GaryHooser's Blog

Heads up #1 – Primary Election ballots are already arriving at homes on Oahu with neighbor-island mailings to follow shortly.

To see exactly what your ballot will look like ahead of time, to track your ballot once you have returned it in the mail and/or to register to vote online go to https://elections.hawaii.gov.

Positive change can happen, but only if we collectively take the time to take ownership of our government. Read – Who Controls Government in Hawaiʻi?

Scroll down to review a list of all endorsed candidates – including a new announcement concerning the Lieutenant Governor’s race.

Heads up #2 – I’m honored to be a featured speaker and ask that you register in advance and join me via Zoom on Friday, July 22 at 6pm for a virtual fundraiser in support of Maui candidates: Walter Ritte – State Senate, Mahina Poepoe – State House, and Keani Rawlins-Fernandez – Maui Council.

To find out “the why” on some of the key endorsements read:

Why I’m Supporting Kai Kahele Over Josh Green.

Why Sergio Alcubilla Over Ed Case.

Sergio Alcubilla for CD2 – The Little Engine That Could

Why it’s so important to elect Kim Coco Iwamoto, Walter Ritte, and Laura Acasio. Read – I’m Not Pulling Any Punches Today

We All Should Be So Lucky As The Residents Of Kailua Are Today – with Natalia Hussey-Burdick being on their ballot.

Just a glance at the website of Honolulu Council District 6 Candidate Ikaika Hussey says it all. Ikaika is of the people, by the people, and for the people – All Hawaiʻi will be well served by the election of Ikaika Hussey.

Why Kathy Feldman for the State House? Read: Telling Stories – GMO, Pesticides, and the Hawaiʻi Kai Connection – a brief look at what motivated this hard-working, community-based, ardent supporter of the environment, to challenge the incumbent.

Heads up #3 – Many Kauaʻi friends have been asking about the County Council race. My focus at the moment is on supporting only challengers Fern Anuenue Holland and Addison Bulosan. Two incumbents (Kaneshiro and Chock) are “terming out” – and I believe both Holland and Bulosan are excellent choices to fill those two slots. Additional Council endorsements will be announced in the coming weeks.

And yes, Heads up #4 – I’ve Finally Come To a Decision On The Lieutenant Governors Race (and yes I’m making you click through to the Hooser blog to discover who it is) 😉

Here is a list of Congressional, Gubernatorial, and State Legislative Endorsed Candidates and a separate list of County Endorsed Candidates (all Counties) supported by the Pono Hawaiʻi Initiative , of which I am the Executive Director. And here is the basic criteria used in determining – Which Candidates Should Be Supported?

There are many good candidates running across the State. In the coming weeks, I’ll be doing my best to highlight them all.

But please, don’t just take my word for it. Do your homework, study the candidates in your district, call or email them directly, and then cast an informed vote.

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

*I mention “the why” above. Read about the “why not” in today’s The Civil Beat Hawaii Lawmakers Took In The Cash This Session Despite Pleas To Ban Fundraising During Session

Note: No candidate has authorized or approved this stuff. No one pays me to write it. I’m not looking for a job nor for any political favors other than they look out for people and the planet.

About 5 years or so ago, Marti Townsend asked me to represent the Sierra Club at an FAA meeting regarding noise from air tours. The meeting was held in a colorless, bleak room in the federal building, filled with bureaucrats. For the first 45 minutes or so, the FAA droned on and one about how nothing could be done. at all. Then, Kai Kahele and a couple other Big Island legislators showed up. I had never seen him before. Fairly quickly, Kahele started pointing out that the FAA bureaucrats were not telling us the whole story; that their answers were misleading. I used to deal with legislators a lot and I had never seen a legislator speak with such mastery of a subject matter. Usually, legislator’s knowledge is superficial, a recitation of a few talking points. But Kahele had complete command of the subject matter and was not going to let the FAA bully us. It was an impressive performance; so impressive that I sent him an email praising him (something I’ve rarely, if ever, done before).

A few years later, A&B tried to steamroll legislation to legalize its taking of millions of gallons of water from east Maui streams. Kahele was the chair of the committee that dealt with water issues. There was no reason for him to give the matter much attention. He is from the Big Island, not Maui. His allies in the legislature were not progressives. He had nothing to gain by analyzing the details of the proposal. But he studied it with a level of intensity that no one in government has engaged in. He met with folks from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and the Sierra Club to understand the smallest of details. And he went after A&B and BLNR. Successfully.

Trying to get our Congressional delegation to hold the Navy’s feet to the fire had been an exercise in frustration. Ed Case was hostile, wrapping himself in the banner of national security and faith in the Navy. Mazie, a former Vietnam War protestor, was just about as bad, condescendingly shooing us away. And surprisingly, Brian, while sympathetic, refused to do anything, demanding scientific proof that the tanks were a threat. Newly elected Congressman Kahele did not want to step on Case’s toes since Red Hill is in Case’s district. Nevertheless, it was Kahele who aggressively questioned Navy officials, met with poisoned residents, collected water samples, and got the entire Congressional delegation to demand that the tanks be shut down.

These three instances of Kahele in action are why I’m voting for Kahele for governor.

In recent years, my votes were to stop someone awful from being governor. I supported honest, but conservative David Ige because Abercrombie and Hanabusa were dreadful. Although I have some gripes with Josh Green and Vicky Cayetano, I don’t think that they will be awful. But I’ve been so impressed with Kahele — so different from other politicians — that I’m voting for him with enthusiasm.

No one is perfect. Clinton and JFK had their affairs. As did Martin Luther King Jr. Obama was a prisoner to the national security apparatus. So, I’m not going to say Kahele is perfect. But some of the criticism of him is silly.

The media has created an anti-Kahele narrative that will be tough for him to penetrate. But if you really think about, none of it is substantive.

One friend, who shall go nameless, says, “Why can’t he just finish the job he was elected to?” Obama had to resign his job as a U.S. Senator when he was elected President. Joe Biden had to resign as well when he was elected Vice President. Kahele clearly didn’t like DC. This is a petty reason not to vote for Kahele.

Others are critical of his relationship with Hawaiian Airlines. If Kahele was close to a corporation that was adversely affecting society (A&B, HEI, Castle & Cooke etc. etc.) I would be concerned. But Hawaiian Air? Ya, I’m still upset about the 100,000 Aloha miles I lost, but I just cannot get worked up about any nefarious connection between Kahele and Hawaiian Air. (We could point to how close other candidates are to other interests . . . )

Others point to his raising money from special interests and then giving them up. It seems to me that continuing the receive huge amounts of money from special interests is a bigger deal than what some people call hypocrisy. Shouldn’t we be praising him for something we would all like to see rather than find a reason to criticize?

Guest Post – David Kimo Frankel
Former director of the Sierra Club of Hawai’i
Former attorney at Native Hawaiian Legal Corp.

Deciding on who to vote for and or who to endorse involves examining the totality of the circumstances surrounding the individuals who are running, the office they are running for, and the general circumstances and political landscape.

All are imperfect and compete with other imperfect individuals to be elected to public office.

Most candidates are good on some issues and bad or not so good on others. Similarly, each candidate has a unique personality, unique life experiences, and look at the world through their own unique life lens.

When attempting to decide between two or more candidates, it’s natural and necessary to determine where each stands on the important issues of the day.

Most of us have “litmus test” issues. Bigotry is a big one for me. I would never vote for a bigot.

Marriage equality, abortion rights, gun control, the right for all workers to earn a living wage, universal health care, TMT, demilitarization, the separation of church and state, and climate change are all issues that I believe “my candidate” should be strong on.

But what if my choice was between these two candidates?

Candidate A was solid on every single one of these issues except TMT and was also weak on universal health care.

Candidate B was similarly not good on the TMT and universal health care issues but was also a bigot who opposed gun control and marriage equality and did not believe climate change was real.

Is voting for candidate A, voting for the “lesser of two evils”?

Let’s say you decide to vote for neither. You leave your ballot blank and candidate B wins by one vote.

Will our community be better or worse off because you failed to vote for candidate A?

Is this a win?

I don’t think so.

gh

Read also: Which Candidates Should Be Supported?

Sherry Menor is a very nice person whom I have known for years. We’ve interacted since my time serving in the Senate, normally on opposite sides of the issues. She has always been pleasant and professional but we each see the world through a different lens. She spends year after year, session after legislative session – pushing back against environmental and worker protection laws and helping her bosses at the Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce to maximize their profits.

I’ve spent those same years fighting hard to increase environmental protections and worker rights and benefits.

Former Honolulu Council Chair Ikaika Anderson, I do not know well so I have been asking people who live in his Council district about him. The answers I’m getting are not positive ones. As further evidence of a disconnect between Anderson and his immediate constituents, 46% of the 2016 voters left their ballots blank even though he was unopposed. His was the only name on the ballot for that Council seat and 46% of the voters chose not to put an X next to his name. It’s not uncommon for 15% to 20% of voters to leave their ballots blank on unopposed races, but 46% certainly means something is seriously not right.

There’s something else there that makes it impossible for me to vote for Ikaika Anderson. I’m not quite sure what it is, but it may be related to his irritating TV ad claims of achievement and endless experience, combined with those pesky blank votes.

Representative Sylvia Luke is or was probably the most powerful woman in Hawaiʻi politics. Almost every single bill that passed through the State House was subject to her review and veto power if she did not like it. As Chair of the powerful House Finance Committee, she wielded her power in a quiet, competent, and somewhat muted manner – from the publics perspective. But among those who had matters before her committee, a hesitancy to cross her and the fear of retaliation are front and center realities.

According to Civil Beat Luke has spent an eyeopening $951,000 in the L.G.’s race during the first six months of this year. You will not find Sylvia Luke being a strong advocate for banning fundraising during the legislative session, that is for sure.

Money and power and business as usual are the thoughts that come to my mind when considering whether or not to cast my L.G. vote for Sylvia Luke. I just can’t do it.

So, yes…I’m voting for Keith Amemiya to be the next Hawaiʻi Lieutenant Governor. While it’s true he’s the only candidate left standing, there is more to it than that. His issue platform aligns with mine, he brings new and positive energy to the table, and for whatever reason – I trust the guy.

To be clear I am not making this decision lightly. I’ve been doing my homework, looking into his background, reviewing the various campaign websites, and calling friends who work in the political world.

The answers I’ve gotten from others, and the ultimate conclusion I’ve come to can be summed up in three sentences:

Voting for Menor and the Chamber of Commerce is a nonstarter.
Anderson and Luke represent money, power, and politics as usual – pick your poison.
Amemiya offers new energy, a fresh perspective, and hope for the future.
That’s plenty enough reason for my vote.

Sincerely,
Gary Hooser
Read also:
Why I’m Supporting Kai Kahele Over Josh Green

Sergio Alcubilla For Congress – the little engine that could

Why Choose Sergio Alcubilla Over Blue-Dog Ed Case

Note to all the other candidates running for this office who are not on the above list: To win, you must start earlier and run a real campaign. You may be a great candidate for the office but I don’t know who you are, and you certainly have not convinced me that I should vote for you, or include you in the discussion. To win you must figure out a way to “get on the radar”. Campaigns are hard, winning against better-known and better-financed candidates is hard. It may mean starting out lower on the political food chain. #justsayin

The lack of affordable housing is cited as the #1 issue by just about every candidate on the ballot in the Primary Election scheduled for August 13. 

We have more people living in the bushes, alongside the roadways, and under our bridges – than ever before.

The cost of housing is also higher than it’s ever been.

People are hurting. Bad kine.

Kaua`i Councilmember Luke Evslin and Council Vice-Chair Mason Chock have introduced Resolution No. 2022-22 proposing to amend the Kaua’i County Charter, and earmark a minimum of two percent (2%) of County real property tax revenues to the Housing Development Fund for the purpose of affordable housing. Read the entire notice for Resolution No. 2022-22 here.

When ultimately passed by voters, this will ensure that the creation of affordable housing for local residents will be a top priority for Kaua’i County. Because the measure creates a dedicated annual funding source, the County will significantly increase its ability to compete for State and Federal housing funds and to leverage the dedicated funding via long-term bonds. 

The two Councilmembers have also introduced Bill 2872 to amend the “Residential Investor” and “Vacation Rental” tax rate classifications to incentivize long-term rentals and to shift some of the financial burden toward those most capable of paying, and away from owner-occupied homes and long-term rentals. Bill 2872 does not increase property taxes but only creates a broader tax structure that could support the funding of affordable housing and other vital services. Read the entire notice for Bill No. 2872 here.  

These measures represent significant steps Kaua`i County can and must take toward alleviating our existing affordable housing crisis. Both the City and County of Honolulu, and Maui County have created similar funding mechanisms dedicated to increasing their affordable housing inventories.

The Public Hearing for both is Wednesday, July 20 in the Council Chambers at 8:30am and is perhaps the most important public meeting of the year. My hope is that Kaua`i residents will show up to testify in person AND that they will submit testimony in writing to counciltestimony@kauai.gov (late testimony is better than no testimony).

The actual vote will not occur until the August 3 Council meeting. However, it’s important to know where each Councilmember stands on the issue, earlier rather than later.

Vote counting #101:

Obviously the sponsors, Councilmembers Luke and Chock are in strong support.

Based on his past public statements and prior vote on the issue it’s clear that Councilmember KipuKai Kualiʻi is also in strong support.

Similarly, it should be obvious to anyone observing the previous Council meeting where this was discussed, that Council Chair Arryl Kaneshiro and Councilmember Bill DeCosta are strongly opposed. The Chair is a genuine budget hawk and prefers not to make a long-term budget commitment for affordable housing. DeCosta’s opposition seems based on a fear that people from the mainland will somehow cut in line ahead of true local residents. 

Councilmember Bernard Carvalho and Councilmember Felicia Cowden both have spoken and voted in support but the clarity of their position, whether grounded in style or substance, sometimes appears muted.

It takes 5 votes to pass and while the preliminary vote count on this looks to be 5 in support and 2 opposed, the ultimate vote of August 3 is the one that matters.

All 7 Councilmembers need to hear from the community on this.

If passed by the Council, Resolution 2022-22 will be placed on the November Ballot for Kaua`i voters to decide whether or not the creation of more affordable housing for local residents and a much-needed dedicated funding source – should be a top priority or not.

The August 13 Primary Election occurs just 10 days after the Council votes on these two issues. While I normally encourage people to vote early, in this case, I’m thinking about waiting to cast mine. #justsayin

The clarity of the choices and the distinctions between the candidates could not be any more lucid. Kai is our guy.

Breaking – Today’s Civil Beat
Lt. Gov. Josh Green has spent $2.65 million. 27% of his contributions larger than $100 were from out of state.

Cayetano reported spending more than $2.25 million – loaning her own campaign $1.52 million so far. 9% of Cayetano’s donations of more than $100 were from out of state

U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele’s report shows he has spent about $178,000 on the election so far. None of Kahele’s donations of more than $100 were from out of state. *Actually his policy is to not accept donations of more than $100.

According to Civil Beat: “Kahele’s initial filing on June 20 made it clear he is backed by much of the progressive wing of the Democrats at the Legislature, with donors who included Reps. Tina Wildberger, Chris Todd and Amy Perruso and Sen. Laura Acasio.

His small-donor supporters also included familiar names from the left wing of state and local politics such as Kyle Kajihiro, Will Caron, Shannon Rudolph, Bart Dame and former state Sen. Gary Hooser. Former state Democratic Party Chair Stephanie Ohigashi was also among his donors.

Kahele also drew support from some well-known environmental advocates including Marti Townsend, Nelson Ho, Josh Stanbro and David Henkin.”

The Civil Beat article also reports: “He (Green) had more than $629,000 in cash on hand as of June 30, while Cayetano had slightly more than $56,000 on hand. Kahele had about $40,450 in cash on hand.”

Kai is our guy. The recent campaign spending reports prove it. But because he is refusing the big money, us small money guys gotta keep spreading the word and giving what we can.

So if you have not yet made an online contribution to the campaign of $100 or less please do so TODAY. And if you have already maxed out and given the $100 directly to the campaign, please consider supporting the Kai Kahele for Governor Grassroots Community Fund with an additional donation!

Information is per Civil Beat – today…breaking news.

The story of Sergio Alcubilla candidate for Congress in Hawaii’s CD1, reminds me of “The Little Engine That Could”.

I am guessing you have either read it to your children or perhaps when you were a child remember it being read to you?

It’s a “Classic story of the little blue engine that comes to the rescue when the train taking supplies to the good children over the mountain breaks down.”

In a world where Nina Turner says “any ole blue won’t do” we know by now that Sergio is blue to the core, unlike his Blue-Dog opponent Congressman Ed Case who stopped in its tracks the “Build Back Better” plan – just as it was preparing to cross the mountain peak of Congressional approval.

The Build Back Better plan would have provided hearing, dental, and vision coverage to all Medicare recipients. It would have supported childcare for families in need, and it would have made possible a college education for every single high school graduate regardless of their ability to pay. All of this and much more was lost due to the action and inaction of Case and his Blue-Dog Caucus

The Hawaiʻi Democratic Party itself passed a Resolution saying that Case’s actions “do not reflect the values and principles” of the party.

According to Wikipedia, “In the tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain after its locomotive breaks down. Larger locomotives, treated anthropomorphically, are asked to pull the train; for various reasons they refuse. The request is sent to a small engine, who agrees to try. This small engine succeeds in pulling the train over the mountain while repeating the motto: “I-think-I-can”.”

With real-life imitating this classic tale, the whispers among Democratic Party stalwarts were rife at the time with speculation as to “who might step up” to run against Case? What Democrat who truly believed in the values of the Party was going to challenge him?

Not one of the “larger locomotives” was willing to take up the task. All the usual suspects, those with name recognition, those who had money or access to money, those with connections to the movers and shakers – not one of these larger locomotives was willing to move out of the comfort of their garage.

But Sergio Alcubilla, a graduate of Richardson School of Law, a public interest attorney with immigrant roots, a young family man with a keen sense of responsibility to do more for his community said, “I think I can” which translated quickly to “I know I can”.

9 months ago Sergio Alcubilla was virtually unknown in the world of Hawaiʻi politics. He had no previous campaign experience and unlike his well-funded opponent, his campaign account began at zero – with a firm commitment to reject large corporate campaign donations. Sergio’s campaign would be a people’s campaign, not one fueled and managed by insiders and big business.

He has worked tirelessly since that moment, knocking on countless doors, holding signs across the district, and building a diverse grassroots network of volunteers and supporters.

The hard work has paid off with the campaign garnering the endorsement of:
* Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association (watch/listen to @3.5 minute mark Sergio)
* ILWU, Local 142
* ILWU, International
* Unite Here, Local 5
* Hawaiʻi State AFL-CIO
* Our Revolution, Hawaiʻi
* Hawaiʻi 350.org
* Hawaiʻi Ports Maritime Council
* Inland-boatmen’s Union of the Pacific
* Americans for Democratic Action, Hawaiʻi Chapter
* Pono Hawaiʻi Initiative
* Seafarers International Union of North America
* Sailors Union of the Pacific
* Marine Firemen’s Union
* Hawaiʻi Nurses Association Local 50
* Blue America

*Sergio has also taken the Our Hawaiʻi Pledge, to stand with the people of Hawaiʻi and not corporate greed.

“The story of the little engine that could has been told and retold many times. The underlying theme is the same—a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it over difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little engine is willing to try and, while repeating the mantra “I think I can, I think I can”, overcomes a seemingly impossible task.”

To go all the way, up and over the peak that is before him – Sergio needs your support. He needs you to spread the word, to volunteer, and he needs your financial support to fund TV ads during the crucial next few weeks.

Can you help today with an online contribution so Sergio can get the critical TV time needed prior to the ballots being mailed out on July 20th?

The cost of a single 30-second TV spot on the morning news is $300, and the late afternoon prime-time hour is $700. Any help you can offer today and before July 20th is especially needed. Can you by chance contribute 1 or 2 or 3 TV spots?

Whatever the contribution – all are welcome.

ReviewSergio’s background and issue priorities. Watch this short campaign video to get a true sense of who he is. Do your homework. I trust you will agree – Sergio Alcubilla is by far the best choice to serve us in Congress.

We can do this. I know we can.

Sincerely,
Gary Hooser http://www.garyhooser.com
Former Hawaiʻi State Senator

Sergio is a good man. If you haven’t figured it out already, read my blog: Why I’m Choosing Sergio Over Ed Case.

Why do I do this you might ask? Why use my time and my money small though it may be, to support Sergio? I’m holding two of the main answers right here, one in each arm.

I’m flabbergasted to be reminded yet again of the State of Hawaii’s negligence with regard to pesticide contamination.

I was recently sent a legal paper by David M. Forman Director, Environmental Law Program William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

His paper dense though it may be (as legal papers tend to be) – has awakened in me the awareness, concern, and outrage that enveloped our collective community for several years – in our ongoing fight to increase the regulation of pesticides across the islands.

The below snippet is now stuck in my brain. To my knowledge, no state agency has ever taken this investigation any further. Where did the Roundup come from? What impacts is it having on health and the environment? What should be done to mitigate those impacts? Have residents and users of those streams been notified of the risk?

Professor Forman’s report states:

“During deliberations on a proposed county ordinance (referencing Kauai Bill 2491), the Branch Chief for the Hawai‘i State Pesticide Branch offered damning testimony:

“We looked into stream sediments specifically for glyphosate, for Roundup, and we found Roundup in all of the samples that we took. All in all, we found 20 herbicides, 11 insecticides, 6 fungicides, 7 locations with glyphosate but […] there are no EPA benchmarks for […] glyphosate. So we found stuff but, frankly, we don’t know what it means and […] we don’t know how to compare that to any kind of health standards.59”

I will repeat: “We looked into stream sediments specifically for glyphosate, for Roundup, and we found Roundup in all of the samples that we took.”

IN EVERY SINGLE STREAM THEY TESTED THEY FOUND GLYPHOSATE IN THE SEDIMENTS. THEY FOUND 20 HERBICIDES, 11 INSECTICIDES, AND 6 FUNGICIDES – IN 7 DIFFERENT STREAMS. NOT ONE SINGLE STREAM TESTED WAS FREE OF PESTICIDE CONTAMINATION.

To my knowledge, the State of Hawaii took no further action to test these streams further or explore why or how this happened, or mitigate or inform the public.

.

In response to those who have reached out and asked about my thoughts on the latest Kahele campaign developments:

I agree, that losing the opportunity for public matching funds is not good news but my response…once I got past the disappointment…was to just double down.

Today my wife Claudette decided that she would match the donation of $100 I made about one month ago…and I’m reaching out to other friends encouraging them to also contribute $100 as her “match” and keep the “match” going.

Please at this particular point in time, today, give what you can – but no more than $100. And keep the conversation and the matching process going by reaching out to 3 of your friends!

We can do this. We have only a few hours before Kai will take the stage on PBS Air Date: Thursday, Jul 7, 2022, 7:30 PM – alongside his competitors. We need to show him now, with a flood of new online donations, before he steps up on that stage – that we’ve got his back.

Yes…he has an uphill battle but in my opinion, Kai Kahele is still by far the best choice to be Hawaii’s next governor.

The failure to file a form on time = the failure to qualify for key public benefits. How many times have we heard this story?

Congressman Kahele could easily have thrown someone under the bus for the error but he has accepted full responsibility. As a true leader should do.

Campaigns, especially low-budget people-powered campaigns, often are managed and run by volunteers who may not be familiar with all of the forms, and all of the boxes to be checked.

They do the best they can but sometimes the ball gets dropped. In this case, the dropped ball was a very large one. I’m sure there is no shortage of people feeling very awful about this and what role they may or may not have played.

The candidate is ultimately responsible for everything but must spend the vast majority of their time “on the streets” meeting people face-to-face. They must trust those helping them and delegate the day-to-day tasks of campaign administration.

A ball was dropped, responsibility was accepted – it’s time to move on and prove that we as a community can elect the leaders we want and deserve – without their big money, big favors, and the pay-to-play corruption too many see as “just the way things are done”.

Yes…I am all in for Kai Kahele and ask that you join me. Today. Now. Before he takes the stage on PBS tonight at 7:30 pm. Give online whatever you feel comfortable with. But no more than $100 – because Hawaiʻi is not for sale.

*If you have already not done so, you might find interesting my blog piece: Why I’m Supporting Kai Kahele Over Josh Green

Who really controls government here in Hawaiʻi?  Who picks and chooses our elected leaders? Who decides who wins and who loses?

There’s really no mystery, no black box, no secret formula, and for sure there is no conspiracy. It’s all very simple and basic really – our government is controlled by the people who show up to vote.

There’s no magic to it all. The people who show up win.

49% of the votes in 2020 were literally left on the kitchen table. 388,058 legally registered voters who each received a ballot in the mail did not even bother to open the envelope, check a few boxes, and put it back in the mail so their votes would be counted.

David Ige defeated Colleen Hanabusa for Governor in the 2018 primary election by only 16,941 votes. In that election, 454,827 registered voters failed to show up.

Governor Ige’s election was not the result of a conspiracy. He won because more people showed up to vote for him than those that showed up to vote for his opponent. Sure, the various interest groups (unions, business, progressives, conservatives, etc) all conspired with their members and networks – encouraging them to vote for their endorsed candidate. But there was no pre-ordained or manipulated outcome controlled by Bill Gates, George Soros, or the Koch Brothers.

Yes, “big money” does exert an inappropriate amount of influence on our elections and should be controlled, minimized, and removed from the process.

Though Democrats dominate the electoral scene, the Democratic Party is not in charge. Read my 09/21/21 blog piece The Myth Of Democrats Controlling Politics And Government In Hawaiʻi.

The real culprit to be blamed for the dysfunctions within our government and political systems – are those people who don’t show up.

It’s called civic engagement and it requires a personal investment in time, energy, and yes, sometimes money as well.

I get it. We are all busy. According to a Hawaii Community Foundation survey, 70% of us struggle financially to just pay our basic bills. We have children, grandchildren, and parents to care for, and once in a while, we might like to go to the beach or read a book.

But is opening an envelope and checking a few boxes every two years too much to ask?

Please don’t complain about a lack of choices. From the mainstream to the extreme, there are a ton of choices.

For the people to win, for our children and grandchildren to win – we just gotta do a little bit of homework, Google around a bit, and then walk from our kitchen table to our mailbox twice – once in the primary and again in the general.

Those whose main interest is preserving the status quo are retirees’, establishment corporate interests, and organized labor – these folks vote. Low-income working people, the poor and underserved, the young, and the disenfranchised – typically do not vote.

This is why we have the government we have.

It’s not really that complicated.