This is not a conventional mayoral election year in Hawaii, judging by the configuration of the Honolulu race.
Neither of the two contenders in the general election runoff has any experience in elected office — and judging by the number of eliminated political veterans in the original field of candidates, voters likely made this a conscious decision. What they need to decide now is which one is best suited for the unique challenges confronting Honolulu in 2020.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser believes that Rick Blangiardi possesses the kind of leadership style, business acumen, community ties and political independence that will best serve the city’s chief executive for what lies ahead in the next four years.
The former general manager of Hawaii News Now, Blangiardi started out as a University of Hawaii football player and then coach. He started in TV in sales at KGMB, advancing in the industry, founding KHNL as a sports channel; in later years he would shepherd the merger of the news operations to become HNN. He spent years in TV executive posts on the mainland, overseeing the NBC acquisition of the Spanish-language network Telemundo before returning to Hawaii in 2002.
Blangiardi is facing Keith Amemiya, an attorney also with deep community roots. A lot of those were developed after he left his work as a litigator to become executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, a post he held for 12 years. They were followed by the senior vice president job he’s held for eight years at Island Holdings, the parent company of Island Insurance, but it was the HHSAA job that gets the most emphasis in his campaign.
Neither man has a political track record to weigh; ultimately, the choice will come down to which one has the professional experience and instincts that have best prepared him for Honolulu Hale.
There will be the imperative to make well-informed and independent decisions — tough ones, during the tough times ahead. Amemiya has a lot of the long-standing union, political and business establishment backing his run — many powerful influences to navigate.
Blangiardi has his own share of endorsements and backers, but he’s had a history of presenting self-styled editorial ideas and initiatives addressing community problems such as homelessness. Independence seems to be his brand, and that could prove critical.
The mayor’s office, like any political job, is not the same as a business executive, but there is some overlap. In his meeting with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser editorial board, Blangiardi said that his management involved “turnaround” challenges for struggling broadcast companies.
This may be an essential capability. Honolulu is in the throes of the coronavirus economic crisis, with businesses failing or pushed to the brink. The recovery will be limping along, at best, when the new mayor takes office. After the last half-year of erratic government response to the pandemic, sometimes frustrating in its bureaucratic pace, there is a nagging sense that business as usual at City Hall simply will not be enough.
Blangiardi said that he has the ability to understand financial problems and figure out a rescue strategy, and there is some basis for that assertion.
Blangiardi would need to make some smart selections for his Cabinet and top staff, though, especially his managing director. People grounded in policymaking, negotiations and other elements of public administration would be key to success.
After taking some deserved heat over the absence of a formal plan, Blangiardi did issue a “Roadmap to Recovery,” a set of principles and objectives that would, if he is elected, guide his first 90 days. For weeks Amemiya has touted his own policy positions, including his own recovery plan and a “Housing for All Plan.”
The blueprints for both mayoral hopefuls are outlines rather than detailed prescriptions for averting pitfalls encountered by the current administration. But voters expect that anyone angling for this job would lay out priorities clearly.
Even so, it’s not clear how either candidate’s plan advances beyond the current administration’s approach and established processes. For example: Both highlight the importance of seizing opportunities for transit-oriented development along the rail line. How, exactly, would they achieve more success than the current mayor?
Speaking of rail: Amemiya is firmly on the record favoring completing the rail to Ala Moana Center. Blangiardi is more measured, stating that he wants to complete it as much as possible, short of raising city taxes. The pandemic and economic distress indeed has complicated this already struggling project, but Blangiardi, should he win, would need to make the case for any curtailment when financing options become clearer.
Ultimately, though, the first order of business for the new mayor will be business. Honolulu would be served best by someone who has Rick Blangiardi’s skill set and outlook to take over at City Hall.
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