SUBHEAD: Island Breath endorsements and recommendations for federal, state and county election.
Some changes to County Charter Amendments made on 10/17/16
By Linda Pascatore on 14 October 2016 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2016/10/kauai-election-2016.html)
Image above: Incumbent Gary Hooser - Our first pick for Kauai County Council.
Important Election Dates:
Early Walk-In Voting and Late Voter Registration:
Tues, October 25 to Sat, Nov 5, 2016, 8am to 4 pm, at Lihue Neighborhood Center
Last day to request a Mail Ballot:
Tues, Nov 5, 2016, 4:30pm deadline
Early Walk-In Voting Ends:
Sat, Nov 5, 2016
General Election:
Tues, Nov 8, 2016, polls open 7am to 6pmSome changes to County Charter Amendments made on 10/17/16
By Linda Pascatore on 14 October 2016 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2016/10/kauai-election-2016.html)
Image above: Incumbent Gary Hooser - Our first pick for Kauai County Council.
Important Election Dates:
Early Walk-In Voting and Late Voter Registration:
Tues, October 25 to Sat, Nov 5, 2016, 8am to 4 pm, at Lihue Neighborhood Center
Last day to request a Mail Ballot:
Tues, Nov 5, 2016, 4:30pm deadline
Early Walk-In Voting Ends:
Sat, Nov 5, 2016
General Election:
To Register to Vote, Find your Polling Place, and see your Sample Ballot, go to: https://olvr.hawaii.gov/
Island Breath Endorsements:
We found information on candidates records and position on Votesmart (http://votesmart.org/), Ballotpedia (https://ballotpedia.org/Hawaii_elections,_2016), the League of Women Voters (http://www.lwv-hawaii.com/candidates-2016.htm), OHA Election Guide (http://www.oha.org/2016electionguide), and also in articles profiling individual candidates in the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Civil Beat, and The Garden Island.
We endorsed candidates with progressive or liberal values; their support for the environment, sustainability, and Hawaiian Sovereignty; and for their anti-GMO stances.
*SPECIAL ENDORSEMENT: GARY HOOSER FOR KAUAI COUNTY COUNCIL*
Our favorite Kauai politician of all time: if you vote for only one person on this ballot, vote for Gary!
U.S. FEDERAL OFFICES
President and Vice President:
Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka
IB Note: We are voting our conscience on this one--Jill is just too good, and we can't support Trump or Clinton. Check out the Green Party website (http://www.jill2016.com/)
US Senator:
Brian Schatz
US Representative, Dist II:
Tulsi Gabbard
HAWAII STATE OFFICES
State Representative, Dist 14: (Hanalei, Princeville, Kilauea, Anahola, Kapaa, Wailua)
Nadine Nakamura
IB Note: Nakamura looks better than her opponent Combs in her positions on issues. However, we lost faith in Nadine when she left the county council at the time she was needed for a crucial GMO vote, in order to accept an appointment from Carvalho
State Representative, Dist 15:(
IB Note: James Tokioka is running unopposed for this office. We do not endorse him.
State Representative, Dist 16:
Dee Morikawa
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA):
Hawaii Resident Trustee:
Mililani Trask
OHA At-Large Trustee:
Keli'i Akina
KAUAI COUNTY OFFICES
County of Kauai Prosecuting Attorney:
Justin Kollar
Kauai County Council:
Mason Chock
Gary Hooser
JoAnn Yukimura
IB Note: You can vote for 7 council members. However, the 3 above supported 2491 (Bill regulating pesticides and GMO's). If you vote for all seven candidates, but only really support three, your #4, 5, 6, and 7 votes could enable those other candidates to win over your top candidates. Consider voting for fewer--a practice called "plunking".
STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
IB Note: Constitutional amendments in Hawaii require approval from a majority of all voters casting a vote in the election, which means that filling out a ballot but not voting has the same effect as voting no. A yes vote approves the proposed change, a no vote or not voting leaves the State Constitution as is.
VOTE YES: RELATING TO JURY TRIALS IN CIVIL CASES
"Shall the threshold value in controversy requirement for jury trials in civil cases at common law be increased from $5,000 to $10,000?"IB Note: This amendment deals with how much money a civil suit has to be seeking in order to have a jury trial. We believe that a judge can adjudicate a monetary claim in a civil case and avoid a costly jury trial.
VOTE YES: RELATING TO THE DISPOSITION OF EXCESS REVENUES
"Shall the legislature be provided, when the state general fund balance at the close of each of two successive fiscal years exceeds five per cent of the general fund revenues for each of the two fiscal years, the additional alternatives of appropriating general funds for the pre-payment of either or both of the following:
(1) Debt service for general obligation bonds issued by the State; or
(2) Pension or other post-employment benefit liabilities accrued for state employees?"IB Note: Without the passage of this amendment, excess general funds can only be used to provide tax refunds for taxpayers or to supplement other funds in place for emergencies. This amendment would allow excess general fund revenues to be used to pre-pay general obligation bonds issued by the state and pensions accrued by state employees. General obligation bonds are bonds issued and backed by the state.
KAUAI COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS
IB Note: For Kauai County Charter Amendments, blank votes are not counted.
Update: We have changed a couple of our recommendations as of 10/17/16.
VOTE YES: RELATING TO CORRECTING GENDER NEUTRALITY, GRAMMATICAL, SPELLING AND FORMATTING ERRORS.
"Shall the charter be amended throughout to ensure that its language is to the greatest extent possible gender neutral and to make changes to spelling, capitalization, punctuation, formatting, and grammar?"IB Note: This amendment simply corrects errors and gender references
VOTE YES: RELATING TO EXPANDING THE DUTIES OF THE FIRE CHIEF AND DEFINING AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE POWERS AND DUTIES
"Shall the duties of the Fire Chief be clarified to include duties currently performed such as addressing hazardous materials, emergency medical services, and ocean safety, and shall the reference to the Mayor's authority to assign duties be removed?"IB Note: The section of the County Charter was created before the Fire Commission was formed. The current language of the Charter does not specifically identify lines of authority in assigning duties. Additionally, the Department has broadened its scope beyond fire control, to include such functions as ocean safety, hazardous materials, and emergency services, which are currently not reflected in the charter. This amendment would appropriately describe the current functions of the fire chief and the Fire Department, as they relate to duties and authority.
MODIFIED 10/17/16
VOTE NO: RELATING TO ESTABLISHING A ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS TO ASSIST THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN PROVIDING DUE PROCESS FOR APPELLANTS
"Shall a Zoning Board of Appeals be established to hear appeals from decisions of the Planning Director and to conduct evidentiary hearing at the request of the Planning Commission?"IB Note: Currently, the Zoning Board hires a hearing officer for appeals. This amendment would have a volunteer board appointed by the mayor and approved by county council. It is unclear whether these volunteers would be as knowledgeable and as impartial as a hearing officer.
VOTE YES: RELATING TO THE CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY
"Shall the county Civil Defense Agency be renamed the Emergency Management Agency and its organization clarified consistent with State Law?"IB Note: Hawaii State law recently renamed the “Civil Defense Agency” to the “Emergency Management Agency.” Therefore, the current language of the Charter referring to the Civil Defense Agency is inconsistent with state law. Additionally, the Charter does not currently assign a department administrator or director.
VOTE YES: RELATING TO THE PERCENTAGE OF REQUIRED VOTERS FOR AN INITIATIVE PETITION, A REFERENDUM PETITION, OR A CHARTER AMENDMENT PETITION
"Shall the percentage of registered voter signatures required to start the initiative or referendum process be reduced to 10 percent from 20 percent, and shall the percentage of registered voter signatures required to start the charter amendment process via voter petition be increased to 10 percent from 5 percent?"IB Note: This makes the required percentage consistent at 10 percent for those wishing to propose an ordinance, referendum or charter amendment. Currently, the 20 percent required for an initiative or referendum is too high.
MODIFIED 10/17/16
VOTE NO: RELATING TO ENABLING THE COUNTY CLERK TO DETERMINE WHAT IS A VALID CHARTER AMENDMENT
"Shall it be specified what constitutes a charter amendment, and shall the processing of a proposed charter amendment via voter petition be revised to enable the county clerk to determine whether the proposal is a valid charter amendment?"IB Note: If voters collect the required signatures to get a Charter Amendment on the ballot, it should be included, unless the courts decide it does not constitute a valid charter amendment.
VOTE NO: RELATING TO ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION
"Shall the Charter Review Commission be an ongoing commission?"IB Note: The current language of the charter states that the Commission will expire on December 31, 2016. A new commission can reconvene in 10 years, with members to be appointed by the mayor and approved by the council. This amendment seeks to remove the expiration date of the Charter Review Commission and eliminates the 10-year intervals between the creation of the commissions, thereby establishing a permanent Charter Review Commission. We believe that once every ten years is often enough to review changes to the County Charter, which is the equivalent of our constitution.
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