Vote your conscience

In six days Kaua‘i voters will set the stage for the Nov. 2

general election and possibly determine their next mayor. We share

an incredible responsibility in casting our ballots on Saturday for

candidates who share the values and vision necessary to lead this

unique county into a healthy and sustainable future.

“He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard of his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections.” — Samuel Adams

In six days Kaua‘i voters will set the stage for the Nov. 2 general election and possibly determine their next mayor.

We share an incredible responsibility in casting our ballots on Saturday for candidates who share the values and vision necessary to lead this unique county into a healthy and sustainable future.

The primary will determine who will serve as the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor and lieutenant governor. It will also eliminate one of the 15 candidates vying for the seven Kaua‘i County Council seats up for grabs this fall.

We urge voters to support the candidates who have vowed to uphold the highest moral standards and integrity in office. We need elected officials who have proven track records of fiscal responsibility and are accountable for their actions.

We need leaders who embrace the ideals of government transparency. We need leaders willing to make the tough decisions necessary to eliminate our dangerous over-reliance on imported fossil fuels and steer us toward total self-sufficiency.

We need an administration that will implement the various council-funded plans designed to create a better Kaua‘i. Open view planes, a diversified economy, walkable communities, a healthy agriculture industry. A Kaua‘i that is not a Maui or O‘ahu. We must cling to our roots while working in tandem with the transition that has happened over the past few decades.

We need candidates who will make decisions that unite us instead of divide us. We need elected officials who can collaborate with their colleagues irrespective of political or personality differences, listen to all sides of the debate and find the common ground that benefts the community at large.

The political pandering must be put to an end. The powerful special interest groups must be put into perspective.

“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate – look to his character. . . . When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.” — Noah Webster