by
Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
, October 12, 2010
Aloha dear readers,
Below you will find my recommendations for voting in the election of November 2, 2010. I am making recommendations only for those contests that are most closely relevant to the issue of race-based political sovereignty for ethnic Hawaiians, where I am focusing primarily on the Hawaiian Government Reorganization bill also known as the Akaka bill. Here is the order of appearance of each recommendation; scroll down to read the detailed explanation for each one.
1. U.S. Senate: I recommend Cam Cavasso (R), against Dan Inouye (D).
2. U.S. House District #1: I recommend Colleen Hanabusa (D), against Charles Djou (R). [very interesting analysis]
3. U.S. House District #2: I recommend John Willoughby (R), against Mazie Hirono (D).
4. Governor and Lieutenant Governor: I recommend James "Duke" Aiona (R) and Lynn Finnegan (R) against Neil Abercrombie (D) and Brian Schatz.
5. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee (5 seats to be elected):
O'ahu seat: I recommend Jackie Burke to unseat incumbent Walter Heen.
Maui seat: I recommend a blank showing opposition to uncontested incumbent Boyd Mossman.
At Large 3 seats: I recommend casting only two of the 3 votes allowed, in favor of Keali'i Makekau and Kama Hopkins; to unseat the 3 incumbents Rowena Akana, Oz Stender, and John Waihee IV.
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1. U.S. Senate: I recommend Cam Cavasso (R), against Dan Inouye (D).
http://camcavasso.com/issues/
Cam Cavasso for Senate 2010, webpage section on issues, page 2
Akaka Bill
Cavasso says: "I strongly oppose the Akaka bill because it will divide the citizens of Hawaii based upon race and is contrary to the very spirit of aloha. The current bill that has passed the House of Representatives is poorly written and will bring about unintended consequences for Hawaii due to its vagueness. For example, it fails to explicitly define who is a member of the new "Native Hawaiian tribe", thereby making them eligible for benefits. It will establish an essentially parallel sovereign government (legally and economically) within Hawaii and this is virtually unprecedented in American history. It also runs counter to the proclamations of King Kamehameha III when he declared in the Constitution of 1840, "God hath made of one blood all races of people to dwell on this Earth in unity and blessedness." Lastly, the entire legislative process to date has denied the citizens of Hawaii any vote in the form of a public referendum on the issue and has recently been cloaked in secrecy. It therefore violates a basic premise in democratic government of "having the consent of the governed."
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2. U.S. House District #1: I recommend Colleen Hanabusa (D), against Charles Djou (R). [very interesting analysis]
Here is an extended version of a letter I published in online newspapers.
Aloha dear readers in Hawaii's First Congressional District,
I'm writing to you about the election of November 2, 2010.
I urge you to vote against Charles Djou, a man I admire and respect, whose views I agree with on nearly every issue. Unfortunately that means I'm asking you to vote in favor of a candidate I personally dislike, whose views I disagree with on almost every issue -- Colleen Hanabusa.
So why am I asking you to vote for Hanabusa and against Djou? Let me explain.
It's all about the Akaka bill. I believe the Akaka bill is the most important issue for the people of Hawaii since the Statehood vote in 1959. Although both Djou and Hanabusa strongly support the Akaka bill, Djou would be far more effective in getting it passed, because he is a Republican -- he made that point loud and clear in a radio interview, and he is correct -- so we must not give him the chance.
The Akaka bill is a great evil. Its importance for Hawaii is greater than all other issues combined. It would irrevocably divide the lands and people of Hawaii along racial lines, creating an apartheid system where about half our land and a quarter of our people would live under different laws from everyone else. See the book "Hawaiian Apartheid: Racial Separatism and Ethnic Nationalism in the Aloha State" available in the library or at
http://tinyurl.com/2a9fqa
Both Djou and Hanabusa are strongly in favor of the Akaka bill. Both of them refuse to demand an amendment to require a vote by Hawaii's people on the Akaka bill before it can take effect -- they think it's OK to impose an enormous unfunded federal mandate on us without our consent.
Djou and Hanabusa are the only two candidates for Congress this year in Hawaii's First District. There's nobody else to vote for. So, wouldn't it be logical to set aside the Akaka bill, and choose the better candidate based on other issues?
But here's where party affiliation comes into play. I agree with all the political pundits who are predicting a huge victory for the Republicans in this election. The Republicans will win more than enough of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives to have a comfortable majority, even without Charles Djou.
Nearly every Democrat in the House voted in favor of the Akaka bill in 2010. Hanabusa has no need to win votes from Democrats. Republicans will see her as just another radical-left Democrat in the same mold as Abercrombie. Republicans will simply ignore her. No Republican will vote for the Akaka bill based on what Hanabusa, a freshman Democrat with no personal relationships there, tells them. And Hawaii voters, don't worry about getting the pork you've become accustomed to -- members of Congress bring home the bacon even when they're in the minority, as Inouye, Akaka, and Abercrombie proved even when the Republicans held power in both the House and Senate for many years.
Djou is a Republican. On issues related to budget and taxation, he is very much aligned with the Tea Party movement which will have great power in the 112th Congress starting in January. His fellow Republicans will pay attention to him. Those Republicans from other states, especially the newly elected ones supported by the Tea Party movement, who know nothing about Hawaii or the Akaka bill, are likely to go along with whatever he tells them on a matter that seems to affect only Hawaii. That's the reason it would be bad to have Djou in Congress.
Governor Lingle, wearing the label "Republican," has spent eight years aggressively lobbying her fellow Republicans in the Senate to support the Akaka bill, and winning some crucial Republican support for it. She personally testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in two different Congresses. She actually went onto the floor of the U.S. Senate while it was in session (a seldom-used privilege granted to Governors) to plead with her fellow Republicans to support the Akaka bill. She spent most of her precious time with President Bush when he was in Hawaii trying to persuade him to support the Akaka bill, thereby squandering her political capital and her time with the President which she should have spent on other topics beneficial to all Hawaii's people. Charles Djou, if elected to Congress, would perform just like Linda Lingle, getting Republican votes for the Akaka bill that no Democrat could get.
How do we know Djou is a strong supporter of the Akaka bill? There's nothing about it on his website. Maybe he's embarrassed to let his base of support know about it. But here's a quote from an interview he gave during a 20-minute interview on OHA's daily radio program "Na 'Oiwi Olino" on Tuesday October 5, 2010. The entire hour-long program, including a comparable interview with Hanabusa, can be replayed by clicking here:
http://am940hawaii.com/Player/100745781/
"For myself first of all, of course as a Congressman, I eagerly look forward to hopefully passing the Native Hawaiian recognition bill ... Over the ten years I have represented Hawaii [in the state House and the Honolulu City Council] ... I have been a clear and consistent advocate for increasing opportunities for Native Hawaiians, and for expanding access to housing and the just entitlements I think Native Hawaiians deserve."
Continuing in that same interview, here are Djou's own words explaining why everyone who opposes the Akaka bill must oppose Djou, and why he would be far more effective getting votes for the Akaka bill than the equally zealous Colleen Hanabusa. Interviewer Randy Hudnall asked "Now, you just mentioned the Akaka bill. What will you do to garner support for the Akaka bill if it should pass the Senate and return to the House this Congress?"
Djou answered with excitement in his voice: "You know, I think what I can offer is a bipartisan solution -- bipartisan support for the Akaka bill. That's absolutely essential ... It can't come from just one political party, it has to come from both. Hawaii has been trying ... for over a decade to move the Akaka bill ... and we've been unsuccessful, and the reason for that is it's been entirely one-sided. What we need is support from both political parties. Should the Akaka bill come back to the U.S. House I'm confident that I'd be able to garner far more Republican support for the Akaka bill -- make it bipartisan -- make it less controversial, and make its passage far smoother."
Djou also made clear in the interview that he supports not only the Akaka bill but also the plethora of racially exclusionary entitlements in areas such as housing, education, and healthcare; and that he will support those programs that treat ethnic Hawaiians like an Indian tribe even if the Akaka bill fails.
Shouldn't government treat us all equally? The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the equal protection of the laws regardless of race. Charles Djou, as an attorney, should know that racial entitlements and the creation of a phony Indian tribe are unconstitutional. Djou should know enough about Hawaii's history to realize that ethnic Hawaiians have a history totally different from the Indian tribes, and that the Kingdom was multiracial with full equality, voting rights, and active participation in high government positions by non-natives who were either born in Hawaii or became naturalized; whereas the Akaka tribe is racially exclusionary just like the illegal entitlement programs it is designed to protect.
At least Governor Lingle had an excuse for supporting the Akaka bill -- she told the Kamehameha School alumni association during her campaign eight years ago that she feels ethnic Hawaiians are "a people" with a right to self-determination comparable to the right of her own Jewish people to have a racially/religiously defined Nation of Israel. Lingle's romanticization and mystification of ethnic Hawaiians as comparable to her own "God's Chosen People" was terribly misguided, but understandable as a psychological mechanism.
https://www.angelfire.com/bigfiles90/LingleZionismHawnSov.html
Djou has no such excuse. His support for the Akaka bill is a mystery. He should know that he will get zero votes from the racialists aligned with the Akaka bill, OHA, Kamehameha Schools, etc. -- they are enthusiastic Hanabusa supporters. Hanabusa has not only attended, but also spoken at numerous secessionist rallies over the past ten years, from Wai'anae to 'Iolani Palace to Makapu'u; and has actively pushed Hawaiian racialist legislation as member and chairperson of the state Senate committee on Hawaiian affairs. The Native Hawaiian Convention in Honolulu this week features speeches by Senator Dan Akaka, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, and candidate Colleen Hanabusa -- but the powerful lobbying group disrespects sitting Congressman Djou by not even inviting him. He knows the recent Zogby poll shows a majority of Hawaii's people oppose the Akaka bill and an even larger majority demand that it be placed on ballot as a referendum question in a general election. See complete results of the Zogby poll at
http://tinyurl.com/y9x9q7u
Yet Djou continues to support the bill, and he refuses to propose an amendment to the bill to require its approval by Hawaii's people before it can take effect. Shame on him! Nearly everyone who supports the Akaka bill will vote for Hanabusa regardless of Djou's position on it, while he could collect the votes from everyone who opposes the bill if he would stand up and oppose it. Djou's position on the Akaka bill is a loser both morally and politically.
How low will Djou kow-tow before the election to the tycoons of Hawaii's powerful race-based institutions? Watch the televised debates to find out. How much lower will he kow-tow to them in Congress during the lame duck session and for the next two years if he wins in November? All the way to the floor, no doubt. Please vote for Colleen Hanabusa, a candidate I despise, but who will be ineffective in pushing the Akaka bill because the Republicans -- a Congressional majority next year -- will ignore her.
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3. U.S. House District #2: I recommend John Willoughby (R), against Mazie Hirono (D).
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/john-w-willoughby-2nd-congressional-district
Hawaii Reporter, September 12, 2010
Interview of John Willoughby by Laura Brown, excerpts on Akaka bill
Laura Brown: What is your position on the Akaka Bill?
John Willoughby: I oppose the Akaka Bill in its current form.
Laura Brown: Do you believe it will unite or divide Hawaii?
John Willoughby: The Akaka Bill has been and will continue to be divisive to the peoples of Hawaii. As Americans, we live by a simple mantra – equality of opportunity for all, special privileges for none. Establishing a separate “government within a government” goes against everything our great nation stands for and would test the very fabric of our Constitution and society.
Laura Brown: How do you see the Akaka Bill changing Hawaii?
John Willoughby: In its current form, it would create a system where even family members could fall into different classes. These classes of peoples will be separated from each other by different systems of rules and laws, different privileges and opportunities, and a different system of rights and responsibilities.
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http://www.hawaiireporter.com/hawaii-reporter-to-livestream-sarah-palin-call-endorsing-candidates-john-willoughby-and-scott-henderson
Hawaii Reporter, October 7, 2010
EXCLUSIVE: Hawaii Reporter Livestreamed Sarah Palin Call Endorsing Candidates John Willoughby and Scott Henderson
See YouTube video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a-77oxDAW4
Excerpts regarding Willoughby
“The Aloha State is ripe for positive, patriotic change under the leadership of these good Americans with servant’s hearts in our 50th state,” says Palin on her Facebook page.
Willoughby is running against U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono for Hawaii’s Second Congressional District. A highly-decorated retired Navy officer and a distinguished commercial airline pilot, Willoughby is a proponent of lower taxes, smaller government and unconditional congressional accountability.
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John Willoughby for Congress webpage
http://www.willoughbyforcongress.com
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4. Governor and Lieutenant Governor: I recommend Republicans James "Duke" Aiona and Lynn Finnegan against Democrats Neil Abercrombie and Brian Schatz
Regarding Abercrombie and the Akaka bill: Abercrombie made it his number one priority as a Congressman from the time he first introduced it in the House in 2000 until the day he resigned from the House in 2010 to run for Governor. His methods have been sneaky and secretive -- traits which are likely to be characteristic of his work if he becomes Governor. In 2000 he put the Akaka bill on the calendar of non-controversial legislation to be passed by unanimous consent on voice vote under suspension of the rules at the dinner hour when very few people were present. In 2009 and 2010 he secretly delivered a radical new version of the bill to the members of the House Committee on Natural Resources only a couple days before a long-scheduled committee meeting, in order to keep it away from Governor Lingle as long as possible. But then, when the actual committee meeting took place and his fellow members refused to adopt his new version until they had time to adequately study it, he agreed to let them pass the previous version so that he would not need to delay his retirement from Congress until the next committee meeting a month later. Then when the bill came to the floor of the House he was successful in substituting the new radical version at the last moment and ramming it through. In a 4-part interview in Indian Country Today, Abercrombie expressed doubts about whether Hawaii is rightfully a part of the United States, and said he believes ALL the ceded lands in Hawaii rightfully belong to ethnic Hawaiians. As Governor he would have great power in deciding how much of Hawaii will be given to the newly created Akaka tribe. So, looking at the total picture: Abercrombie as Congressman created the Akaka tribe, and now he wants to be the tribe's Great White Father (the title the real tribes used to call the U.S. President).
Regarding Duke Aiona and the Akaka tribe: When Abercrombie sent the radical version of the Akaka bill to committee members, a Republican member sent it to Governor Lingle, who "blew her stack." Lingle issued a public statement opposing it, and sent a letter opposing it to all 100 Senators. Aiona, who was Lingle's Lieutenant Governor, kept silent. But later, when negotiations were underway among OHA, Lingle, Inouye, and Akaka, Aiona stepped forward publicly to say he disagreed with Lingle and supports the most radical version of the Akaka bill there has ever been.
Thus Aiona and Abercrombie have exactly the same position on the Akaka bill.
Aiona is ethnic Hawaiian. That means he would be eligible to join the Akaka tribe, and be a shareholder in all the lands, money, and jurisdictional authority which the tribe receives from the State after a negotiated settlement. Furthermore, as Governor, Aiona would have tremendous power to decide how much State property to give to the tribe, for the benefit of his own extended family: the blood brotherhood of ethnic Hawaiians. That's a huge conflict of interest! Under the canons of the bar association and also the state ethics commission, Aiona has at least a moral duty and perhaps a legally enforceable requirement to recuse himself from participating in any way in any negotiations or decisions regarding the transfer of assets from the State to the tribe. And since a high percentage of the most important decisions he would make as Governor would involve relations between the State and the tribe, therefore Aiona would be crippled as Governor. That's a good reason to vote against him. See
https://www.angelfire.com/big09a/AkakaHawnConflictRecuse.html
However, since Abercrombie and Aiona share identical positions on the Akaka bill, and since Abercrombie is perhaps even more eager than Aiona to turn over State resources to the Akaka tribe, having Aiona as Governor would not be any worse than having Abercrombie as governor with regard to that issue. Indeed, because of Aiona's obvious conflict of interest, which has already been called to his attention by this writer, then having Aiona as Governor might actually result in greater protection for the people of Hawaii against the depredations of the Akaka tribe than having Abercrombie as Governor. Aiona would be likely to take great care in the ethics and transparency of how negotiations and asset transfers are handled.
What tips the balance in favor of Aiona is the personal character of the two candidates, and their positions on issues other than the Akaka bill. Abercrombie is sneaky, disreputable, flamboyant, bombastic, arrogant, combative, nonreligious, high-tax big-spend far-left socialist, and has never held an administrative position. Aiona has high moral character, a gentle and gentlemanly disposition, deep religious beliefs, a background as a judge and Lieutenant Governor, politically and fiscally and morally conservative. The only issue where I agree with Abercrombie and disagree with Aiona is same-gender civil unions:
https://www.angelfire.com/big09a/CivilUnionAndMarriage.html
But on that issue Aiona has pledged to abide by a vote of Hawaii's people rather than to simply ram his personal beliefs down everyone's throats. I am also a little worried about Aiona's tendency to wear his religion on his sleeve and participate actively in Christian fundamentalist social events, raising the question whether he can truly respect the rights of people with different beliefs. But considering Abercrombie's far-left politics compared with Aiona's conservative views; and considering Abercrombie's past as a pot-smoking anti-American burn-down-the-building hippie compared with Aiona's patriotic, religious, moral background, I have no difficulty endorsing Duke Aiona for Governor.
Perhaps most importantly, we need a Republican Governor to serve as counterweight against the overwhelmingly Democrat Legislature which kow-tows to the labor unions.
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5. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee (5 seats to be elected, out of 9):
O'AHU seat: I recommend Jackie Burke to unseat incumbent Walter Heen. (Details below)
MAUI Seat: I recommend a blank to show disapproval of uncontested incumbent Boyd Mossman. (Details below)
AT LARGE 3 seats: There are 9 candidates, and you get three votes. The top 3 vote-getters will be elected. I recommend casting only two of the 3 votes allowed, in favor of Keali'i Makekau and Kama Hopkins; to unseat the 3 incumbents Rowena Akana, Oz Stender, and John Waihee IV (a third person will be elected, but I have no preference among the remaining 4 non-incumbent candidates). (Details below)
WHO GETS TO VOTE FOR WHICH OHA TRUSTEES? There are two things to remember. (a) Thanks to the Rice v. Cayetano decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2000, there is no longer racial segregation in voting for OHA trustees. Every registered voter, regardless of race, can vote for OHA trustees. (b) The O'ahu and Maui seats are specific to those islands only in requiring that the candidates must be residents of those islands; however, every registered voter living anywhere in Hawaii gets to vote for all OHA seats, regardless where the voter lives. It's a weird system, but designed to ensure that each of the five most populous islands (Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, Moloka'i, and Hawai'i Island) has at least one resident serving as OHA trustee, even though the great majority of voters live on O'ahu. Just remember: If your ballot offers you the opportunity to vote in a contest, it's not a mistake -- you can vote for the O'ahu seat even if you do not live on O'ahu.
OHA's monthly newspaper for October 2010 includes a pullout voter guide which contains a photo of each candidate for office and statements by each of them in reply to several standard questions about issues facing ethnic Hawaiians, including the Akaka bill. The pullout voter guide can be downloaded here:
http://www.oha.org/kwo/2010/10_DECISION/KWO1010_DECISION.pdf
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O'ahu seat: I recommend Jackie Burke to unseat incumbent Walter Heen.
Burke openly opposes the Akaka bill both in writing and on TV. She has a position stated with vindictiveness demanding ALL the ceded lands for ethnic Hawaiians exclusively as can be seen in her profile on pages 7 and 9 of OHA's voter guide; but that has no chance of becoming reality and therefore should not trouble us. She's well educated, with a work background that would help OHA spend its money for good purposes and would make her inclined to demand accountability.
Burke says: "The Akaka bill (NHGRA) should not be enacted into law. It
is not a bill "FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE." This
is the MOST IMPORTANT BILL OF OUR LIFETIME, where
were all the community meetings that should have occurred over
the past five years? Who is representing the descendants of the
"KU'E PETITION"? It comes down to a bill "BY THE STATE,
FOR THE STATE to insure the CONTROL BY THE STATE."
Instead of spending millions on lobbying, why not spend to
organize the community into ongoing active units of Hawaiians,
integrating and collaborating with Hawaiian Civic Clubs, sovereignty
groups and other groups."
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Maui Seat: I recommend a blank as the only way available for us to indicate opposition to uncontested incumbent Boyd Mossman. Let's hope the blanks greatly outnumber the votes he gets.
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At Large 3 seats: I recommend casting only two of the 3 votes allowed, in favor of Keali'i Makekau and Kama Hopkins; to unseat the 3 incumbents Rowena Akana, Oz Stender, and John Waihee IV.
Keali'i Makekau: He gives only short answers to OHA's standard questions, on page 5 of the voter guide, and never mentions the Akaka bill. But in his 3-minute candidate speech on 'Olelo TV, he said he opposes the Akaka bill, and furthermore it is unconstitutional. His facebook campaign page shows that at least two strong opponents of the Akaka bill have "friended" him: Scott Crawford and Lana Robbins (who also said she would send him money!).
Kama Hopkins is an aide to Trustee Robert K. Lindsey of Hawaii Island (Lindsey's seat has two more years before it comes up for election again). Lindsey is a very "quiet" trustee, whose monthly columns in the OHA newspaper do not vigorously push the Akaka bill or the ceded lands issue, but instead focus on cultural issues, economic welfare, and good business practices for managing OHA assets. Kama Hopkins has that same sort of personality, as seen in his 'Olelo TV campaign speech. In that speech he comes across as very reasonable, talks about the need to verify the effectiveness of OHA-sponsored programs and the need for trustees to respond promptly to beneficiaries who write them or phone them. His answers to OHA's standard questions in the OHA voter guide, on pages 4 and 6, do not directly discuss whether he supports the Akaka bill, but instead deal with what OHA should do to implement the bill if it passes. Most of his response in the OHA newspaper is focused on healthcare. His campaign webpage does not discuss the Akaka bill; see
http://www.kamahopkins2010.org/
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Ken_Conklin@yahoo.com
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