself thinking “Can’t wait until the Coco Palms Hotel opens up.”

They say sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, and this is not funny at all. Not one little tiny bit.

At 350 rooms hosting 700 or more guests, if this hotel is ever built it will add approximately 400 more cars into that unmoving stream – once in the morning as the visitors depart and employees arrive, and then again in the afternoon as the cycle repeats itself.

They will all be entering and exiting from a single point, perhaps two at the most – Kuamoo Road on the North and Haleilio Road to the South.

The already very intolerable traffic situation will become verifiably and insanely even more intolerable.

Should the 700 guests decide to cross the 4-lane highway to go to the beach rather than spend their vacation in traffic, that will of course not just be dangerous – but have a significant impact on the coastal area and exacerbate the traffic even more.

I’m wondering if the hotel will disclose to the visitors who book rooms, the fact that the mouth of the Wailua River consistently ranks as one of the top most polluted beaches on Kauaʻi?

According to a recent TGI story: “Environmental organization Surfrider Kaua‘i’s Blue Water Task Force found large amounts of bacteria in several of Kaua‘i’s waters this month, suggesting that ongoing concerns over fecal contamination of the Garden Island’s streams and beaches are far from over… the Wailua River mouth…measured over 130 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, indicating high amounts of contamination in excess of state water quality standards.”

With 700 hundred more people flushing several times a day, and multiple showers/bathes in the morning and after getting home from the beach, the wastewater problems that have existed here for years, will…you guessed it – only get worse.

Do you think the fragrance that occasionally permeates the air across from the Shell station and at the Lydgate Sewage Treatment Plant is bad now? Yep. It’s going to get worse – that is for sure.

But there is good news!

It’s never going to really happen folks. Remember Lucy and the football? Or what’s that other saying made famous by former President George W. Bush – “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, fool me three times…and well you must be talking about the Coco Palms Hotel development.”

Yep. If you believe this hotel will be built, I have got a bridge I’d like to sell you. Unfortunately, it’s not a pedestrian bridge over the 4-lane highway so people can get back and forth safely.

Nope, that bridge is not part of their plans. Neither are the community meetings the developers promised at the Planning Commission meetings held last year. And neither is an environmental impact statement that is required by law. Nope, not going to do a silly little EIS (so said the famous Hawaii Super Ferry).

And apparently not part of their plans either is the appropriate disposal of green waste from the hundred-plus coconut trees they’ve cut down. A casual inspection of the State lands (our public lands) behind the Coco Palms, shows piles and piles of recently deposited coconut tree stumps and logs.

Also not part of their plans is the hiring of a local general contractor. Nope. As is oh-so predictable, the current Utah-based owner/developer has hired a Utah-based general contractor to manage the work. I’m wondering if they even know what the words iwi kupuna mean?

Unless the County, the State, or the community intervene, soon the digging will start.

Kauaʻi is now the only County in Hawaiʻi to prohibit remote interactive conference technology (ICT) testimony by citizens. No more Zooming in from Kekaha or Ha’ena to testify. Nope, you now have to take the day off, drive into Līhu‘e
, and sit in the Council Chambers for who knows how long – so you can present your 3 minutes of testimony.

This decision was made with zero public input.

They simply put out a press release saying in part remote testimony is being canceled because:

“If a connection to the ICT is interrupted or lost, the meeting must be recessed and possibly terminated, which would then void any agenda items that were pending prior to the ICT interruption, resulting in delays necessary to post a new meeting agenda…and would also invalidate the meeting and require a new agenda posting.”

Au contraire! According to: “The Sunshine Law” for State and County Boards:

“The Council’s notice may contain a contingency provision stating…that if the connection is lost for more than 30 minutes, the meeting will be continued to a specific date and time, with the new link for the continued meeting either on the agenda itself or to be provided on the Council’s website.”

“A Council does not need to re-hear or accept new testimony for completed agenda items at the continued meeting…Councils are authorized to recess…and to reconvene at another date and time to continue and/or complete public testimony, discussion, and decision-making…”

Issued by the Office of the County Clerk, the press release does not say who made the actual decision nor does it name or quote anyone whatsoever.

According to the Charter, the County Clerk works for the Council.

However, for the Council to legally discuss the topic, or make a decision to stop the public from testifying remotely they must first post a meeting and allow public testimony – per the Sunshine Law – HRS Chapter 92.

The Sunshine Law prohibits discussions on Council business between Council members outside of a properly noticed meeting. There must be advance notice; public access to the Council’s discussions; opportunity for public testimony; and Council minutes.

Furthermore, Council members cannot discuss Council business privately between themselves via telephone, text, fax, email, or social media. And, it would be a serial communication contrary to the Sunshine Law for a Council member to discuss the same Council business with more than one other Council member through a series of one-on-one meetings.

Since, in my opinion (and this is an opinion column) it’s unlikely members of the Kauaʻi Council would break the law, the Chairman of the Council Melvin Rapozo must have made this decision all by himself without consulting the other Council members.

Every other County in the State of Hawaiʻi and the entire State legislature allows citizen-testimony via interactive conference technology (ICT). Only Kauaʻi County has taken this opportunity away from its residents.

Maui and Hawaiʻi County – both have had remote testimony systems in place for years.

The Chair of the Honolulu Council Tommy Waters said in Civil Beat: “Let me be abundantly clear — remote testimony is here to stay. It’s an integral component in ensuring that all individuals can participate in the process without having to worry about the commute…it’s also our kuleana.”

A majority of the Council could if they wanted to, properly schedule and hold a public hearing on this issue, listen to the testimony, and reinstate the public’s right to testify remotely – or not.

If this is important to you, please email all 7 Council members at councilmembers@kauai.gov – Let them know your thoughts and find out theirs.

An acquaintance grabbed my ear recently saying, “Gary, how can we get rid of all those homeless people?” He went on to bemoan the presence of the poor and unwashed that seem to be sleeping under every bridge and in every doorway.

For the most part, I just let him talk.

“Why can’t they get a job like everyone else? There are job openings everywhere. Why can’t they take a bath, get off the streets, and stop begging in front of the convenience store?”

“Why don’t we just arrest them all and fly them back to where they came from?” he complained. “You can’t go anywhere without seeing them. They are at the beach, by the airport, along the road, under our bridges – they are everywhere!”

He thanked me for my time and walked on, not really caring about what I thought.

Which is why I am here, writing this today.

The answer to getting rid of the houseless is to ensure they/wee have access to permanently affordable housing.

They are houseless, not homeless. Their home is on the streets. What they lack is a house.

Yes, certainly there are many other issues that include mental health and addiction. But it’s impossible to deal with these underlying issues effectively if the individual is living on the streets.

Kick them out? Tear down their tents and tell them to move on?

On every island there are waiting lists for available shelter beds.

There is often literally no place for these folks to go.

As to “send them back to where they came from”…hello…according to recent counts of the houseless that are here, only 3% are newcomers. The vast majority are long-term or lifelong residents, and Native Hawaiians are overrepresented.

Arresting poor people who cannot afford a warm, dry, safe place to sleep and who have no other option but to sleep on the street, in a doorway or in the bushes is unconscionable – not to mention, extremely expensive.

Employers are hesitant to hire a houseless person who may come to the interview without a permanent mailing address and looking like they just woke up after sleeping all night in a doorway. It further reduces an applicant’s job prospects if they are missing teeth or have other health issues.

Even if they managed to get a job, it will of course not be paying a living wage. Even if they got two jobs, there are no affordable homes available. Period.

Whether freshly scrubbed, teeth or no teeth, good clothes or not – the challenge of finding an affordable home or even a room to rent is formidable – for everyone.

Yes, it’s complicated. No, it’s not complicated.

Ensuring access to affordable homes is the answer. Constructing new, permanently affordable units, AND prioritizing access to new and existing units for long-term local residents earning local wages.

If government funding is used and/or government assistance is utilized, the homes built can legally be required to be permanently affordable, and long-time residents can be given first priority to rent and/or purchase them.

There’s no shortage of vacant land located in existing urban areas that already has the basic infrastructure (sewer, roads, water) and located near job centers, shopping, schools, and health facilities. Private lands can be purchased at fair market value by the County or State, and/or landowners could be incentivized appropriately in return for providing permanent affordable housing for locals.

There are good things happening now at both the State and County levels, but much more is needed. The houseless situation and the extreme lack of affordable housing needs to be treated like the dire emergency it is.

I miss Larry Rivera. He and Gloria, and his entire family hold a special place in my heart. I was traveling and off island during his recent celebration of life, but was there in spirit and share here today my own memories and deep love for this very special man.

Fortunately, I was able to visit with him briefly a week or so before he passed. He was lying in bed and softly smiled up at me when I sang to him the refrain from a campaign jingle he’d written for me over 20 years ago: “Gary Hoooooser, Gary Hooooser and you …”

In the old days, when I first ran for election to the Kaua‘i County Council, and then for the Senate, Larry would go with me often to campaign and hold signs along the highway. He’d bring his ‘ukulele, and sometimes a boombox, and sit in a chair serenading the passing cars. Often Gloria would accompany him, and sometimes he would bring his children and his grandchildren. He would sing from his extensive repertoire of Larry Rivera classics, interspersed occasionally with the “Hooser jingle.”

During both the wins and the losses, Larry would be with me, sitting there in the hot sun strumming on that ‘ukulele, always smiling, telling jokes, and singing those beautiful songs.

He never asked me for anything. He never lobbied me, never asked me to vote yes or no on an issue, and never tried to influence me one way or another. He was just Larry, and we were just friends, like family, really.

I’ll never forget the one time Larry did bring up an issue. He didn’t ask me to do anything, he just told me the story. I could feel his pain and his sadness, and it has stuck with me now for decades.

We were meeting along the highway to hold signs, and Larry came up to me and said, “Gary, I can’t go fishing anymore. They took away my fishing spot.”

As we talked more, I learned that a favorite fishing spot of Larry’s childhood had become a subdivision for rich people. It seems that Larry had gone there recently to fish or perhaps just to revisit old memories, and it was gone. He could no longer walk onto the beach and cast into the ocean where for years he had previously done so.

There was a required “beach access easement” but it was far away from that favorite fishing spot, requiring walking over slippery rocks, and impractical for Larry and for most people to actually use.

That memory of Larry Rivera saying “he couldn’t go fishing anymore” has never left me.

In recent years, the Coco Palms Hotel was something we did not talk about. Larry cherished the idea of a new Coco Palms Hotel being developed that recreated the grandeur of the past. He was, after all, “Mr. Coco Palms.” He knew, I’m sure, and was no doubt extremely disappointed, that his friend Hooser had lost faith in that ever happening, and held an alternative vision.

But Larry and I never talked about it. Never.

I will never forget Larry Rivera. He befriended me. He motivated and inspired me to do more and be better. He stood alongside the road in the hot sun with me. He knocked on doors with me. He made me and so many others smile, and laugh, and sing. The songs that he wrote and sang for us are a gift that will live on forever.

Sending you my love and aloha today, Larry. Mahalo for being you.

One man in the legislature is controlling the outcome of an issue that impacts potentially every woman in the State of Hawaiʻi.

As a man whose grandchildren have been born both at home on Kauaʻi with midwives in attendance, and in a hospital birthing room on Oʻahu – this action impacts me as well. It’s one of those “mad as hell and not going to take it any more moments”.

Yes, one man – the Chair of the House Finance Committee, Maui Representative Kyle Yamashita, is deciding who may or may not attend and help in the birth of our children.

HB955 is titled: Midwifery; Licensure; Birth Attendants; Exemptions; Training; Certification

Over 1,000 people have submitted testimony in support of HB955.

Two House Committees have already heard HB955 and both passed the measure out unanimously.

24 Representatives have already either voted yes to pass the measure in a prior Committee and/or are Co-introducers.

A close read of the measure shows clearly that no changes were proposed to any fiscal element. There were no new fees proposed and no changes of any kind to budget-related items. Thus SB955 should not have been referred to the House Finance Committee in the first place.

Finance Chair Yamashita has decided he does not want his Committee to hear HB955, he does not want to hold a vote on HB955, and he certainly does not want to pass HB955. His decision unless changed, means there will be no further debate nor any further votes on this important measure.

One guy decides he doesn’t want it and everyone else can just suck wind.

Yes, other committee members may object but to do so they risk retribution that will most certainly be leveraged via the same unilateral power of the Chair. Any Representative who challenges the Chair risks having their bills killed, their Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) go unfunded, and their community and constituents hurt as a result.

Everyone knows it’s wrong, but the fear of retribution stifles the opposition.

On Wednesday,March 1, midwives and mothers, some of who had flown over from Maui to hopefully meet with the Finance Chair and convince him to hear, vote, and pass HB955 – ended up holding a “sit-in” and occupying the outer offices of the Finance Committee until the Sheriffs were called upon to remove them.

That sit-in at the Capitol continues today and the numbers are expected to grow further on Monday – with no end in sight. There is also a petition in support which I have signed and hope you do as well.

No single legislator regardless of title or position should have the power to unilaterally stop legislative policy changes that affect all of us. Certainly, no one man should have the power to decide issues pertaining to the health and the birthing process of all women.

HB955 can still be saved, but we need you to take 3 steps to give us the best shot.

Note legislators and staff who answer the telephone will likely tell you, “So sorry, but you’ve missed the deadline. Please reply to them, politely and professional that you are aware that if the Speaker of the House, Representative Scott Saiki wanted to extend the deadline, he could, and he should.

1. Call/email House Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita at 808-586-6330 or repyamashita@capitol.hawaii.gov and tell him to send HB955 to the floor of the House for a full vote of all 51 members.

2. Call/email Speaker of the House Scott Saiki at 808-586-6100 or repsaiki@capitol.hawaii.gov and tell him to send HB955 to the floor of the House for a full vote of all 51 members, AND to require the Finance Committee to hear all bills that were passed out of earlier subject matter committees.

3. Call your Representative and ask them to pressure leadership to schedule a full House vote on HB955. Find your Rep here: THIS STEP IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT!

HB955 is about regulating midwifery. But Chair Yamashita’s actions are about more than midwifery—they’re about the abuse of power.

The unilateral power of a Committee Chair to kill a bill is inherently undemocratic and the practice must change here and now with HB955.

The majority and leadership in the House and Senate can stop this practice immediately if they choose to do so. Requiring a committee to hear all bills that were passed out of an earlier subject matter committee and requiring a public vote in order to kill a bill is a good place to start.

Sincerely,
Gary L. Hooser
http://www.garyhooser.com

Kauaʻi Friends:
This coming Wednesday, March 8th the Kauaʻi County Council will vote on a Resolution proposed to support HB955. Similar Resolutions were passed unanimously by both the Maui County Council and the Hawaiʻi County Council.

Please submit testimony prior to the meeting to counciltestimony@kauai.gov

5. Resolution No. 2023-31 – RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAI‘I STATE LEGISLATURE TO ENACT A STATUTE EXEMPTING BIRTH ATTENDANTS FROM STATE LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS

See the complete agenda here:

Believe it or not, it’s time for those new candidates considering a run for office in 2024…to…well…get running. The August 2024 Primary Election is only 17 months or so away and anyone serious about winning, best be getting real, very soon.

I’m hoping that those interested in growing in their capacity in the area of civic leadership will consider applying to the upcoming Kuleana Academy (more info at bottom).

Elections are won and lost based primarily on name recognition, or the lack thereof. For new candidates building positive name recognition requires both money and work.

A new candidate can win purely on their willingness to do the work – knocking on doors, attending community events, participating in community work days, telephone calling, and ultimately rising early every morning to hold signs on the highway. Yes, it takes a certain amount of money for signs, brochures, and basic media, but on-the-ground campaigning is what it takes to win.

Building the team, analyzing the district, formulating the plan, fundraising, and embarking down the path of this 17-month marathon – must start now for new candidates who are serious about winning.

Having served in elective office at both the County Council level and in the Hawaiʻi State Senate, I can say without any reservation whatsoever – the experience was immensely gratifying.

Some will say it’s a thankless job, but for me, I did not find this to be the case. The love, and the overall positives, far outweighed the negatives.

We need new candidates, new energy, new perspectives and new ideas at all levels.

We need changemakers, not placeholders.

The status quo is not sustainable. And in my opinion, a majority of those now holding public office believe it’s their job to resist change and maintain the status-quo.

To be clear there are many in public office who feel the same urgency that many of us do. They understand that sea levels are rising and climate change is real. They see also the enormous and ever-growing disparity between the very rich and everyone else.

But unfortunately, they are in the minority and thus not able to swing the votes needed to make meaningful change happen.

The needs are great and the threats are real. Settling for the same good ole boy business as usual, status quo as usual – is not working.

To win, we need good people at all levels to step up and engage the civic and electoral process. There are many important opportunities to serve. Whether it’s sitting as a volunteer on a State and County board or commission, working with a non-profit advocacy group or labor union, or serving on the ground as a community organizer – all are important.

Holding elective office puts you at the table where votes are cast that change people’s lives for the better, or for the worse.

We need more good candidates, and every one of those candidates needs a campaign manager, a treasurer, and solid boots on the ground. Every elected official needs strong staff support, and they need a community that shows up and backs them up.

There are many roles to fill and now is the time to start filling them.

If you want to be a candidate and be elected to public office, now is the time to put together your team. If running for office is not your cup of tea, then seek out candidates who share your values and feel the same urgency and need for change, and join their team. Show up. Testify. Be part of the solution. Make the calls and send the emails. Help make our world a better place.

There’s much to be done and it will take all of us to get there.

Which brings me to the Kuleana Academy —

What is Kuleana Academy (KA)?

KA invests in community-accountable leaders by giving them the skills, tools, and network to run for public office, or manage a campaign, or serve on a government Board or Commission, or become community organizers.

Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) is now accepting applications for the 7th Kuleana Academy (the deadline to submit an application is March 31), a four-month political leadership development and non-partisan candidate training program for emerging leaders in Hawai‘i. Participants will be evaluated and selected via a process that includes a panel made of HAPA board members and Kuleana Academy Alliance Education Partners. Applicants will be chosen by April 30, 2023.

The program is geared toward individuals living on all islands, from across Hawaiʻi, with a track record of community service and engagement; who are seeking to grow their political leadership, advocacy, and organizing skills and expertise. Whether it is running for elected office, managing a political campaign, or honing advocacy and organizing skills, Kuleana Academy provides in-depth training, mentorship, and connection to a community of like-minded leaders.

Apply Here: https://www.hapahi.org/kuleana-academy-application

Kuleana Academy (KA) is a statewide, non-partisan, political, civic, and community-rooted leadership accelerator program.

While I am the volunteer President of the HAPA Board of Directors, I do not pick and choose who is accepted into the Kuleana Academy. Applicants are accepted based on their application information, the quality of their own outside recommendations, and an evaluation by former KA graduates, HAPA Board Members, and other community partners.

It seems the rush is on to fill the seat being vacated by former Councilmember Luke Evslin, who was recently appointed to the State House of Representatives.

Apparently, Council Chair Mel Rapozo wants to do this Wednesday, February 22 at 11:30am, 7 days after the public was made aware of the vacancy.

So, if you were considering putting your name forward to be considered, or perhaps you know of others that would make a positive addition and bring new energy and new ideas to the Council – sorry but it’s too late.

I guess the idea of informing the community, inviting those that might be interested to submit an application, doing some one-on-one interviewing, then scheduling a meeting to allow the public to comment – and then and only then hold a vote to select the candidate who rose to the top – I guess this idea somehow got lost in the rush to appoint the person who already has the votes locked down?

Similarly, I’m thinking that a thoughtful evaluation of the current strengths and weakness of the existing Council and attempting to find a candidate that could complement and/or fill in the gaps – this idea also has apparently been disregarded.

Actually, I agree that the Council should not waste everyone’s time and act like this is an open process, that all interested people are welcome to apply, and all will be evaluated based on criteria that places only the best interests of the County first.

Because clearly that is not the case.

I’m guessing that the Chair and a majority on the Council are thinking that former Councilmember Ross Kagawa has already got the votes locked up so why bother with the process?

Kagawa finished #8 in the recent elections and that will no doubt be the criteria used to justify his selection. He has served on the Council in the past, is familiar with the process, and is thus qualified to serve.

That is all true and the former Councilmember may very well be the best choice, especially when no other choices are given an honest, clear and open evaluation – let alone the time to actually submit a letter of interest.

To make it happen as quickly (and painlessly) as possible, Council Chair Rapozo scheduled a “Special Council Meeting” for Wednesday 02/22, 7 days after Evslin’s resignation, “to appoint a successor for a vacant unexpired term on the Kauai County Council…”.

According to newspaper reports at the time, when now Representative Nakamura vacated her Council seat on November 1, 2013 then Council Chair Jay Furfaro utilized a process that included one week “so those who are interested can apply”. The following week was then used to “look at the names of people who applied and see who can be nominated…”.

Then two weeks later on November 15, after reviewing several highly qualified applications from a broad cross-section of the community, the remaining 6 Councilmember’s (of which I was a part of) selected now former Councilmember Mason Chock to fill the slot.

That selection was at the time accompanied by its own bit of controversy coming in the days immediately preceding the veto over-ride of Bill 2491.

In retrospect, most would agree this decision turned out to be an excellent one. Councilmember Chock was an exceptional, thoughtful, and hardworking member of the Council and at election time often at the top of the vote count as well. Yet, he had never held public office before and had no experience whatsoever working in government.

Bottom line – There should be an open, and fair – public process that invites all who are interested in filling the open Council position to apply and be honestly evaluated.

Otherwise it’s #politicsasusual

If you believe as I do that jamming through this appointment is not in the best interest of our community, and/or if you have someone else (such as Fern Anuenue Holland or other qualified candidate) you would rather see appointed – please share your thoughts directly with the Councilmembers or show up in the Council Chambers in person at 11:30am Wednesday 02/22.

Complete contact information for all Councilmembers including telephone and email is here:
https://www.kauai.gov/Government/County-Council/Councilmembers-2022-2024

kkualii@kauai.gov mfrapozo@kauai.gov abulosan@kauai.gov bcarvalho@kauai.gov fcowden@kauai.gov bdecosta@kauai.gov

Please, take ownership of your local government. Share with them your thoughts, concerns, and demands.

A half dozen friends, all who happen to be legislators with large balances in their campaign accounts, gather in a bar or restaurant – each cuts a check for $2,000 from their campaign accounts and hand it over to the candidate with the tough upcoming election.

They throw back a beer or two, slap each other on the back, then walk back to the Capitol to continue the people’s work.

This happens over and over again – candidates raising $10,000 – $12,000 a pop from a handful of sitting legislators to who they will then owe their loyalty.

In Honolulu especially, legislators and candidates from across the islands will sometimes announce and hold fundraising events where only 4 or 5 people show up. These “events” will often be held in a bar or restaurant within walking distance of the Capitol, or more recently online via Zoom. The publicly posted “ticket” price will be listed as $150, $250, $500, or $1,000.

The primary purpose of these “events”, is to create a legal opportunity for legislators who happen to be flush with campaign cash to transfer some of that cash, into the campaign account of candidates who are less flush – and perhaps who are facing a tough upcoming election.

These legislators are not bad people. They are just friends helping friends (and future allies). It’s all done within the law, the law these same folks are in charge of.

One of the fundamental principles driving campaign spending regulation is that campaign donations should be used only for the purpose of election activities. Donors are supposed to give money to candidates for the purpose of helping them get elected – not for the purpose of allowing their donation to be used to help other candidates get elected.

Allowing legislators to use their own campaign funds to purchase a couple of tickets to attend another candidate’s campaign event sounds reasonable until you learn of the abuse.

Fortunately, there’s a bill before the legislature HB721– which will eliminate this practice.

HB721 is part of a package of bills being proposed by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC) and it’s scheduled for a hearing before the House Committee of Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, Wednesday, February 22 at 2pm.

HB726 is part of this same package and on the same agenda – It’s also extremely important to support and “Prohibits state and county elected officials from soliciting and accepting campaign contributions during any regular session or special session of the state legislature..”

At the present time, legislators are legally permitted to request and receive campaign money from businesses and persons who have bills before the legislature – at the very same time that their bill is being voted on.

HB726 will stop this.

Please submit testimony in strong support, please take the time also to email or call your own district Representative and Senator. For their name and contact information go to “Find Your Legislator”.

Encourage them to support HB721 AND HB726 – AND all CISC Commission recommendations on this agenda. A few more of these good bills are listed below.

HB705 – Requires legislators to post for public review how they spend their “legislative allowance”

HB706 – Requires legislators to disclose relationships with lobbyists or lobbying organizations

HB707 – Disqualifies a person from holding elective office for ten years upon conviction of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim.

HB708 – Requires lobbyists to disclose for public review the exact bills or actions they are attempting to influence.

There are too many to list here, so please go to the actual agenda. Take the time to review the bills, contact your own district Senator and Representative to support these important reforms

AND make sure you include that one reform that makes all other reforms possible (that is not on this agenda but still needs your support) – Publicly Funded Elections – SB1543!

Please. Time is short.

I’m hoping you share my goal of getting money out of politics – or at least greatly reducing its impact.

To be clear, I am not some aging Pollyanna who thinks we can turn our government and political system into something that is all sweetness and light.

But we can make it better and today I’m asking you to help make that happen.

Please, Please, Please – send in testimony in support of SB1543 NOW if you can and certainly no later than Tuesday at 10am!

SB1543 “Establishes a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State of Hawaiʻi”.

This is critical. No in-person oral testimony is allowed so we need to flood them with overwhelming written support, which has to be submitted 24 hours before the hearing.

Please also forward this message to two of your friends!

If can, mark your calendar for this Wednesday 2/22 at 10am and attend the hearing in-person at the Capitol in Conference Room 211. Even though oral testimony isn’t allowed, it’s important we have a strong visible presence.

Publicly funded elections have been called the reform that makes all other reforms possible.

Point #1 – Money now has a huge impact on elections

Candidates must actively seek donations that create relationships that can cause corruption or the perception of it.

Legislators listen to donors, since they fund their campaigns.

Money is crucial to winning. 91% of candidates who outspend their opponent go on to win.

Many elections are uncontested because potential candidates can’t afford the high price tag.

Point #2 – Clean Elections creates a fairer system

Candidates will spend more time with constituents rather than fundraising.

Elections will be more competitive with a more diverse set of candidates.

Legislators will be free to make decisions without concern as to what their donors think.

74% of Hawai’i voters support full publicly financed elections.

Point #3 Cost of this program is small

At less than $25 million, a $3 visitor fee or cannabis legalization would generate more than enough to pay for it.

Legislators who aren’t beholden to donors can save costs elsewhere in the budget.

Point #4 We aren’t reinventing the wheel

Big Island County Council races had a similar program in 2010 and 2012.

Connecticut and Maine have clean elections statewide which are both popular and successful.

Over 70% of Democratic legislators use this program in Maine.

SB1543 would set up a system of fully publicly financed elections, a.k.a. clean elections. It would provide participating candidates with competitive amounts of funding they need to run an effective campaign, and would ban them from receiving any private donations at all.

Passing into law, publicly financed elections is the single most important thing we can do to end pay-to-play corruption in our politics and start building a Hawaiʻi that puts kamaʻāina and kānaka maoli first — not big money interests.

Please take the action. Send the email. Tell your friends. Show up on Wednesday if you can. Support SB1543!

Gary Hooser
http://www.garyhooser.com
*Mahalo to the many friends working on this important issue for allowing me to borrow some of their words, describing the bill and its impacts 😉