The more you watch local politics, the more things don’t seem the same. Take the current Hawaii governor and Honolulu mayor.

Because the elections for the offices are in alternate election cycles, mayors are free to run for governor in different cycles. That sets the two offices up as natural rivals.

Decades ago it was an obvious match between Frank Fasi, Honolulu’s longest serving mayor, who was always looking for an advancement from City Hall. Later it was mostly speculation, but with some earnest political exploration by former Mayor Kirk Caldwell.The prize being Hawaii governor, one of the most powerful governorships in the nation.

Politics is more battle than sport and victors are the ones who play for keeps.

So it is interesting to see how Mayor Rick Blangiardi and Gov. Josh Green have managed to keep the political rivalry out of the way of City Hall and State Capitol antagonisms.

The most recent example is the opening of what will be the A‘ala Respite center to serve the medically fragile who live on the street.

“We are full partners with the city. Mayor and I felt we needed to get some of the sickest people off the street,” Green said in an interview last week.

Recent news reports said Blangiardi hoped to move people off the streets and to the old First Hawaiian Bank building by Aala Park, now staffed with medical personnel and psychiatrists.

According to reports, the city paid $8.4 million for the old bank building on North King Street.

“The mayor bought and improved the building and the state will provide $4 million a year to cover the costs of the social and medical services and security,” explained Green, who is also a physician.

The idea for putting some oomph behind emergency medical services for the poor and homeless in Downtown Honolulu around Aala Park and Chinatown is not new, but it is certainly needed.

The North King Street site, according to last week’s report, will have 32 beds in what was the lobby of the old bank. The city and state are expected to team up in both the creation and operation of the project.

For instance, the state’s Office on Homelessness and the Honolulu Department of Community Services are expected to set up a kauhale-style housing area in the adjacent parking lot.

“A‘ala Respite represents a new and innovative approach that has quickly shown promising results in our efforts to ease the pain and suffering of our homeless population,” Blangiardi said.

There has been little public speculation about the political future of either Blangiardi or Green, and rivalry easily extends to politics. But if the mayor and the governor are cooperating, not competing, in a vital service to help the homeless, everyone comes out ahead.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com