GOP Appoints U.S. Senate Candidate
Yesterday the Hawaii Republican Party appointed State Representative Cynthia Thielen to be the party's nominee for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat incumbent Daniel Akaka. Ms. Thielen's appointment came after Jerry Coffee, the GOP's anointed candidate for U.S. Senate seat bowed out of the race because of health reasons. Mr. Coffee won the Republican primary in this past Saturday's election.
Speculation ran high over the past week that the GOP would pick one of the high profile personalities within the party to challenge Mr. Akaka. Among the names mentioned were City Councilman Charles Djou, defeated 2nd congressional seat candidate Quentin Kawananakoa, Hawaiian Homes Dept. Director Micah Kane, or even Governor Linda Lingle herself. Everyone on this theoretical short list would have been a safe candidate with nothing to lose except for the Governor. In the appointment of Rep. Thielen, the GOP still made a safe choice, as she has already been elected to another term as State Representative due to being unopposed in her district, and the fact that she doesn't have to resign her seat in order to run for U.S. Senate.
Primary Election Wrap-Up
The Hawaii State Primary Election is history. The voters have spoken and in the hotly contested race for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate, incumbent Daniel Akaka beat U.S. Representative Ed Case. I have to give Mr. Case a lot of credit for taking on the well entrenched political machine that is the Hawaii Democratic Party. He was a maverick but a candidate that made a lot of sense. He appealed to a lot of Republican voters, mainly on the strength of his moderate economic platform (repeal the Jones Act, medical group benefits for small businesses) and his approach to the Iraq war.
Many Democrats have accused Mr. Case of being a closet Republican, but to me that is far from the truth. Rep. Case has stated time and again that he remains committed to the Democratic party and that his race was an effort to move the party in a new direction. Obviously the well entrenched and established party regulars would have no part of this. I remember going to one of Ed Case's community rally, and nary a well known Democrat personality was there. Mr. Case's candidacy was truly a grass root effort as he brought out a lot of independent thinkers, regular Joes and Janes and several Republicans to his side.
And while I seriously considered voting for him, in the end I felt it was my duty to remain loyal to the Republican party. I also found out that Mr. Case had a personal preference to accept same sex unions, which Hawaii already voted against and had inserted into its constitution that marriage will be between a man and a woman.
That being said, Republicans who did well in the primary election included Governor Linda Lingle, Lt. Governor Duke Aiona and U.S. Representative candidate Bob Hogue, who beat Quentin Kawananakoa and his well financed campaign by a mere 189 votes. Hogue will be facing a formidable challenge from Democrat stalwart and former Lt. Governor, Mazie Hirono. In the first Congressional district Republican challenger Noah Hough will be taking on ultra-liberal Neil Abercrombie. That will be a true David vs. Goliath scenario.
What the primary election outcome told me is that the Democrats are still highly favored and regarded in this most liberal part of the United States. It is also a sad fact of life, that while there was a slight uptick in voter turnout, in the end despite the high profile U.S. Senate race, only 42% of the registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in this election. And that is a real tragedy.
For comprehensive lists of all the primary election results download the PDF files from the 2006 Primary Election results page at the Hawaii State Elections website.
Drafted to be a Poll Watcher
On Friday afternoon, a day before the primary election, I was drafted by the Lingle for Governor campaign to be a poll watcher in my district precinct this past Saturday. Poll watchers are appointed by the political parties to observe the election process an assigned precinct on election day. Poll watchers are also asked to make routine calls back to the campaign headquarters to give the people there a snapshot of who voted in the precinct so far that day. I am sure they use this information for phone banking purposes in a last minute effort to get identified party voters out to the polls.
The task is easier said than done, as the poll worker can view the poll books that indicate who voted and who did not during the day. While you can do that, it is difficult if the polling place is busy and the official election workers are using the poll books. It also did not help for my precinct that the person covering the morning shift did not do a good job of identifying the absentee voters as well as those who came in the morning.
Needless to say my task proved to be difficult as the party's poll sheet did not match many of the names on the official registration lists.
In the end it was interesting in a geeky kind of way to observe the polling process and especially the aftermath. It was during this time that you get to observe the procedure in which the polls are taken down, the balloting machines turned off and the ballots actually sorted and collected.
In my precinct something went wrong with the paper ballot counting machine in the morning that several of the early ballots had to be placed into a special holding slot in the balloting machine and not being part of the electronic count.
You have to realize that while many choose to vote with the paper ballot, the machine actually records the votes electronically after the voter inserts the ballot into the machine. The slot that the ballot is inserted to is actually a scanner that records each ballot vote to a magnetic memory card.
The paper ballot machine has 2 holding bins. The regular bin from where the ballots go after you run them through the machine is on the bottom. You insert the ballot, the machine scans and records your vote and the ballot falls to the bottom bin where it collects with all the other ballots for the day.
The earlier ballots which were placed in the top slot were inserted through a long slit (much like a mail drop) and placed into a bin on top of the bottom bin that holds the officially counted ballots. These early ballots while they sat in the special bin, were not counted electronically through the scanning process. That would be taken care of after the machine was fixed that same morning.
During a lull in the afternoon voting (like around the time the University of Hawaii football game was on), the precinct chair used his special key to open up the top bin of the machine where the early ballots were held. Those ballots were then reinserted into the scanning slot of the machine. Those ballots were then posted to the electronic count as they fell into the bottom bin.
As a pollwatcher I could stand there and watch them do this. There were 2 other election in addition to the precinct chair watching the process.
There were 2 or 3 ballots that triggered the machine warning sound indicating that the ballot was spoiled due to voters making marks in more than one party. (Hawaii has a closed party balloting system).
The machine rejects the ballot and the election worker can tell the voter that they made a mistake and give them the opportunity to vote again. When that happens the spoiled ballot is taken out, processed into an individual envelope which is then placed in a bigger envelope with all the other spoiled ballots and collected at the end of the day.
However for those few voters who made the mistake in the morning and were not there when the ballots were run through, the precinct chair had to press the "ACCEPT" button on the machine to let it count the spoiled ballot.
Because our precinct seems to have a high amount of non-English speakers, there seemed to be several instances of spoiled ballots occurring through the afternoon. This slows things down as election workers have to explain that they can only vote in one color for one party.
At the end of the day, the ballots are collected in a set procedure from both the paper ballot machine and the electronic machine. The hardware from the electronic balloting machine is closed and locked down. The memory card from the paper machine is collected and placed in a special envelope. The paper ballots themselves are removed from the machine and processed into holding boxes which are locked down. All of the polling materials have to be accounted for and locked down before they are transported by assigned taxi cabs back to the counting center at the Hawaii State Capitol.
The actual votes are counted off the memory card and modules from both the electronic balloting machine and the paper balloting machine. The actual paper ballots are used as a backup. The electronic machine now offers voters a paper ballot facsimile to verify their votes. These are collected by the election workers.
While there is the potential for fraud in the process, there are enough safeguards built into the system that prevent most fraud scenarios from happening. The poll books, paper ballots and memory cards all have to match each other. All of the spoiled and unused ballots have to be accounted for and returned to the election counting center.
The one instance where I could see the possibility of fraud occurring was in the fact that the paper balloting machine was not shut down immediately after the poll had closed. In our precinct we had no voters in line at the 6:00 p.m. cutoff. There were maybe one of two voters still inside casting their ballots. After they left, the electronic balloting machine was shut down. The paper machine however was still left on for another 20 minutes or so after the poll had closed. I seriously think that paper machine should have been shut down in a more timely manner.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
9 - 11: Never Forget
Hundreds of people observed the 9-11 terrorist attacks of 2001 at Honolulu's first "Walk for Remembrance". The observance sponsored by Mayor Mufi Hannemann's office featured several Hawaii leaders including Governor Linda Lingle, Congressman Neil Abercrombie, state legislators and others. The public was also in attendance.
Participants walked from Honolulu's Police headquarters on South Beretania Street, through Kakaako. They stopped at the main offices of the Honolulu Fire Department and moved on to the Honolulu Federal Building before ending at Honolulu Hale for an extended ceremony. You could not help but feel a renewed sense of patriotism as we were all gathered there listening to the words of tribute from various community leaders. I am reminded of the events of 9-11-2001 as if they just occurred yesterday.
It is a good time to reflect and celebrate your freedom on this, one of America's most sacred days to observe patriotism. God Bless America!
Additional Links:
Additional Photos from my Flickr.com website:
Click on each photo to see a larger version.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The Mother of All Traffic Jams
It was the "mother of all traffic jams" last night after an Army tractor trailer truck with a crane on top of it scraped and damaged an overhead pedestrian walkway crossing the H1 freeway yesterday. The afternoon accident forced the state to shut down the H1 shortly after, which made the homebound traffic commute a nightmare for motorists living on the Leeward side of Oahu.The freeway was shut down for up to 12 hours yesterday into the wee hours of this morning while state construction crews dismantled the overpass. Commuters spent many hours stuck in traffic, even if they delayed their commute by a few hours away from the rush hour peak. The sad fact was rush hour never peaked and got over until very, very late last night and quite possibly into the morning.
A friend of mine spent many hours stuck in The Bus on his homebound commute from Honolulu back to Ewa Beach. He called me at home to get an update of the traffic situation. All I could do was provide him with snippets of information that I got from the late evening TV news, the Honolulu traffic camera website and a few postings on the HawaiiThreads.com message board site. In all a truly sad evening commute.
This morning part of the overpass is down and certainly an investigation has probably already started. The public will definitely blame the military for this since it was a military vehicle and its cargo that caused this mess.
Links to more information:
- STUCK! - Honolulu Star Bulletin, 9-6-06
- Slow Traffic Ahead - Honolulu Advertiser, 9-6-06
- Crane crunches Aiea pedestrian overpass, HawaiiThreads.com, 9-5-06
- Honolulu Traffic Camera Website
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Stingray Kills Australia's Famed Crocodile Hunter
The news widely circulating on the net tonight is the fact that Steve Irwin, the world famous "Crocodile Hunter" was killed by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary on Monday, September 4 (Australian time).
From the Queensland Police Dept. in Australia comes this short press release:
Additional Links
From the Queensland Police Dept. in Australia comes this short press release:
Australian wildlife personality Steve Irwin has diedOver the years I have jokingly said someday some croc is going to get that guy while he is taping one of his shows. His untimely death was not by croc, but by a stingray, which according to the Wikipedia, rarely ever attacks humans unless provoked.... and usually when they do attack, they usually sting on a person's foot.
The Queensland Police Service advise Australian wildlife personality Steve Irwin has died.It is believed Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung by a sting-ray at Batt Reef, Low Isle off Port Douglas about 11am. He had been filming a documentary.
After being stung by the sting-ray, his crew called for medical treatment and the Emergency Management Queensland Helicopter responded however Mr Irwin had died.
Mr Irwin’s family has been advised.
Last updated 04/09/2006 Media and Public Affairs Branch 07 3015 2444
Additional Links
- Steve Irwin, Wikipedia
- Animal Planet's Crocodile Hunter site
- Irwin's killer ray was probably startled, News.com.au, 9-4-06
- Quarantine Staff Shocked by Irwin's Death, News.com.au, 9-4-06
- Irwin Was One of the Great Ones, The Australian, 9-4-06
- RIP, The Crocodile Hunter, Discussion at HawaiiThreads.com
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Is Art Worthy of State Funding?
Koa wood sculpture on display at Hawaii State Art Museum.
Last night I spent about an hour visiting the Hawaii State Art Museum. This was my first time in the museum part of this lavish state building. I've been to some of the other agency offices in the former Hemmeter building located on the corner of Richards and Hotel Streets, just across from the Hawaii State Capitol in Downtown Honolulu.
At first glance I have to say the museum is well kept and mostly impressive. The place is certainly popular with the art crowd and the public. Works by Herb Kane, Peggy Hopper, Jean Charlot and many others are on display there. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) operates the Hawaii State Art Museum.
The question that comes up to fiscal conservatives like myself is whether or not state funded art is a necessity. To be short, I say "no". Art should not be a priority when more pressing matters such as infrastructure maintenance, public safety & security, transportation, health care and education command greater pre-eminence.My problem with the Hawaii State Art Museum is how the building was obtained by the state. Back in the year 2000, $22 million was snuck into the State Budget on the last day of that year's legislative session to fund the purchase of the building. In a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article written on the subject, reporter Richard Borreca wrote:
"After voting to approve the state budget Thursday, senators found out Friday that Senate President Norman Mizuguchi and state House leaders had tucked into the bill a special authorization for the Cayetano administration to buy the Hemmeter Center...."
"...Gov. Ben Cayetano had proposed buying the building for $22 million, but the Legislature rejected it."
Funding for the building's purchase was obtained in the State Senate through the use of an internal rule that allowed the senate president to insert the item without getting input from the taxpayers or other legislators who may have been opposed to the practice. A similar tact was made in the State House.
The Year 2000 budget was passed with the $22 million funding included and later signed into law by then Governor Cayetano. In 2002 the Hawaii State Art Museum opened to much hoopla and celebration.
It is too late to do anything about the State's purchase of this facility, given that it is now a popular attraction for the community. The question still remains is whether or not taxpayer funding for the arts should remain in place or someday be totally financed by the private sector.
More photos:
Hawaii State Art Museum bathed in colorful evening lights for "First Night".
Second floor interior lobby of the museum.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Akaka vs. Case: Conclusion
U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka
Congressman Ed Case
U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka and U.S. Representative Ed Case squared off in their first and possibly only face to face public "debate" on live TV last night. The two Democrats are running for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Akaka.
On healthcare for small business owners, Congressman Case stated: "I have support[ed] a bill to provide small businesses with the opportunities to pool their resources in association health plans so that they can create the same kind of critical mass that large businesses can create to be able to manage their health care costs. If you have one small business sitting there -- and by the way of course all of our businesses in Hawaii, virtually all of our businesses in Hawaii, are small businesses, but imagine that you have tens of millions of small businesses across our country, and if they can pull together in association health plans they can in fact manage those health care costs a little bit more and spread the risks more."
I can relate to this because in the past my one person small business was impacted by all of Hawaii's healthcare insurance providers when they pulled group coverage from us that was once a pool offered by Small Business Hawaii. It is very expensive for small businesses to do health coverage alone, especially one-person sole proprietorships.
On the Jones Act, which is a protectionist law that allows only U.S. flagged vessels to transport cargo between the U.S. and the islands, Congressman Ed Case opposes the law and wants to open shipping to more competition. This will be good for the islands as it has the potential to bring shipping costs down for businesses and in the end, consumers.
Ed Case stated, "Is it fair that our federal government creates a monopoly over any key aspect of life in Hawaii? Is it fair that our federal government provides one company, effectively, with the ability to control, to dominate, the lifeline that we have between here and the Mainland for all of our goods? Because that's exactly what the Jones Act does. Yes there's another company, but between them they're a dupoly and frankly Matson dominates that other company, they cross-ship cargo, as an example. 97, 98 percent of our goods come down here from the Mainland. They all come by shipping. We don't have the ability to go to rail, to buses, to trucks, even to air cargo -- that doesn't work, it's too expensive. So when somebody gets a hold of our lifeline, that's a dangerous sign for us. And we're paying for it in spades, thousands of dollars for each and every citizen of this country and this state, far more money for businesses that employ people and have to deal with those goods and services. That's not fair, and that's not the way it should be. We have laws in this country against the creation of monopolies, we believe monopolies are bad. Yet in this case, a federal law creates a monopoly."
Daniel Akaka is clearly for the status quo on this issue as he supports this draconic and protectionist law.
On this issue think of what happened when Mesa Air's Go! airline started operating in Hawaii's skies? Fares were lowered with increased competition. The same can happen if we get more than 1 or 2 shippers transporting goods to and from Hawaii.
Finally on the Akaka Bill and Hawaiian native rights issues. I do not support the current Senator's bill and was happy it was defeated earlier this year. I am not a fan of Hawaiian sovereignty and definitely oppose any model that creates a new "Hawaiian sovereign state" of any type, whether that be part of our current state or as a totally independent nation. The obligations mandated in the Hawaiian Homes Act, I can support. I think one of the keys to solving part of this Hawaiian issue is to get all of the Hawaiian Homes applicants placed upon their lands... now.
Congressman Case stated, "I by the way don't believe that it should end up with any form of independence as Sen. Akaka speculated publicly some months ago. But I do believe in some form of autonomy for Native Hawaiians within Hawaii, similar to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. For now, I believe this issue is best left in the Native Hawaiian community, so that they can deal with the failure of the Akaka bill in the U.S. Senate and decide the way forward."
In conclusion, I remain officially undecided on this race. I do believe that Congressman Ed Case won the debate, even though his presentation was "wooden". Supporters of Senator Akaka say that he was speaking "from the heart", which is probably true. However he is not a very good public speaker and frankly I am ideologically opposed to most of what he believes in.
As a Republican, my dilemma is whether or not I really want to pick up a purple Democrat ballot and actually vote for candidate Ed Case. I have until September 23 to make up my mind.
Additional Links:
- Immediate Focus is on Issue of Age - Honolulu Star Bulletin, 9-1-06
- Advantage Case - Honolulu Advertiser, 9-1-06
- Behind the Scenes: Akaka vs. Case - HawaiiReporter.com, 9-1-06
- Akaka vs. Case Debate Live Thread - HawaiiThreads.com
- Akaka - Case Debate Transcript - HawaiiNews.com, 8-31-06
- Akaka - Case Debate Report on KGMB TV, YouTube.com, 9-3-06
- Antiques Roadshow - PritchettCartoons.com, 8-31-06
