Hawaii's hot primary--the results

Akaka wins Primary

"Case closed!" was the gleeful shout, at Akaka's party headquarters, when the early returns foretold the story.

Ed Case gets "pun"ished that way. One of his earliest campaigns pitted him against Toni Worst, in what was inevitably billed as the (wait for it) "Worst/Case scenario". Case won that time. The moderate Democrat, with a strong independent streak, eventually went on to became Hawaii's junior member of Congress.

Last Saturday, Representative Case's surprising primary challenge to incumbent Senator Daniel Akaka came up short. Akaka got 54% of votes cast,to Case's 45%, in Hawaii's Sept. 23 primary. (Official results will, eventually, be available at the Hawaii State Elections website.)

(I am late to blog about this. Here in Ottawa we were hit by thunderstorms last Sunday, which lead to power outages in our village. Our internet connection was down for several days. All better now.)

Akaka made the most of his strong position. He enjoyed formidable advantages: incumbency, a solid war-chest and good name recognition. The junior Senator also got fulsome support from the rest of Hawaii's small delegation, senior Senator Daniel Inouye and senior Rep. Neil Abercrombie. With more money and strong union backing, Akaka had plenty to work with, including something rare in politics--he's a genuinely nice guy, well-liked by all.

Case had to come up with reasons voters should abandon Akaka, and counter cynical charges that sheer ambition was behind his audacious move. You could just hear the tongues wagging, when Case announced his intent to run, in January. "How pushy he is, to try cut in line!" (It doesn't hold up, though. If personal gain was Case's motivation, there are plenty of safer paths--toward more certain success--than the one he chose!)

Here's Case's case: Yes, Sen Akaka is perfectly nice, however, it can be argued that the Honorable Senator has not been notably effective. (Time Magazine ranked Akaka as one of the 5 worst in the whole Senate.) Furthermore, Case maintained, Akaka is too liberal and is prone to the blind partisanship, which causes gridlock. It was time for a younger, more moderate and (supposedly) more effective person to step up to bat for Hawaii, and its future.

Case may have failed to fully demonstrate that he could be the more effective Senator. True, he was willing to cross party lines and vote the issues. If that defines effectiveness, he'd win, hands down. However, Case would also carry a large measure of mistrust (outright hostility?) from his own delegation, and many in the State party, for years. There is a price to pay for stepping on so many toes.

Akaka just turned 82. The campaign did come to focus heavily on the question of age, seniority and planning for transition. While many were sympathetic to Case's assertion that Hawaii would be wise to anticipate some inevitable transition--and get a younger Senator-in-training ASAP--the fact remains that Akaka already has the seniority Case would be looking to build up. Why throw that away?

The war in Iraq became a tipping point for many voters. Akaka voted against going to Iraq in the first place, and he favors a swift pull-out now. Case was not in national office when the 2002 vote was taken. However, he's said he would probably have voted to support going to Iraq, based on what was known at that time. Case adds that he takes the threat of terrorism very seriously--just wishing it away will not do.

Case was successfully painted by Akaka supporters, if not by Akaka himself, as a pro-war, Bush-backer. (A sloppy charge. Case is no follower.) Based on his own assessment of the issue, Case would like to leave Iraq. However, he feels the US has a practical and moral obligation to stay until the Iraq government is strong enough to stand on its own.

It is interesting to speculate how important Iraq was in voters' minds. Clearly, for many it was the decisive factor. Minus a peace vote, would the outcome have changed? Who knows? This race can be viewed as ending up on the "time to leave" side of the ledger in a larger national referendum on the war.

Case made a very respectable showing, but he may have been hurt by a few missteps late in his campaign. For example, Case sent around an excerpt from the memoir of former Democratic Governor George Ariyoshi. In it, Ariyoshi criticized Hawaii Democrats for being closed to fresh leadership, unless the new blood obediently toed the line, in robotic fashion. Although Ariyoshi's remarks came from a speech given in 1972, they read like current commentary on Case's struggle within his own party.

As quoted, it also sounded like an implicit endorsement. Ariyoshi quickly protested what he called a deceptive misuse of his words and very publicly proclaimed his support for Akaka.

Case's serious challenge did mean Akaka had to rally his supporters and work very hard. It payed off for the Akaka camp on primary day. The election numbers showed high absentee voter participation. However, overall turn-out on election day was low. Analysts say both factors worked in Akaka's favor.

Case has three more months to go in his term from Hawaii's Second Congressional District, representing rural Oahu and all the neighbor islands. He is still considering what he'll do after that.

In the race to replace Case, former Lt. Governor, Mazie Hirono, beat out 9 rivals on the Democratic ticket. She will face Republican State Senator Bob Hogue in November. (Hirono and Hogue just squeaked past their closest challengers.)

Akaka will now face Republican State Rep. Cynthia Thielen in November. Thielen, 73, is a moderate with a strong environmental record. She wasn't even on last Saturday's ballot. She was selected to replace Jerry Coffee, who won the GOP primary although he'd already withdrawn from the race for health reasons. Thielen says she will make a serious race out of the last-minute run, but it's going to be a very tall order.

Political observers are still analyzing the election data, mining results for clues as to political or demographic shifts. Clearly, change is occurring in the islands, but to what degree and at what pace?

I will close this last entry in my Hawaii Blog with one of many archaic sayings I learned at my mother's knee: "It should be possible for honorable men to disagree honorably."

Mahalo to Senator Akaka and to Representative Case for the dignity they brought to their hard-fought contest. Two keiki o ka a'ina (children of the land) who do us proud.

Pau / the end

Journey's end

The Pali Lookout, Ko'olau Mountains and Kaneohe Town, Island of Oahu


Playing catch-up


I'm back, after a long trip of nearly six weeks. Hawaii at sea level was hot and sweaty--as it will be for least two more months. It's startling to return to Ontario's cooler temperatures, where summer is almost over!

The funny thing about visiting your past is how quickly those places feel familiar. In childhood haunts, Maui began to feel like home again. The same for my adult home, Honolulu, on Oahu. And we bounced around a lot. Returning to our house on Ontario--such a different world--I had to get past the muddle of "Reality? Home? Which is which?"

The blog got set aside in the crush of re-entry: wrap up summer, get the teen back to school, rescue the orphaned garden. Craig's comment that the blog needs a final entry seemed like a contradiction to September's other mandate: hurry up and get back to work!

The last two entries (on politics in Hawaii) also started a long email debate between me and my mother. Neither could budge the other. Which means, like a lot of other families, we will be splitting our votes in the Akaka/Case contest. Each side is crossing their collective fingers for this Sept 23rd primary race, which looks too close to call.

[NOTE: I will try to do an up-date post, later in September, to report on how that turns out]

A blog wrap-up reminds me of a few topics I had promised to touch on. So here they come.

Transportation issues

Being a bunch of separate islands in the middle of the Pacific presents logistical difficulties and added expense. Obviously, traveling anywhere outside of Hawaii is expensive. A depressing development in recent years was how the costly inter-island travel had become, with one-way tickets rising from $40 to nearly $100. Meaning our Oahu family of three would have to part with $600, just to go see my relatives on Maui, a short 20-minute flight away.

It's not like there's choice, either. Things assumed on the mainland, like connecting bridges, passenger ferries, car ferries, a train, the bus...none of those will get you from one island to another in Hawaii. Not yet, that is.

With this pent-up frustration for cheaper inter-island access, several significant events have come up.

Fare wars!

First, old inter-island rivals, Hawaiian and Aloha airlines, got hit with another attempt by a third carrier to crack the market. (This has happened before, notably with Mid-Pacific and Mahalo Airlines.) The resulting fare-wars can be amazingly advantageous for consumers. The best example, over 20 years ago, was flying stand-by for $10. $20 for a reservation. Ah, those were the days! Naturally, those fares were unsustainable. Usually, the challenger bleeds to death first and goes belly-up. Whereupon fares jump back up.

This time things might play out differently as the new kid on the runway comes with deep-pockets. Go! Airlines is a subsidiary of Mesa Air--they may be in it for a longer haul. Industry analysts are wondering if Aloha or Hawaiian will lose a war of attrition. In any case, historically-high fares, which hit $80-$120, have now been cut in half, or better, as the three-way slug-fest continues.


Go!, the new kid on the block, next to Kama'aina companies Hawaiian and Aloha, at Honolulu International Airport

At the State Canoe Regatta the event announcer made mention of how much everyone saved in travel costs this year and said everyone ought to make a point of thanking whichever airline they flew for their more-affordable prices!

The Superferry

Before the 1950's most inter-island travel was by ship. Air travel completely replaced that. With the exception of the passenger ferry we took from Lahaina to Lanai, there are no ferries in Hawaii today. People coming to Hawaii are frequently surprised by this lack, and ask "Why none here?".

Many reasons. Hawaii's existing air and cargo businesses have influence, and they do not welcome competition. Hawaii's open-ocean channels can be very rough--the distances are short but the conditions are extreme. Ferries are not always economically viable, as Rochester N.Y. recently learned, to its regret. There's also stiff opposition to the prospect of more cars, people, development and invasive species turning up in ecologically fragile places.

But something called the Superferry is attempting to start up in Hawaii. Company principals are negotiating for limited harbor space and debating which environmental impact statements are, or are not, required. Wooing the public with visions of finally seeing Tutu (Grandma) again, by loading up the car, grabbing the keiki (children) and being able to afford the trip, for a change. With a target opening date of 2007, no one knows if this enterprise will work or not. It's a subject of great interest--with the possibly of profound effects, statewide.


Maui's main port, Kahului Harbor, is busy and about to get busier.

This snapshot says a lot about the crush of competing interests in modern Hawaii.

Kahului Harbor already handles all cargo shipping for the island's growing population, plus record visits by cruise ships, and recreational use by canoe clubs. Now the Superferry wants to squeeze in here too. The smoke stack pictured is Maui Electric's oil-burning plant.

The smoke-producing electrical production, a busy light-industrial area and a sewage treatment plant all surround poor old Kanaha Pond, a rare bird sanctuary. Forty years ago, this area--which is prone to flooding--was pasture, shared by cows and birds alike. Just beyond the pond is the island's airport. It's the third terminal in my lifetime, which they say is too small and needs to be expanded. Auwe! (Which is Hawaiian for Oy vey!) When will it end?

The Jones Act

Most goods consumed in Hawaii arrive by ship. The Jones Act, passed in 1920, stipulates that all such cargo must arrive from a U.S. port, carried by U.S.-built and operated vessels. Economists say these restrictions add significantly to Hawaii's already-high cost of living.

Does the Jones Act favor shipping monopolies, which ill-serves powerless consumers? Or is it a vital protection, ensuring Hawaii will always be supplied by domestic shippers which can be relied upon, in time of war or economic turmoil? This question has also been an issue in the Akaka/Case Senate race, with Sen. Akaka defending the Jones Act and Case calling for changes.


Wind Turbines: popping up in new places

With all the coverage of wind turbines in the North Country, I had to mention that a wind farm has just started operations in West Maui.

Interestingly, the turbines are placed on a mountain ridge-line that is almost impossible to see, up close. They are visible from a distance, or by plane. The reactions run the usual gamut, from love to hate. Other wind farms are up for consideration in the near future.


Visible only from a distance, new wind farm operating on West Maui Mountain ridge

About 90% of Hawaii's electricity comes from oil-burning power plants, leaving residents vulnerable to scarcity and rising costs. There would be pollution issues too, if not for the trade-winds, which usually disperse the smoke plumes to sea.

Oahu also has something called "H-power" (a garbage-to-energy incinerator that currently supplies about 7% of Oahu's electricity). Honolulu offers twice weekly garbage collection, such luxury! But they won't take certain things, like construction waste. One of our trip tasks was to tear down my son's now-hazardous tree-house and take the sawed-up planks to "the dump". In Honolulu, that means driving over the Koolau Mountains, to the windward side, to a huge collector building. Most of Honolulu's trash stops here first, before being hauled to yet another side of the island, for incineration at the H-power plant. Does all that driving that make sense to you? Me neither!


Kapaa Transfer Station: garbage is trucked and trucked again:
future kilowatts for Honolulu

Clearly, the future will demand new approaches to satisfying power demands--and waste disposal. Perhaps solar will play a big role there, as the abundance of sunshine, year-round, ought to count for something.

The wrap-up

Why did I write this blog, anyway? Well, I knew I'd be away for half the Summer, with family affairs taking priority. I wanted some part of the trip to help me practice my trade, free from deadlines or the usual work demands. The end product may not have meant anything to anyone else, but it gave me something to do when I wanted a break from chipping paint! If you enjoyed any of it, I'm glad. Thanks for stopping by.

Hawaii is a fascinating place--with wonderful qualities and serious problems. I love the islands for what they still are. I am heartbroken by some of the things that have befallen Hawaii, such as the state's horrific crystal meth, or "ice", epidemic--which began after the war on drugs put the squeeze on local marijuana production.


Bumper sticker expressing a sentiment shared by many:
"Thanks to 'Green Harvest' Our State's On Ice"

I think I was fortunate to grow up something of a golden era in Hawaii, of sorts.

I have friends here in Canada who say similar things about other places. Montreal used to be fantastique! Toronto was the City that Worked, before death-by-traffic-jam became the norm. "Loved it then, but we couldn't face living there now". That sort of thing. I've met lots of people from Canada's Maritime Provinces who would go back in a heartbeat, if only there were good jobs there. All of this sounds so much like Hawaii!

Times change, people move on. My goal for the next half of my life is to figure out how to combine living somewhere else, with getting my fill of the islands.

Paradise lost, yes. For me, anyway. For now.

But paradise lingers there, still.

Pau / the end



The South Swells of Summer: harbor break near Lahaina, Maui