With just five weeks to go, it’s “go time” for Hawaii’s candidates heading into the political homestretch. It’s been an election season like no other — with the coronavirus pandemic forcing new ways of remote campaigning, and with vote-by-mail ballots starting to go out next week for the Nov. 3 general election.
Candidates deserve kudos for working hard to connect with constituents and for engaging in public service, a vital part of our governing process. Voters, too, must now make extra efforts to research candidates and learn their stances on issues. In-person gatherings have been replaced by digital forums, not always ideal for pointed, revelatory debates.
COVID-19 looms large, some six months after it hit Hawaii. Two separate Oahu lockdowns to guard public health have brought economic disaster: Statewide unemployment hit 22.3% in April before dropping to 13% in July, and economists are projecting a whopping loss of $11.5 billion in Hawaii’s GDP this year.
For Oahu, a great deal of hope for recovery rests on its two finalists for mayor: Rick Blangiardi and Keith Amemiya, two businessmen vying for public office for the first time. Their outside-government perspectives are welcome, especially after a frustrating half-year of longtime politicos and government bureaucrats fumbling through uneven results dealing with COVID-19.
Beyond coronavirus, the consequences of this mayoral race are uniquely high due to resurging turmoil over the $9.2 billion rail project. Over the last few days, the city withdrew from the critical public-private partnership (P3) process it was counting on to finish and operate rail, and rail board members revealed a deep split over whether CEO Andy Robbins would continue at the helm after this year. The next mayor will have to deal with declining tax revenues that are fueling deeper worries about the fate of rail itself.
Retired TV news exec Blangiardi led the August vote amid a crowded field of 15. He continues to pitch an effective message about his executive know-how leading to success beyond the status quo — but oddly, his strategy for the city remains thin on ideas for economic recovery, and even on long-standing issues such as affordable housing and homelessness.
Meanwhile, former Island Holdings exec Amemiya and his team appear to have done more of the requisite homework. But he is laying things too thickly with partisan politics, pandering to local Democrats’ “values” in a race that is appreciatively nonpartisan; his business and political connections are hefty, as are his endorsements from major public labor unions.
Also consequential for Oahu will be the vote for city prosecuting attorney: either Steven Alm or Megan Kau, to replace the disgraced Keith Kaneshiro, who remains on paid administrative leave since March 2019, under the cloud of a federal criminal investigation.
And, of course, there’s the highly contentious race for U.S. president. That contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is being fought amid divisive handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the race for a safe vaccine. Lamentably, politics also is tainting the U.S. Postal Service, spurring concerns about the timeliness of receipt of ballots, particularly in states like Hawaii with all-mail voting.
To that end, the state Office of Elections will be sending voters their ballots starting Oct. 5 — a week from now — nearly a month before Election Day. Also, Oahu officials have made the good decision to add four more ballot drop boxes to the eight deployed in the primary (see www.honoluluelections.us for locations).
So many weighty decisions, so little time. Voters need to focus in earnest now, and seriously consider which of these many candidates would lead us best — through the coronavirus’ ongoing threat, out of our economic abyss and toward a better future.
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