Press Conference
Statement of Councilmember JoAnn A. Yukimura
September 13, 2005
County Council Chambers
Historic County Building
Good morning!
Next year’s election is a year away. So, of course, there are lots of rumors. Some of those rumors have been so convincing, I’ve thought about consulting the rumors to find out what I was going to do. I have called a press conference today because it’s time to lay the rumors to rest.
Over the past months, many people have been urging me to run for mayor. A few of you have asked me to run for the House. To those who have offered such support, I am honored and touched by your confidence.
Today, however, I am announcing that unless Mayor Baptiste decides not to run for re-election, I will not be running for mayor in 2006.
This was a difficult decision to make because many people who mean so much to me have asked me to run for mayor. These friends and fellow citizens have heartfelt hopes for a better community. They are concerned that things are out of control. I have those fears myself, and it’s my nature to want to jump in and make the changes that I feel need to be made.
But I have prayed deeply about this matter, spoken with my family and close friends, and I am choosing a different path. I would love to be mayor, but not at this time.
Some of my reasons are personal--having to do with myself and my family. As important, is my commitment to finish the work that I have started at the Council level.
I also feel that Mayor Baptiste has recruited many competent cabinet members and, with their help, is making progress in addressing some of Kaua`i's needs and problems. This is not true in all cases; there is certainly room for improvement, and in some instances, the need for improvement is urgent. At the same time, I don’t want to divide this community if there is a way Mayor Baptiste and I can work effectively together.
Over the past three years on the Council, I have been drawn to grassroots work.
For example, in early 2003, I joined with other concerned citizens to form the Kaua`i Drug Prevention Coalition. Members of that group worked hard, with administration support, to develop a long-range drug prevention plan for Kaua`i. We are now in the middle of implementing that plan. In the Central District, which includes the communities served by Kaua`i High School, our committee has proposed a comprehensive program to fight not only drugs, but teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, school drop out and violence. This program, if the DOE and the schools choose to implement it, will result in every student at every grade level learning life skills, including interpersonal and decision making skills and self confidence. The program also includes a PARENT component and a COMMUNITY MENTORING component.
As another example of my council work, one of the early acts of the new County Council in 2003 was a resolution calling for an integrated multi-modal land transportation plan for Kaua`i. That’s a mouthful, but basically it means a transportation plan that gives equal attention to buses, highways, bikeways and pedestrian ways. Shortly after we passed that resolution, I submitted a request to Congressman Case for $800,000 to do such a plan, hoping but not thinking we could actually get that money. Thanks to Representative Case’s skill and his commitment to good planning and to Kaua`i, the money has been approved. This represents a major opportunity for Kaua`i to look at what kind of transportation system we want into the future. I’ve asked Mayor Baptiste to allow me, as Planning Committee Chair, to sit on the Policy Committee that will oversee that planning process, and he has consented.
There is also vacation rental, affordable housing and shoreline protection legislation that will need a lot of attention. I have also started working with several groups of young people, and I want to continue this work.
Taking on a hotly contested campaign for mayor would push aside all of the work I’ve just described.
Many people have expressed disappointment to me over the present mayor's performance. I can understand why some people would think this way. However, I’m a little kinder in my assessment because I know, from having sat in the mayor’s chair, that even with the best of plans, things often do not go as quickly or as simply as one would expect. It often looks as though nothing is being done because it takes time to clean up long-standing problems or to plan, execute and see the results of various programs and projects. One example I remember from my term as mayor was how angry people were at me because all the hotels were not re-opened two years after Hurricane Iniki. Well, thirteen years and two other mayors later, Coco Palms is still not open and the Waiohai only opened two years ago. We know now that those expectations were unrealistic, but it was hard to realize it back then.
The Baptiste administration can be proud of much of the work that it is doing. For example, there is the development of on-island drug rehabilitation facilities for youth and adults, the Nawiliwili to Anahola Coastal Bike path, the rehabilitation of our sewer systems, the development of an affordable housing bill, protection of public access rights and many more.
On the other side, there are major areas in my opinion that are not being addressed effectively by the current administration. Sometimes people are being hired or promoted for political reasons rather than competency. This is bad for county morale as well as the County's ability to serve the public with excellence.
Progress in hiring a consultant to update the solid waste management plan and in establishing a new landfill has been terribly slow. The administration, now that it is in a time bind, appears to be reaching for quick solutions without a sound plan.
And the Agency for Elderly Affairs has not been fully included in the planning for that office.
Of greatest concern is the lack of effective planning by the Planning Department. Especially in these times when our island is changing so rapidly, good planning is the foundation and framework for solving and preventing many problems. In fact, if we had a good plan in place, many of the problems we are now experiencing would not have happened. These problems include traffic congestion; the lack of affordable housing; the out-of-control growth we are presently experiencing; the diminishing sense of place and the infrastructure problems that abound. There are many good people in the Planning Department but it needs leadership—extraordinary leadership if Kaua`i is to be a place where our children and grandchildren will thrive.
I hope it is clear that while I am not running for mayor at this time, I am not stepping back either. You can count on me to address the problems that face us, to continue speaking out, looking ahead and working for a better future for all of us. It’s been the hope of those who urged me to run for mayor that I would be able to solve the problems I just mentioned. Many times we look to the leader to solve our problems—and that’s ok. But does leadership come from only one person? Might there not be a call to leadership in each one of us who loves Kaua`i and is concerned about her future? Sometimes in relying on one person we overlook the power that each of us, or a group of us, has especially when we act from integrity and respect and do our homework.
For example, what if every person who is concerned about the rapid, unplanned growth on Kaua`i were to write a letter to the Mayor, Council and Planning Commission? What if many organizations, from the Kaua`i Chamber of Commerce and the Filipino Chamber of Commerce to the Sierra Club and rotary clubs and churches were to send a delegation to speak to the mayor and Planning Commission about this? Pretty soon—this is my guess—there would be some action taken. To ensure effective and long lasting action, it takes a group of citizens who studies and follows the issue over time.
I urge each one of you to consider what leadership role you might be called to. I invite you to choose one area that you want to influence or change—and join together with me and others to develop effective ways to solve the community problem or address the issue—be it planning, solid waste, transportation, public education or any other issue. For those already actively addressing the issues, thank you for your dedicated work. Let’s all work together to plan for and create a Kaua`i where our children and grandchildren will thrive. If anyone is interested in joining in on the issues, please visit my website (www.JoAnnYukimura.com) for more information or email me at jymf@JoAnnYukimura.com.
It would be such a privilege to work with you.