Djou takes early lead
The latest Hawaii Poll shows former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou ahead in the race for Honolulu mayor, garnering more support among likely voters than incumbent Mayor Kirk Caldwell and former Mayor Peter Carlisle.
Djou was the choice for 39 percent of poll participants — ahead of Caldwell at 30 percent, and Carlisle at 15 percent.
The poll of 401 likely Oahu voters was conducted by Ward Research Inc. from June 30 to July 9, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 points.
The results are being closely watched because the top vote-getter in the Aug. 13 primary election needs to capture 50 percent of votes cast plus one in order to win the mayor’s seat. If Djou were to collect 39 percent of the votes cast, as the poll suggests, he would need to face off in the Nov. 8 general election against the second-place finisher.
In the 2012 primary election for mayor, former Gov. Ben Cayetano finished with 30,993 votes more than Caldwell. But in terms of percentages, Cayetano received 44.7 percent of the votes cast; Caldwell, 29.5 percent; and then-incumbent Carlisle, 25.1 percent. In the November runoff, Caldwell won by 22,974 votes, and 53.9 percent of votes cast.
The poll numbers suggest most voters have already decided for whom to cast their ballots in the primary, with only 9 percent indicating they didn’t know or refusing to answer the question.
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Caldwell’s favorability and job performance ratings have dropped since the last Hawaii Poll taken in January, but not as badly as they fell from January 2015 to January 2016.
His 53 percent favorable rating in the current poll dropped from 54 percent in January 2016 and 64 percent in January 2015. The 41 percent unfavorable rating is higher than the 33 percent unfavorable rating of January 2016 and 22 percent of January 2015.
Similarly, 53 percent of those polled this month said they approved of Caldwell’s job performance, down from 59 percent in January 2016 and 70 percent in January 2015. His disapproval rating is now 44 percent, up from 32 percent in January 2016 and 20 percent in January 2015.
Caldwell’s 53 percent favorable rating is lower than the 62 percent rating for Djou and 56 percent for Carlisle. The Honolulu City Council, with whom Caldwell has often clashed in the past 3-1/2 years, scored a lower favorability than the mayor at 45 percent.
Jerry Burris, a freelance writer and former Honolulu Advertiser editorial page editor, said Caldwell clearly is losing support because of news of higher costs for the city’s rail transit project and his response to it.
The poll was conducted right after Caldwell announced that, due to lack of funding, he would recommend the rail line stop first at Middle Street rather than Ala Moana as originally planned until additional funding is available. The announcement drew a thumbs-down from people in both the pro- and anti-rail camps.
“People just kind of threw up their hands in disgust,” Burris said. “Whether rightfully or not, he took it on the chin with that announcement.”
Meanwhile, longtime rail opponent Djou’s lead in the poll and high favorability show he has reaped the benefits as the only one of the three major candidates who cannot be blamed for the headaches the project has brought to Honolulu, Burris said.
While he’s been on the local political scene for many years, Djou still “comes across as a fresh face” and “the reasonable voice of opposition,” Burris said. “So he’s in a nice political position, and Caldwell and Carlisle to a lesser extent are stuck with this tar baby,” he said. “And Caldwell, being mayor and unapologetically not moving away from it is going to take the greatest hit.”
Caldwell said he’s “not too surprised” with the poll results, noting it’s still early in the election cycle. “I think everyone on this island knows that I have huge, controversial issues surrounding me and there are issues I’ve not run from,” he said, citing the developments with the rail project as well as his handling of of the homeless.
The January 2016 Hawaii Poll showed then-potential candidate and former Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona with 43 percent to Caldwell’s 38 percent, and Council Chairman Ernie Martin, also a potential candidate then, with 8 percent.
With the time left before the election, Caldwell said he wants to “get the story out” on how well he’s done in other areas that are important responsibilities for the mayor.
Kapolei resident Joseph Lewis, 32, who participated in the poll, said he’s not happy with all of Caldwell’s decisions and that the incumbent tries too hard to appease everyone. Nonetheless, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs worker said he will vote for Caldwell.
“I think he’s a likeable guy … overall I think he represents Honolulu well,” said Lewis, who wants the rail project to go to Ala Moana, even if it means extending the excise tax surcharge. He called Djou opportunistic and said he has moved through too many political seats, and as for Carlisle, “he’s had his time.”
Djou said the poll results are “a reflection not of me, but my campaign team’s hard work and, more importantly, about the community really showing that they want change, that we need new leadership at Honolulu Hale, that this mess and fiasco with the rail system has to be changed.”
Djou pointed out that he’s only been campaigning for about a month. “We didn’t spend any money on ads so far and the fact that we have such an exceptional campaign from the get-go having spent no money I think bodes very well for us but I’m not taking anything for granted,” he said.
Djou said he’s not bothered that the poll numbers suggest he would not be able to win outright in August. This year’s race is different than the one Cayetano lost four years ago because “four years ago, rail was on time and on budget.”
The desire for a change is what’s important to Kaimuki resident Karane Wright, a poll participant who said she will vote for Djou. The 61-year-old health care analyst said she largely favors Djou’s position on rail and wants no additional taxpayer money going toward it.
Wright said she also will vote for Djou because he’s been a card-carrying Republican, despite the city race being a nonpartisan one.
Wright said she doesn’t believe Caldwell’s done a good job improving the infrastructure because she still encounters both potholes and broken sewer and water pipes. “Things are falling apart and they keep raising our taxes,” she said. “I don’t see things improving.”
Carlisle said he’s not surprised by his third-place showing, noting that he started his campaign late. “I need to make people know that I’m in the race, and that I’m in it for serious,” he said.
Carlisle said he was buoyed by his favorability numbers. “That … gives me the opportunity to be able to argue my case better in terms of getting the message out (to voters) that yes, I’m in the race, and I’m the person who’s going to be doing the most for rail and the most for homelessness,” he said.
Enchanted Lake resident Shannon Kala-Wilsey, 46, participated in the poll and said she will vote for Carlisle, noting that she likes his law-and-order background as former city prosecutor. The entrepreneur said she’s fed up with the “whole rail bit.”
Kala-Wilsey said she’s not sure Caldwell is to blame for the problems he’s encountered while dealing with rail and homelessness.
“He has a tough job,” she said. “It just sucks to be him.”
But she said she won’t vote for him because “it’s time for a change.”
20160717 Hawaii Poll Tables July 2016 – Mayoral Race by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
189 responses to “Djou takes early lead”
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No surprise here. Hopefully, Peter will realize he has no chance and drop out, and the majority of his supporters will naturally fall into the Djou camp. That should basically guarantee Djou hits above 50% in the November primary and that means CALDWELL IS GONE. Best thing that could possibly happen for Honolulu and none too soon. DUMP KIRK, and DUMP HIM NOW.
Can’t happen soon enough. Djou will be the best hope to rescue Honolulu from the insanity of a rail, the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the taxpayers of Honolulu. Caldwell and Carlisle are determined to shake down every taxpayer for last dollar to line the pockets of the crooks who sold Honolulu the biggest most ridiculously inappropriate, obsolete, oversized, overpriced rail any City anywhere has ever been dumb enough to buy.
Been a die-hard non-Republican for 25 years. But this rail scam will have me voting non-Democrat in August and November. Unless Cayetano gives it another try. Come back, Ben!
Ditto!
I hear ya but he’s also supporting rail. From earlier in June…
““I welcome the opportunity to work tirelessly with the FTA, HART, the City Council, Legislature and most importantly the public, to get rail back on track.”
He needs to realize his lead is not due to who he is, but more due to who he is not – the others.
Charles Djou is a poor man’s Cayetano. He will lose in the general,
I remember Charles Djou. He voted against every pay increase for City Council members and took all eight of them.
I agree that BEN SHOULD GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY. I VOTED FOR HIM FOR GOV…TWICE!
Ben is still in denial of pay for play in his administration.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, that “pay for play” was a completely bogus and ADMITTED smear tactic. They apologized and paid a small fine after the election, which was too late for Cayetano–and the real residents of Honolulu.
OK, here’s the conspiracy theory. cladwell with his $1 mill plus in developer, contractor, union funding as well as the evil Darth Vader PRP SuperPAC which will once again come to his aid, probably inspired Carlisle to put his foot in once more, by having unknown co-conspirators boost Carlisle’s elevated sense of conceit and hubris – i.e., his being full of himself — to run again, as a spoiler. With only cladwell and Djou, the primary vote would have fallen more along a 50-50 split. So, my theory, is that first thing cladwell did when his own feeler polls and the early public poll showed even Aiona could beat him was to develop the strategy to bring natty Carlisle back into the fray to avoid a two-way race with either Aiona or Djou. Maybe, in fact, that’s what happened with Cayetano.
If my conspiracy theory is on target, then that would be pretty conniving of the naked emperor. Pretty much like how another mayor won by spreading rumors about the other candidate’s wife in the waning final weeks of that other mayoral campaign. cladwell, what say you? Carlisle, what’s it like being a stooge once more for the Dem machine? If you feel a bit sabi, raise your left leg. No pride, eh? Maybe cladwell and friends will throw some lawsuits your way after they’ve won again.
There may be even a possibility of taking advantage of the race factor to take away votes from Djou. Cayetano was also non-white. So, Carlisle presents a Caucasian face for those voters to vent against cladwell. But that’s just getting too, too devious. Ah, but having witnessed Dem tactics from the inside, I don’t put it past them. Because in those smoke-filled backrooms they connive, they really do.
Why, you say, does it matter if cladwell will eventually face Djou in the general election? It’s a matter of surviving the primary, and in the general, where cladwell will have the $$$$$ advantage, and the added smear of an experienced SuperPAC, the likelihood of trouncing Djou becomes a given.
Berry interesting theories. Nothing would surprise me from those desperados.
PRP, the representative of the construction industry and workers. The construction unions had nearly 50% unemployment during the Great Recession, 2008 to 2011. The construction unions wanted to get their men and women back to work. The rail metro project would get them back to work. Therefore, PRP has supported and contributed to the campaigns of rail metro supporters. Now, the people in the construction industry are fully employed, and our unemployment rate is the lowest nationally, and our State and County economy is one of the best performing in the nation.
Caldwell has collected multi-millions in campaign contributions.
PRP leadership is rotten to the core. There is no need to make excuses for them.
Mitt,djou got unions endorsements. Builder unions too.
What kind of deal did Djou make with these unions?
Very well said, what.
If PRP is PRP is rotten to the core, then you are calling all the construction unions and all the construction workers, rotten to the core. SLANDEROUS
PRP leadership. Non-profit organization in Honolulu, Hawaii
Vector says: “If PRP is PRP is rotten to the core, then you are calling all the construction unions and all the construction workers, rotten to the core. SLANDEROUS”
Easy there Vector. PRP is rotten and slimy to the core. It doesn’t mean the men and women they collect dues from are just for the privilege of swinging a hammer or stapling Romex are rotten too.
But John White and the PRP management… Yeah, those guys are awful.
PRP will almost certainly smear Djou, similar to what they did to Cayetano. Caldwell is more likely to allow their change orders and cost overruns to continue. Djou will turn off the spiquot with the current funding,something none of the other politicians support. Rail will be 10 billion + to finish, they’ve all known it from go.
Hope Dijou can make it right. Carlisle is another Caldwell but Carlisle likes to attend all those food and drink events.
We need someone who will spend our tax money wisely. Kirk, Peter are like Mufi they owe special interest donations !
Meet the new boss same as the old boss. Don’t be surprised if he messes it up big time. His simplistic sayings just won’t work.
agree…I am voting for Djou if I am here in November. Cladwell is a fiasco and Peter has no new ideas.
Can’t we have better-looking candidates?
Djou is a rail saboteur and a Republican. He wants to build an incomplete rail line to Middle Street, making the rail useless. We have already invested billions in the rail project, and now Djou wants to throw all that money away. Without a complete rail guide way, the affordable housing and rentals, built, being built, and planned around and near the 21 rail stations, may not be built. With the prices of house and condos escalating yearly, more people are unable to purchase houses and condos, and cannot afford higher rents, more people will be forced to move away or out of State, or forced into homelessness. We already have the dubious distinction of having the highest amount of homelessness in the nation. A complete and operational rail metro line, will allow the projected construction of 20,000 to 30,000 affordable housing and rental units. All the housing and commeracial development around the rail metro stations and along the rail guideway, wI’ll create more business and jobs, and continue to improve our island and State economy, increase City and State tax revenues.
Djou was for rail before he was against rail before he was for rail before he wants an incomplete rail. Typical Charles.
Caps on future spending. Wont discuss current spending. Construction is going well and fast. Not much to report. It’s on schedule.
Djou is fiscally responsible. He does not want to bankrupt the Cityy with the useless rail.
Charles is the Council Member who wrote the bill to create HART. The responsibility to build never should have been taken away from the city. Djou created this mess.
Fiscally responsible, would be not throw away all our Federal and State taxpayer money and effort already invested in the rail project, by ending the rail guideway 75% of the way, and ending before the most important destinations in Honolulu, the civic center, Kakaako, and Ala Moana. DJOU is fiscally irresponsible.
Djou is fiscally responsible. He does not want to bankrupt the City. Check his record.
Ha ha. Being fiscally responsible means managing both income and expenses. All Charles does is push his empty rhetoric of “I won’t raise taxes..taxes are bad Etc”. While that makes for a wonderful sound-bite, it is the epitome of fiscal irresponsibility. It is the same as saying “I’ll spend every penny I get”…
We will never go bankrupt here. We have too many rich residents and investors who will never let the best place in the world go bankrupt. We need to provide government services such as rail so that average locals living on the more affordable west side can also live a decent life here. Our economy is booming and now is the time to build the needed rail infrastructure for our better long term future for our children and grandchildren. We need a useful rail transit system that goes to the urban center of Honolulu. West side residents need relief in their long commute to work. Stopping rail at Middle Street is a waste.
Our economy is booming. Why all the homeless? Ige and Caldwell failure.
ukuleleblue says: “We will never go bankrupt here. We have too many rich residents and investors who will never let the best place in the world go bankrupt.”
Do you have any idea just how out of touch and condescending you sound?!
Hey quick question ukuleleblue… If we have all these rich residents and rich investors here, then why are we using a tax that hit’s poor people the hardest to pay the billions and billions for this mess of a rail project? Why are we taxing the rice, flour, water, shoes, clothing, baby formula, medicine and rent of families working three and four jobs just to keep their head above water? You know, with all these “rich residents and rich investors” everywhere?
And who is profiting from this mess funded by skimming the meager savings of struggling local families? It’s rich residents and investors in these multination corporations, isn’t it?
In fact, I would say that the thing that keeps these wealthy investors here isn’t so much the nice weather as a political system that rewards insiders at the expense of struggling local families.
Now, isn’t it time you finally came clean and told everyone where on the mainland that you live and what your connection is to this mess of a rail project? It’s years past time you did.
Vector says: “Fiscally responsible, would be not throw away all our Federal and State taxpayer money and effort already invested in the rail project, by ending the rail guideway 75% of the way, and ending before the most important destinations in Honolulu, the civic center, Kakaako, and Ala Moana.”
First the good news!
We don’t have to worry about have to pay back much in the way of Federal money, because the Feds are so horrified by this out of control mess that they are withholding a billion dollars in funds untilMayor Caldwell and HART show signs of getting their act together.
Now the bed news. You apparently think the “most important destinations for rail” are “the civic center, Kakaako, and Ala Moana.” Where on earth did you get that from?
The rail was sold to us as traffic relief for weary westside commuters. Just how many people from Ewa, Kapolei and Waianae do you think drive to the civic center every day?! You think there are a lot of people from Waianae and Kapolei lined up in traffic headed to Ala Moana Mall in time for Bainbridge Jeweler’s to open?! Lot of people from Ewa waiting in traffic to get to Kakaako everyday?!
Hey remember Ewa, Kapolei, Waiane, UH and Waikiki? You know, the places where rail was supposed to go? Guess which 5 places rail doesn’t to go! And people like you aren’t the least bit concerned about it, but mention not going to Ala Moana Mall and people like you lose your stuffing!
It’s not Charles Djou’s fault that Mayor Caldwell and his buddies sold the people of Oahu a pack of lies and then ran the cost up into the stratosphere and threw the timetable away. Instead of worrying how we are going to give the Feds their money back, why aren’t you worrying about how we are going to return the billions taken from island residents!?! Your priorities are shockingly misplaced.
How do you know that? He has never been an executive managing an organization of any size.
Vector says: ” All the housing and commeracial development around the rail metro stations and along the rail guideway, wI’ll create more business and jobs, and continue to improve our island and State economy, increase City and State tax revenues.”
So you’re saying we should get the developer and construction companies to take over paying for rail, since they are the ones profiting from it and charge them impact fees and and special development taxes?
And there’s nothing keeping developers and construction companies from building affordable housing now, except that they’d much rather keep soaking taxpayers by cashing blank rail check and turning in massive change orders, and building luxury condos for wealthy foreign speculators in need of a 3rd or 4th luxury home.
You seem to think that City and State tax revenues is the goal here. We’ve seen for years that money disappear and never make it back down to our schools, roads and parks. Can you think of a better place for that extra cash than the pockets of struggling local families? I can’t.
Kalaheo1, your distortions are sickening
Rail to Ala Moana is USELESS. If you want to pay for it, cough up your money.
Yotare, the people who support Carlisle, would support Caldwell. Carlisle wants to complete rail as planned and designed, and not end it 75% of the way, which would make it a useless white elephant of a project.
So bottom line, Carlisle will rape taxpayers for every last penny if elected. Got it. Thanks for clearing that up!
As long s rail does not go to the University of Hawaii, it will always be a useless white elephant. People from the West side do not go to Ala Moana, They shop in Pearl City.
There will be a rail station at Pearl Highlands, Pearlridge, Kapolei, Waipahu, Airport, Middle Street, Honolulu Community College in Kapalama, Chinatown, downtown Honolulu, Kakaako, and Ala Moana.
The rail station at Ala Moana Center is short shuttle ride to University Manoa, and Waikiki. Students attending UH travel on the metro from their homes along the rail guide way to UH, and tourists could go to and from the airport to the Ala Moana Center station, and take a short shuttle or bus ride into Waikiki, saving them time and money.
Ward Research Polls? Oh yeah we know the results of the past polls. Not very accurate.
Don’t hold your breath. As the campaign progress, people will see him again as an empty suit whose promises are just as empty. Always smiling, saying what people want to hear and being a nice guy does not make for solid executive leadership. He hungers so much for limelight that he jumps from one office to another without clearly showing the public what he really wants in life. During those years that he held public office, there were no major accomplishment that he has on his record. Just wanting to hold public office for the sake of holding one is not good enough, especially in these troubled times.
True cpit, never held a leadership position. Even as councilmemeber was never elevated to leader. In congress, just vote lock step Tepublican.
NanakuliBoss says: “True cpit, never held a leadership position. Even as councilmemeber was never elevated to leader.”
You guys really need to get your stories straight. There’s some guy below named entrkn who says:
“Isn’t it ironic that Djou is campaigning to stop rail now because of cost increases but he was one of the principals that held up and delayed rail construction”
So which is guys? WhenCharles Djou was on on City Council was he all powerful or a completely inconsequential? You should probably just stop for now and then go with whatever PRP think will hurt him the most.
Too many government dependents and welfare people in Hawaii. They keep the encrusted Democrats gang in power.
And what are the Republicans doing for the welfare people, and homeless, and all our traffic and housing problems?
This is a ballot on rail. Together, the vote for Carlisle and Caldwell is greater than Djou. People want rail.
Baloney
Hate mongering and racism are cousins
Vector, boots and willi are cousins.
Kalaheo1 and Sarge22 are joined at the hip
I know you eat a lot of it.
Nice..
One word: Rail
One word: METRO for a brighter economic future
Two words..Caldwell Crook
Two words, Sarge22, hate monger
WOW That’s a relief. Not a racist? But I do hate crooks.
You’d laugh if you saw what Vector was accusing me of last Sunday. I don’t want to write it out here, but it all his posts for the day got deleted AND the ones of mine where I quoted him.
One word Rail? That’s all Djou has. No experience in running a city. A lockstep republiNOcan.
What experience did the previous city runners mayors give us? Roads as bad as in Philippines and everything else crumbling while my property taxes keep rising dramatically.
True, time for Caldwell to step aside, he had his chances and has proven incapable.
We really need a new mayor for Honolulu. Caldwell has definitely been corrupted by power and greed. The city ethics is a mess, rail is out of control, homelessness has not been solved, roads are still bad, etc. He has been manipulating the rail cost facts for years and now it has all caught up with him. He and the Hart Executive Director Graubawski need to be replaced before the public can begin to regain any sense of confidence things will get better.
Carlisle needs to simply go away. His green bottle totin antics at the Brad Coates anniversary party will never be forgotten…
Lol, green bottle totin? Dude. He’s Irish, he can.
Big decision here. Two elderly old men suffering the effects of aging, failing mental faculties and past political career, marred by scandals and just plain bad decision making, legend in their mind attitude, just can’t retire, go away.
Or fresh thinking from a candidate who serves as an officer in the military. Trained in high morals, integrity, honesty, taking care of others, putting the needs of the people before his.
No brainer here. Let’s git’r done.
I am retired military. Military service in its self does not guarantee any positive or negative personal characteristics. Charles Djou has gotten my vote in the past, but will not get it for Mayor. He is a slimeball who has sold his soul to the Democrats like Ben Cayetano, Walter Heen, Panos P., Cliff Slater, Randy Roth and the rest of the Anti-Rail Mafia for their support. Djou will do anything to win an election.
Localguy. Don’t call Cayetano and Heen old mental men. That’s not pono.
Thank you.
Cayetano could give a tinkers damn for traffic relief along the Leeward coast. He is retired and lives in East Oahu, and never had to make the commute back and forth from the west side to Honolulu and Waikiki. Kobayashi lives in Manoa, lives in a nice house and has never had to commute from the west side into town, and will never use rail metro. Note, many rail opponents live in Hawaii Kai, East Oahu, Kailua, and Kaneohe, and do not want to pay the rail .005% GET tax.
Vector says: “Note, many rail opponents live in Hawaii Kai, East Oahu, Kailua, and Kaneohe, and do not want to pay the rail .005% GET tax.”
Note: many rail cheerleaders live on the mainland and post support for rail here. Fake blogger Doug Carlson was the worst example, but ukuleleblue is a close second.
I urge everyone to find out where Cayetano lives now and dig a little deeper into how a poor boy from Kalihi who got his rise with the backing of the Democratic party is backstabbing the very party largely responsible for his successes and turning his back to all the people of his ethnicity who will benefit the most from rail. Please, go see his mansion (the best property on the ridge) and ask how much greasing the wheels and backdoor deals he made to be there. The very notion that he still proclaims himself as a Democrat is sickening. Hey, he can choose whatever he wants to be but don’t put out the shibai about he’s looking out for our interests.
West side residents suffering in horrendous traffic need rail to go all the way to Ala Moana. Whoever is the new mayor needs to help average locals on the west side.
And why is it that you think it’s so important that “average locals” need to get to the fancy, luxury tourist mall, instead of UH or Waikiki? That’s a route that serves the foreign speculators in Kakaako. Heck the train doesn’t even go to the west side communities that ti was promised to serve!
Do you have any idea just how condescending and out-of-touch you sound? Do you care?
Now, isn’t it time you finally came clean and told everyone where on the mainland that you live and what your connection is to this mess of a rail project? It’s way past time that you did.
Good post dude – this person called ukuleleblue does sound condescending and out of touch. I would not be at all surprised to discover that he/she is a mainland transplant connected to the rail project.
You and Kalaheo need to pull out a map and figure out where West Oahu is and where most people using public transport comes from.
Kalaheo1, the foreign speculators in Kakaako are not likely to be riding the rail metro. However, all the people along the rail line on the Leeward side of Oahu, between Ala Moana, all the way to Kapolei, will be using the metro to get back and forth to work, to schools, malls, and communities around all the 21 metro stations.
Vector says: “Kalaheo1, the foreign speculators in Kakaako are not likely to be riding the rail metro.”
They better be!! We are all paying billions every time we buy food clothing, shoes, or medicine or pay rent.
The developers and construction interests who stole this project from the traffic weary commuters on the west side better get those foreign speculators on the train to the luxury shops and fancy restaurants of Ala Moana!
If they don’t ride it, who will?
Kalaheo1, I detect some prejudice towards whites and out of State people, in your attacks upon ukeleleblue
So now you are a detective. Awesome
Vector says: “Kalaheo1, I detect some prejudice towards whites and out of State people, in your attacks upon ukeleleblue”
You detect wrong, and I am at a loss to to guess what brought you to such a mind boggling wrong conclusion. Maybe you could tell me.
As for prejudice against out of state people, I think you might be detecting frustration with the constant pasted in comments from a person who seems so out of touch with Hawaii that I strongly suspect has never even visited here. I find him constantly referring to local families as “average locals” condescending and his blithe dismissal at the billions taken from local family’s savings to give to rail offensive.
I am opposed to people taking advantage of the hard working and struggling families of Hawaii but I care nothing about their skin color or place of birth, just their opportunistic insatiable greed in this mess of a rail project.
Any questions?
Rail is about All Stops in between the first and last stations, period. That’s the core of public transportation. Stop with the luxurious mall chatter. Such narrow vision.
Kalaheo1 SA article about a week ago about pedestrian citations uku posted that at Punchbowl st and Queen st. intersection the white flashing walk 6 secs. flashing don’t walk 25 secs. Assume he’s have to had frequented area to know that information. Hope this helps you.
Okay, maybe he’s visited Hawaii. A look of people do.In fact, over 8 million did last year. DO you think he might have been one of them?
He also writes about seeing “no parking on bridge” signs “all the time.” Which makes me thing San Fransisco, Seattle, but based on his East Coast hours, I’m guessing New York City. He could clear this up very easily, responds to me quite often but I don’t think he wants to get caught lying like fake blogger Doug Carlson did.
Funny I never saw Uku post in a condescending way. He states he opinion,like myself, and like everyone else. It’s always that other guy who starts his challenging comment with “Uku says:” or “Vector says” on and on. Then that guy expects an anonymous poster to expose his true ID. Huh?
NanakuliBoss says: “Then that guy expects an anonymous poster to expose his true ID.”
I never asked him to reveal his identity. Just tell us where he lives on the mainland and what his connection is to the rail project.
He could say for example “I live in New York City and my dad is a high ranking rail executive with HART” or “I live in New York City and am employed by a PR firm with a contract to sell the people of Oahu on the rail project.”
I am curious about someone who doesn’t notice the taxes here. He must be very rich or doesn’t really live here.
But I have no interest in the guy’s real name.
Because the ones most needing the rail are the thousands who need to get to Ala Moana, then Waikiki to work and are predominantly from the west side. If you don’t know that, it’s you who’s out of touch. As for geography, Kapolei, Waipahu, Pearl City, is still considered west side of Oahu.
It’s disappointing that once again, no mention is made of the other candidates.
True bikemom. Looks like 16% is unaccounted for on the mayors polls. That tells me either Ward Research or SA is holding back some info. That reeks of being unfair. Even if 1 pollster picked a bottom candidate, it should be noted.
Agreed.
Kirk Caldwell would be the wises choice of all three candidates. Honolulu/Hawaii would be at great loss to its economic and social wellness if the programs that are in progress are altered by the claims these other two are claiming they can for see and do!
Initiating large projects takes enormous amount time and money, but all great things do. To cut spending and or stopping large endeavors is small thing individuals and they should be remembered and avoided to lead us in the future.
We have already made great progress in the most difficult rail project. We need to just stay the course with our present leaders and let them finish the job. Shuffling things up midstream will only make matters worse.
ukuleleblue says: “Shuffling things up midstream will only make matters worse.”
So keep the financial plan we were repeatedly assured was and no more tax increases, right?
Or did you mean “break the deal with the public about how much this would cost and where it would go, but keep the money flowing to the insiders and plugged-in corporations indefinitely and avoid accountability at all costs?”
Why is so important to that the train go to Ala Moana Mall when you didn’t care at all when they changed the route from UH and Ewa and Kapolei? And why are so insistent that the people in charge of this mess keep their jobs regardless of much money they make disappear into the pockets of… OH, get it now!
Are you ever going to tell us where on the mainland you live and what your connection is to this mess of a rail project? It’s way past time you did.
Kalaheo1, your conspiracy theory is fabricated nonsense
Djou has our vote, time for change !
Kirk is a TERRIBLE mayor and lied many times, time for him to go AWAY !
Carlisle should drop out, what a loser !
Wazdat, Caldwell and Carlisle, both have supported rail. Caldwell is also dealing with reducing homelessness, repairing and improving our highways, roadways, and utilities, maintaining and improving our parks. Wazdat, what have you done for others and your community, that makes you a good critic of Caldwell and Carlisle?
Caldwell has done little in reducing homelessness, repairing and improving our highways, roadways, and utilities, maintaining and improving our parks. He does look good with a hard hat on, a shovel in hand fixing a pot hole. Grace-Pacific could use him. http://gracepacific.com/employment/
Djou was a council member during the homeless years. What did he do? How much money did he allocate to homeless or ideas?
Vector – Rail is a WASTE of TAXPAYER monies and I’m sure has lots of CORRUPT dealings.
As for what my family does, We Pay lots of taxes for INCOMPETENT city/state workers and subpar results. As Taxpaying lifelong residents we deserve better that Kirk or Peter. Sick of the status-quo that people like you seem to love. Time to WAKE UP and Vote for change. Trust me Djou will be 100 times better than snake eyes caldwell. Kirk has been around far too long and has just about destroyed this city !
Time for change? Djou hasn’t changed being a banana since the day he was born. A fake, always waffling in the wind, swayed by his white masters, with that silly fake grin on his face.
The ox’s tail is up and look what comes out. More racist BS. Djou 2016. “Make Honolulu Great Again”.
A guy who supports a white racist as his leader calling others racist? Now how does that work? It works something like this – Sarge22 is a white guy with a superiority complex who looks down on all others, including over 50% of Americans who doesn’t share his far right racist views. An arrogant, brainless trailer trash who actually believes only his ideology and position is correct. A righteous racist who can’t figure out what being right is, will cite the Constitution when it serves his purpose, but can’t stop from trampling the Constitutional rights of all he perceives as his enemies.
Seriously guy, go outside and walk around and keep you racist junk inside your head.
More racist BS. Look in the mirror. How little you know
I know you’re trailer trash.
Proves my point.
Would be funny if it isn’t so sad that sarge22 cannot refute a single point I made about him.
Djou, Trump and the Republican and Tea Party are going to “Make America Great Again”. The Republicans have a majority in the House and Senate, yet America seems less great. They have done everything in their power to oppose Obama’s and Democrat initiatives to repair, improve and upgrade our national infastructure, like highways, roadways, bridges, ports, airports, mass transit, and cities. They do not have any money for these projects, and public and social services, but are very generous with the military and defense.
Vector says–“Djou, Trump and the Republican and Tea Party are going to “Make America Great Again”. Sounds good to me. Aloha
Normally I quote the person I’m responding to, but I’m not going to copy your racist filth.
Please stop doing that. It’s disrespectful and insulting to everyone.
Kalaheo1, you have been one of the most disrespectful and insulting people making posts. Practice what you preach
Look, if you are going to make vicious accusations like that, you need to give examples.
Remember what happened last week when you got carried away with your baseless accusations against me? POOF!
I challenge you to find a single example of me saying anything racist. Go ahead, I double dare you. And when you can’t, come back and apologize.
Good for you, you shouldn’t be quoting sarge22.
I think Caldwell took it on the chin for having to chop rail off at Kalihi. And I’m going to vote for him, as he’s the most capable to get us through this. I agree Djou is opportunistic but that goes without saying. And he’s a Republican… I never thought I’d ever use that as a reason not to vote for someone, but the party that can put up Rod Tam…
Re-electing Caldwell or Ige will virtually guarantee that the GE tax increase is made permanent. It’s been their plan from day one.
People are just tired of Caldwell’s lies and BS on Rail and everything else.
People are tired of all the half truths, falsehoods, character assassinations, innuendos, slander, and insults by the anti-rail people
People are tired of all the half truths, falsehoods, character assassinations, innuendos, slander, and insults by the pro-rail people. That’s more like it. Watch PRP in action.
Sarge22, You just confirmed, you are a right wing racist demagogue
Do you know what “racist” even means? How does his comment “confirm” he is racist?? We can all see what he wrote, it’s not remotely racist and saying it is just makes you look nutty.
Tell me what Djou is going to do different about the rail from the other two candidates.
He’s promised not to spend more then 6.8 billion dollars. The other two have promised to spend more – much more.
The other two haven’t promised to spend more – get your facts right.
What will Djou do if the cost to finish to Middle Street comes in at $6.9 billion?
much much more
By the way, the misleading ad he’s running flashes the $10.9 billion upper end worse case scenario number to substantiate his assertion of runaway rail cost numbers. So, if he actually believes that number, then there’s little chance of rail ending at Middle Street below $6.8 billion. So this phony uses numbers as it fits him and his promises are worthless except as proof of his banana status.
no cause for alarm for the mayor. he and cheap djou will go into the general as no ne will get more than 50% of the primary vote. Carlisle’s voters will switch to Caldwell due to pro-rail. djou’s plan for rail is ludicrous, stoping permanently at middle street will cost the city much more in the long run. for rail to be successful it must go the 20 miles as future spurs depend on this full route. having a 2/3 rails will adversely affect ridership and cost the city to spend more to operate and to build extensions in the future. many people are disappointed with the cost overruns but over a billion dollars can be attributed to the two frivolous suits by cayetano and kalekini. now cayetano wants to further subvert rail by having it permanently stop at middle street. cayetano, et al, stop trying to damage rail anymore, you guys did enough damage already. many of those disappointed people including the legislature still want rail to be completed as planned, so they will support Caldwell in the general election. voting for djou will be most damaging and cost the taxpayers much more in the end. plus djou greatly dislikes micronesians do he won’t support to help their homeless. remember djou is a true repub and he will limit or cut spending of all kinds of benefits to the poor, kapuna and other benefit programs. this will only exacerbate the homeless problem in Honolulu.
Excellent post
Correction aiea7, Rail stoppage at Middle Street will represent 3/4 completed. But good post.
Under Caldwell’s leadership the rail project spun out of control, not only in terms of funds needed to complete the project but also in terms of the number of years it will take to complete it. Anyone working in private industry with this type of performance would be fired by now. Caldwell had his chance and didn’t perform, and factors such as rising costs, etc are just excuses.
The rail opponents have caused all the litigation, delays, and cost overruns, now they want to blame Caldwell. More rail opposition, more delays, more cost escalation.
We need to complete the rail guide way the full length of the planned and designed guideway, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, so affordable housing and rentals can be built around or near the 21 rail metro stations. We have a crisis in housing and rental affordability, and homelessness, which needs to be addressed NOW.
Bad news my friend. The rail is already 5 years behind schedule and the route doesn’t go to the west side communities that it was promised to. If you are waiting for developers to build affordable housing until after rail is done then… It’s going to be 7-8 years.
Now the GOOD news. There’s nothing stopping developers from building affordable housing now! They would just rather build luxury condo for wealth foreign investors in Kakaako.
Now more bad news. A train isn’t going to magically make developers want to start building affordable housing. If they don’t feel like they’re worth the bother of building now, they won’t in 6 years because a train is screeching past on the way to the luxury mall.
The election should not be about rail. We all need to support rail to provide relief for average locals on the west side who need a better alternative to suffering in choked traffic. Under the circumstances, nobody could have done a better job than Caldwell with rail. The factor is the booming construction economy and higher costs, not who is mayor.
Baloney Lying crooked Caldwell.
Sarge22, you are really into the blame game. It’s so easy to attack and insult people, but what are you doing for others and our community? Blame Caldwell for rail, yet what are you doing to solve all its problems?
“What are you doing for others and our community?” Hoping to wake up the liberal sheep and hoping they will see the corruption in our community. Think about it.
ukuleleblue are you a average local?
I’m amazed they can find 30 percent to vote for Caldwell. The city parks are trashed and you can’t even walk on the sidewalks on Vineyard at Aala as they are covered with homeless’ tents. The kids have to walk in the street to get around them.
You can’t walk on King Street by Thomas Square either. You nee to walk in the bike path.
Djou$ 39% is because he took a picture with cayetaNO. These are CayetaNOS voters. Man is a republiNOcan, plain and simple. He cannot lead.
If you think Honolulu is better than it was four years ago, stick with Caldwell.
When you are stuck in traffic does the name Caldwell come to mind?
Djou is a republican. Or a republiNOcan.
Time for a change. Charles Djou is our only hope to get our city finances back in order. Caldwell will just keep spending and spending for his legacy idiocracy project – rail. Yes folks, the rail is the defining issue on which voters will vote in November. Let’s give Djou a chance.
I see something in Djou that I haven’t seen before, self doubt! He looks mixed on his thoughts!
I see something in Djou that I haven’t seen before, self doubt! He looks mixed on his thoughts! I sense some indecision!
He can’t decide whether he’s a banana or an Asian.
Lol
Charles has the biggest smile, and non-beady eyes; best bet for our next mayor.
Nice decent family too. You won’t see any sign burning or bong smoking from them.
Who pays for these polls? HNN? What if a poll doesn’t reflect HNN wants? No press? Can SA print out a schedule of polls. That way we know if some were held back. Can we also see a list of questions to be polled? Mahalo. Old adage The Tail is wagging the Dog.
It’s time for a change. Voting for a Djou will bring in a new leadership team which the public needs and deserves.
Caldwell and his team SUCKS especially his roads maintenance dummies Ross Sassamura/ Tyler Sugihara- REAL PIGS!
Agree. Talk about INCOMPETENCE and Sub-par results !
Imagine, an Asian with an immigrant father supporting a white racist as his leader. That is the classic definition of a “banana”. This guy has no pride nor self worth whatsoever and will do whatever is told of him by his white masters.
Normally I quote the person I’m responding to, but I’m not going to copy your racist filth.
Please stop doing that. It’s disrespectful and insulting to everyone.
Why does SA allow your racist comments?
Why….but it’s OK for you to call every politician and organizations you don’t like “crooks”?
Of course it’s okay to tell the truth. Lying crooked Caldwell, PRP and HiLIARy for starters. nothing racist there. Did you happen to hear the FBI Director’s comments on Mrs Bill Clinton? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z8pnk2rvYo
When Djou got into the mustard of things … Caldwell and Carlisle got the dumped on by the grey poop on.
Isn’t it ironic that Djou is campaigning to stop rail now because of cost increases but he was one of the principals that held up and delayed rail construction until the Great Recession was over and contractors’ labor and overhead costs had shot back up…?
Gonna need a reference on that bit of fiction, my friend.
How did one member of City Council hold up rail construction?
And a follow up question. One of the reasons Honolulu got itself into such a financial hole is that Mufi Hannemann and Kirk Caldwell jumped the gun and issued rail contracts years too early before necessary state and federal approval and before the EIS was completed. And rail got delayed for over a year because these same two tried to pull an end run around the requirement for an archeological EIS and got their hands slapped by the Hawaii State Supreme Court in rare UNANIOUMOUS decision.
Is your plan to blame Charles Djou for that too?
Are you really blaming Charles Djou for Mufi Hannemann and Kirk Caldwell barreling ahead with a half-baked project in their haste to push it past the point of no return? Is this what we have to look forward from PRP?
True. He’s an alarmist for purely political reasons.
He’s for delaying rail because he’s concerned about financing. We have the best financing scheme for rail and yet he wastes time talking about cap on costs.
We want to complete rail. We don’t want to have caps on future costs to stop us from achieving that goal. We should be concerned about current costs. These projections are hard enough to make without second-guessing from politicians.
I can’t tell if you are trying to bash Kirk Caldwell or Charles Djou.
Don’t worry pro-railers, PRP will come out their smear campaign in general.
This choice is likened to the presidential campaign.
Carlisle & Caldwell had their chance and blew it.
But, another Lawyer? Come on…..
Yes… We need Charles. Especially after the Rail fiasco and the current mayor’s private bike lane agenda.
No fiasco. Rail financing is solid. Support for rail is strong.
wiliki says: “No fiasco. Rail financing is solid. ”
When Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he planned to “temporarily” end rail construction at Middle St, because we were out of money, do you think he was lying? Why would you want to elect a liar to the Mayor’s office?
Caldwell is doing an outstanding job. It’s not time for a change.
We will be getting the money to complete rail to Ala Moana Center. We need somebody who can do that and Djou is not the man who can do that.
wiliki says: “We will be getting the money to complete rail to Ala Moana Center.”
THAT’S GREAT NEWS!!!
Three quick questions though.
1) Where are those billions going to come from?
2) Who is the “We” that be ” will be getting the money”?
3) Why didn’t you care when Mufi Hannemann cut the route from UH and Ewa and Kapolei, but so outraged that it might not go to the fancy luxury tourist mall?
We need hope & change.
Caldwell had his chance and blew it, with the rail project years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. Yes, time for a change!
The local residents were taken to the cleaners on this rail fiasco. Hopefully they learned from a painful lesson the last election and all the smearing and b/s that came with the whole package. Djou is the most sensible choice to contain the most corupt project that’s ever been forced to our tax paying citizens. Vote for Caldwell and costs will never be controlled within budget. We’re already way down deep in this mess.
Anyone but Caldwell—-Caldwell has proven to all of us during the past (4) year that he’s full of it Anyone but Caldwell is my choice!!!! So long Caldwell—go ride you broke and fill up some potholes for you ad promotions You have proven to be not capable of taking care of Honolulu and it’s citizens. Your Purchasing administrator is totally incompentent — she has twice the amount of workers than the previous adninistratior but the purchases she directs the City to purchase is complete nonsense, as she purchase the cheapest things out on the market place, so in the long run the public will need to continually buy more, as the products won’t last. She needs to go back to school and take a course on smart purchasing—-spending a little more upfront for a product that it will give back a longer life cycle and in the long run the City would be saving money.
The race is Charles Djou’s to lose. He should note “the handwriting on the wall.” Rail is the most prominent issue in this campaign. To garner the Carlisle vote in the general election, he should stop listening to the naysayers and support the only common sense solution. At a minimum, the first phase of the rail project should end at Chinatown at the Eva end of the downtown business district. The primary “purpose and need” for the rail project is to provide an alternate means of transportation for commuters living Ewa of the central business district. Ending phase I at Middle Street will result in a White Elephant of use to few commuters. Changing the design or technology at this point is a pie-in-the-sky approach, even if it is being advocated by an eminent engineering professor or respected government officials.
EVA end. autocorrect !!!
EWA end. autocorrect again !!
Rather than the same old faces wouldn’t Leslie Wilcox be a great Mayor?