An interview with the Honolulu Advertiser

I am announcing today that I am running for mayor in the upcoming special election.

I do so with humility, knowing what an extraordinary leader Mayor Baptiste was. Two days ago, the people of Kaua‘i joined with leaders from throughout the state to celebrate Bryan's life with wonderful stories that evoked tears and laughter in all of us who gathered there to remember him. Coming together and sharing stories revealed more than ever what a special leader and good man he was. The mayor would have been so happy to see all of us gathered in unity. This was his greatest wish for our community.

Now, as Mayor Baptiste would want us to do, we move forward. The mayor always had a sense of urgency and a need to get the job done for the benefit of Kaua‘i. I share that same desire because these issues affect the daily lives of all of us. I have been working on Kaua‘i.s issues at the county level my entire adult life. Solid waste, housing, preservation of agricultural lands, stadium park lights, park maintenance and expansion, rapidly rising gasoline and electricity prices are some of the issues pressing upon our community today. Mayor Baptiste was working on these issues and many more. If we stand in his vision of a community working together, we can resolve these issues and create a good future together.

In 2002, when Bryan Baptiste was elected mayor for the first time, I was elected to the county council. In the first meeting between the mayor and myself, I told Mayor Baptiste that it was my goal to be for him the kind of councilmember I wanted when I was mayor.that I would support him in implementing his vision, that I would give his specific proposals an honest evaluation and support them where I agreed they were best for the community and that I would honestly disagree when I had a different position.

I'm not sure the mayor really believed me then. But during these past six years, the record will show that whenever Mayor Baptiste proposed his projects, I viewed them on their merits with a positive, open mind and without personal attacks. I have supported most of his projects, often when the council was divided.

For all of this, I am deeply grateful. It is a joy when public officials find common ground and work together to produce good results and improve services to the community.

My decision to run has not been an easy one, but I asked myself, "How can I best serve Kaua‘i?" Because I've been in the mayor's office before - in good times and bad times - I have the experience to get the job done better than any other candidate. I have the ability to move ahead on Mayor Baptiste's legacy, and I have the experience and judgment - backed by my record - to lead the County in the right direction in the future.

I know how to develop and improve day-to-day government operations.
When I became mayor in 1988, the county had no computerization. The only fax machine was in the mayor's office where everyone came to receive or send a fax. But by the time I left office, all our financial operations had been computerized with proper checks and balances in place, and the basic framework for the county's Information Technology system was established. In my last year of office, the county was awarded its first "Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting," proof that my administration had accomplished a major task in letting our financial system straight. The work we did also provided a sound foundation for the development of the county's IT system over the last 18 years.

I know how to look ahead and plan for the future.
I started the Sunshine Markets in 1978. They have provided additional markets and income for our farmers as well as fresh, local produce for our residents and visitors over the last thirty years. In 1990, at a time when most people did not understand its importance, I started Kaua‘i.s first public transportation system, the Kaua‘i Bus. It began as a Lihu‘e-Kapa‘a route and was expanded to an islandwide system after Hurricane Iniki with FEMA monies. Today, it is helping residents save money on a daily basis as the price of gas nears $5 a gallon.

I know how to lead the community.
The community of Kaua‘i responded to Hurricane Iniki with extraordinary courage, resourcefulness and aloha. The response of the federal, state and nongovernmental organizations was also superb. What was also key was how the County of Kaua‘i, in a time of great crisis, coordinated all these various efforts and enabled and supported individual responses, an orderly distribution of aid, and an assessment of damages and subsequent repairs. We saw what happened in New Orleans when this kind of coordination wasn.t provided. Our efforts weren.t perfect, but we got the job done, in part because of good leadership.

Finally, I know how to work with community. Throughout my 30 years of public service, from stopping high rises on Kaua‘i and opposing premature development in Po‘ipu in the 70's, to the addition of 130 acres of spectacular coastal lands to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge in the 80's to the formation of the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative in 2004-5, I have worked with community. Though we often worked in different spheres of community, Mayor Baptiste and I shared this deep belief in and love for community.

The work that lies ahead cannot be done by one person. It will take a community united and in partnership with experienced and dedicated leadership. I am running for mayor to offer the people of Kaua‘i that choice.

I look forward to meeting with and talking to every person possible during this campaign, to hearing your thoughts and ideas about how we can build a well-planned, flourishing community that has a strong sustainable economy and environment.

I hope all voters will take the time to look at my 30-year record of public service. Please come to my gatherings to ask me questions. You will see that I.ve been unceasingly committed to Kaua‘i and its wellbeing. If you believe that I am the right leader for these times, I need your support. I would appreciate any time and effort you can give to my campaign. And I need your financial help, too, to get the word out.

The leaders we choose in the next election will make decisions that will set the course of this island for years to come. Steady, clear, experienced leadership that continues and builds upon Mayor Baptiste.s legacy of aloha and kuleana, is what I offer.

Mahalo.