Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Musings: Open Season

The Maui Community Organic Farmland Initiative, which would have used taxpayer money to condemn private ag land for committee-dictated farming, has failed to make the Maui County ballot.

Organizers submitted one petition with 11,339 signatures, and then a supplemental petition with another 6,827 signatures. But 10,861 signatures were deemed invalid, leaving the initiative 1,896 registered voters short of the 9,201 required, according to a press release from the Maui County Clerk.

On June 3, organizers were expressing confidence that their proposal “to convert the former [HC&S] sugarcane lands from private to public to create the world’s largest community-owned organic agricultural park” would go before voters. “We can now say with 90% certainty that we will be on the November ballot.”

Oops....

It's unclear how much was spent paying people to collect signatures, or where the money came from, because those loudly demanding transparency — these are the same folks that led the SHAKA GMO moratorium initiative on Maui — don't practice it themselves.

But birds of a feather do flock together, with SHAKA founder and luxury Realtor Mark Sheehan donating $100 last month to Kauai Councilman Gary Hooser's re-election campaign. Hooser is the first Kauai candidate to file a report for 2016 contributions, reporting $7,910 in donations between April 29 and May 24. He got $100 from Neal Norman, the state's top-selling Realtor, in addition to the $250 he got from Neal last November. Anti-dairy activist Bridget Hammerquist gave him $200, Carol Wilcox donated $500, as did Kauai Garden Cottages, and “audio director” donated $1,000.

You can see his 2015-16 contributors here and here and here. It's so hard for me to fathom why seemingly intelligent people give money to Hooser. Don't they know he's a lying, fear-mongering demagogue? (And if not, what rock have they been under these past few years?) Or do they just not care that he's missing a moral compass?

But even with those donations, Hooser is still starting the campaign season dismally, with a deficit of $759. Mason Chock also reports a deficit of $1,119. 

Mel Rapozo, meanwhile, has $14,632; Ross Kagawa has $5,946;  KipuKai Kualii has $9,345; JoAnn Yukimura has $14,792, and Arryl Kaneshiro has a whopping $36,005.

For 2015, all the Councilmembers except Gary and Mason received contributions of $200 each from Outrigger Enterprises.  JoAnn had no additional donations, and Mason reported no contributions at all in 2015.

The Hawaii Laborers Political Action Committee gave $2,000 each to Ross, KipuKai, Arryl and Mel, with KipuKai reporting no additional donations.

For 2015, Mel also got $1,000 from the Hawaii Carpenters Market Recovery Program Fund; Ross reported an individual donation of $200 and Arryl got $500 from DOW International Finance.

Rep. Derek Kawakami, who is running for Council, has a war chest of $18,464, with contributions totaling $5,350 and $7,400 in 2015.

Prosecutor Justin Kollar received donations of $3,020 in 2015 and launched his re-election campaign with a $5,384 war chest. Challenger Lisa Arin reported a deficit of $3,679, with donations of $3,926 in 2015.

Rep. Jimmy Tokioka has a warchest of $22,600 with donations of $4,550 and $6,450 in 2015.

Rep. Dee Morikawa is launching her re-election bid with $7,074, reporting contributions of $3,000 and $4,300 in 2015.


Kauai Sen. Ron Kouchi topped everyone, starting his re-election campaign with a hefty $108,515. He reported contributions of $19,610 and $27,480 in 2015.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

In the last 10 years Theres been more people on Kauai killed by KPD shooting them then by a citizen on Kauai at a 2-1 margin. What is this unaccredited dept and chief thinking?

Police chief calls for stricter gun laws

Michelle Iracheta - The Garden Island Posted: 9 hours ago

LIHUE — In his address to the nation Sunday, President Barack Obama called the Orlando mass shooting an “act of terror and hate” and said it

I tried to tell you all that hard and heavy drugs from the mainland and Mexico are more dangerous than the GMO.

Judge: Man put family in danger

Michelle Iracheta - The Garden Island Posted: 9 hours ago

LIHUE — A Kilauea man who tested positive for opiates after using black tar heroin was resentenced to five years in prison Monday after a judge

Anonymous said...

Is Kouchi getting some of that cash from the millions he gave his friend and business partner that he used state funds to purchase?

If not then it's all CASH under the table.

Anonymous said...

I guess Maui Community Farmlands is better with words than numbers and truth "It is expected that the 2nd signature turn in will have a much higher valid signature ratio then the 1st turn in. (MCF) Oops! Good thing they plan to stick the Maui County taxpayer for the cost of the eminent domain, because these bozos are going to be hard pressed to farm let alone pony up the startup costs for farming the isthmus of Maui. Dreaming is all very nice, but at some point you have to lay off the toke, leave the Taylor Camp time warp, get real and pay the man. Farming is not for MCF wusses. And stop making the Maui County council staff tally bogus petitioners. I know you got so many haoles over there you lose tack of who lives on Maui and who lives in Santa Cruz, but, really, are you as bad s all that?

Oh, and Obama's sistah gave Hooser fifty bucks. Hoped he thanked her with a subscription to HAPA's fine propaganda organ.

Anonymous said...

Obama sister gave Hooser $50 bucks? No kidding? Joan how is it that so many otherwise good and smart people are supporting Hooser? Maybe they don't care about GMO issue? Maybe they just remember him fighting for Gay marriage and stopping the Superferry?

Anonymous said...

'Mel Rapozo, meanwhile, has $14,632; Ross Kagawa has $5,946; KipuKai Kualii has $9,345; JoAnn Yukimura has $14,792, and Arryl Kaneshiro has a whopping $36,005.' Joan wrote.

Well after looking at the pretty manini numbers i does seem Aaryl's warchest does seem full, which will continue to fuel rumors of his seat being bought for him by his bosses and clients to further their agendas.

Looking at Hoosers and others contributions they seem miniscule and hardly sensational. I mean where is this supposed corrupt funding? You note Mason is running in the negative? I thought all of these people ere corrupt and backed by mainland support? Frankly I don't see that supported by these figures?

Anonymous said...

The laborer union backs those candidates who favor development, ditto Outrigger and ditto especially Aaryl. This is why Hooser, Chock and Yukimura did not get their money.

Joan Conrow said...

@1:14, Well you can feed the rumors, or you can actually look at the campaign contribution reports to see exactly who supplied Arryl's war chest.

My references to mainland funding have been for groups like Hooser's HAPA, Center for Food Safety, Hawaii SEED, etc. -- or to make it more clear for your limited comprehension, the movement that politicians like Hooser feed off.

And 12:59, if people support Hooser based on the past, while ignoring his current lies and fear-mongering, that's their choice. All I'm saying is,I don't understand it.

Anonymous said...

Didn't you also give money to Hooser and encourage others to do same in the past Joan? Seem to recall...so for you too it seems that the GMO issue eclipses all the other good stuff he may have done in the past?

Anonymous said...

You are better off just putting Cash in the Calabash Bowl.
No names and you can drop 1000s into it. 1000s.

Even if the Maui voters did vote to Privatize A&B land, so what? There is no compelling public benefit that would make a court "condemn" the land.
Much ado about nothing.
God Bless America and keep the f*ck off of other people's property.
But even Maui never got so bad as Da Hoos And Bynum encouraging their followers to look for illegal grading and turn the Bob-Cat operators in to Planning.
Short memories are on Da Hoos and JoAnn's side. Da Hoos with his anti-PMRF, Anti-Ag, Anti-Local, Anti-Housing and all around lies, should not be re-elected.
Oh Yeah. JoAnn and Mason are just as bad as Gary. JoAnn is worse, she has many more years shafting all building and destroying any hope for resident housing.
At least Bynum got the boot in 2014, now lets excommunicate Da Hoos, JoAnn and Mason from their little church.
One suggestion for all of the Politicos and even the Mayor...tell the Planning, Building, Tax and Vehicle Departments employees that they work "for the people" and to smile and be of assistance. These sour faced people are uglier than a lard bucket filled with Fistee armpits. Try smile.
One island, many bad politicians.

Joan Conrow said...

@3:14. It's not the GMO issue, per se. It's what it says about Gary as a person, his ethics and character, and none of it good. So yeah, that present day reality eclipses everything good from his political past.

Anonymous said...

@ 3:58 Who said, "There is no compelling public benefit that would make a court "condemn" the land."

It's all in the eye of the judge. I know a family that had its boutique hotel in Waikiki condemned by the C&C of Honolulu so they could sell the land to the Kelly's (Outrigger) to enhance the redevelopment of Kelly properties. Increasing G.E. tax revenue has been considered by many courts as a compelling reason. Condemning land for parks, for "food sustainability", anticipated lease income from new framers, new G.E. revenue from their organic produce.... You name it. Our judges will stretch that just cause out as thin as it can get.

Anonymous said...

PS - 3:58 the reason it won't happen is that the County does have the money.