I am writing in response to JoAnn Yukimura’s bid for mayor of Kauai. I am not surprised that she has thrown her hat in the ring but Ms. Yukimura needs to remember what she did to the people of the Westside after Hurricane Iniki. What I will share with you is not made-up stories, but facts. I worked for 42 years at the base and I seen with my own eyes and heard for myself what went on during that tragic time.
Right after the hurricane the military sent support in the form of food, equipment, ice and manpower. They contacted our mayor at that time, Ms. Yukimura, to let her know that they had landed at PMRF and was ready to go out and distribute the supplies and manpower to help the island residents get back on their feet. Her response was to wait and not have the military do anything at that time. The ice was picked up by her people and was distributed but it went straight to the North Shore and Eastside. Westside received nothing.
For two weeks, these soldiers waited to hear from our then-mayor, these men and women had nothing to do because of our mayor’s refusal to accept their help. I returned to work not long after the hurricane to run the gas station on base; while working there the captain of the soldiers who had come to help us drove up.
I asked him why the military was just playing football and not going off base. His words to me I will always remember, he said: “I shouldn’t tell you this but it’s your mayor that is at fault. We can’t go out and help because she’s refusing our help.” We had soldiers who were willing and able to help, sitting on the base for two weeks before she accepted their help.
So to me, her asking us to vote her in as mayor again makes me angry.
People, wake up, we need a mayor who will make Kauai strong again. To bring back the idea that someone should get a job because they are the best qualified for it, not hire someone because it’s a friend, relative or a campaign supporter.
A mayor who will ask the hard questions and make department heads accountable for what their department is or isn’t doing. To take care of the local people, those who can’t afford to buy or rent a home and sees the wrong in all the new building construction and elite subdivisions that are coming up everywhere, driving the local people’s land tax so far up that they can barely afford their homes.
That will make affordable rentals and hold those who are renting above the county affordable limit by creating some kind of luxury tax clause. But will also reward those who stay within the limit with more tax breaks. Who understands that $400,000 is not affordable for our local people.
Who sees the need to bring back the plantation culture where everyone thinks about the next person and not sink all our money to build up tourist attractions. Who sees the value of having those communities where family lived next to family and friends and will always share a helping hand.
To tell you all honestly, the two who are running for mayor that I deem qualified for the job is either Mel Rapozo or Derek Kawakami. While I know Lenny Rapozo and personally thinks he is a great guy, he does not have what it takes to be mayor, just by the way he runs his park department and his lack of leadership and accountability. As for Joanne, it’s not only the above reason but also her behavior and attitude that I watch every week at the County Council meetings.
So please, I ask those of you who feel we have lost our island, to stand up and let our voices be heard and make Kauai our island again.
•••
John G. Rita Sr. is a resident of Koloa.
Not a JoAnne fan, but there are always three sides to a story.
I’m going to guess our liberal Kauai Council Member, non-practicing but self-proclaimed lawyer, and professional politician, was afraid of the military and all the uniforms that would be running around the island making life better for the people of Kauai. Can’t have that…..you know, the military was to blame for the Japanese internment camps.
Yet, somehow, on this island, she has continued to be re-elected to local office, over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. If the above story is true, and I’ve heard similar before, how is it that she keeps getting re-elected to public positions????????????????????
I expected such ignorant responses. Where you hear during that time? Did you live on the West Side? Tell me so that I know what you are saying comes from first hand knowledge not what you think. And yes while she is being reelected for county counsel I can tell you this is not due to the West Side community who know very well what type of leadership she offers.
Just remember to vote Lenny in Election Day!! He will make all your wildest dreams come true!!! This is fact.
Buahahaha, LennyforMayor, seriously? Not in his wildest dream will that happen? One cannot rely alone on rigged voting gigs. IT is all about, SKILL SET and knowing who you are. That’s the problem. Since we are now in a “recovery”, Emergent status for a long time. We need to shut the island down, as we were forced to iNiki time, but this time correct ALL the dasturdly to a cleaner brighter noncluttered kauai for we the People, not corporate america.
She lost all the plantation voters from the plantation days in the 1980s. They voted for the other person. This be the senior citizens of the West side. The population since then has about doubled in size. Almost doubled.
When I think of the good ‘ol boy network and the government being controlled by a small group of relatives and insiders, I don’t think of Joanne Yukimura. Instead, I think of names like Mel Rapozo, Lenny Rapozo, and Derek Kawakami. Wasn’t Kawakami the one who just recently spearheaded the vote to rescind term limits so he and his cronies can stay in power? Isn’t Lenny Rapozo the person responsible for the less than stellar job of the parks and recreation deptartment. Isn’t Mel Rapozo the one who hasn’t met a multi-unit development he hasn’t supported, no matter how dense? I’m more concerned with recent behavior than something that may or may not have occurred some 25 years ago. I’m more concerned with stopping rampant development, protecting the environment, and fixing our crumbling infrastructure. I’ll be voting for Yukimura and not one of the good ‘ol boys.
If you look at the improvements of the parks over the years, I feel that progress has been made, the issue is that the community members can not control the undesirable from damaging the park facilities.
There needs to be more places the displaced individuals/families can go to for shelter and restroom facilities besides the parks. If you go to almost anyone of the State or County parks in the evenings, you will see families and individuals at the restrooms cleaning up.
Take care of the growing number of homeless families, that will solve the issues at the parks.
Affordable housing isn’t $400K+, the other three candidates have been in politics long enough and has done nothing to address most issues, it’s time for a fresh start, a new prospective, that is why I am voting for LENNY RAPOZO.
Jake, JoAnne gets re-elected because there are more transplants then locals living here on the island…DUH.. The above story is TRUE, ask her what she did for the West Side Community during Hurricane Iniki… oh yeah that’s right she did nothing…I’m born and raised here and went thru this hurricane and what’s stated above is true. Walk around the west side and talk to those who went thru this and see what three stories you’ll hear from them.
For James, it was not Kawakami that proposed the end to term limits, it was Ross Kagawa. Jake, when Joanne Yukimura last ran for mayor she mailed an apology letter to west side residents. It was not effective, especially as it reinforced how poorly she had dealt with Iniki recovery. As for Mel Rapozo, check the book “KPD Blue, A Decade of Racism, Sexism, and Political Corruption”. Mel is one of the key players in this non-fiction work…
Westside: (where I also live) My mistake; Mel Rapozo, and Derek Kawakami voted in favor of ending term limits to stay in power, they didn’t introduce the measure. One of the other good ‘ol boys did. Joanne and Chuck were the only ones to oppose it.
Just remember Lenny is the one with the keys to the kingdom!! Elect him and watch local life return and haoles run back to mainland with their tails between their legs.
Dear Lenny for Mayor: Racist much? You sound like a reverse Trump. So you want all Caucasian residents, many whom have lived here all of their lives or were born here, to be “deported” to the mainland? What makes you different from some white supremacist in South Carolina? Nothing. Good campaign strategy for Lenny. NOT! We need to be inclusive, not divisive.
John Rita, I know exactly what you mean about then Mayor Yukimura’s rejection of military held during the first two weeks after Hurricane Iniki hit, abandoning the West side people to help the North Shore residents. We too flew over from another unit to assist, but was told to stand by because the Mayor wanted to consolidate everything in Lihue, besides the fact they we had portable generators and technicians ready to power up West side stores who agreed to give away the ice for free, but was diverted to Lihue airport where it sat there unused for two weeks! I was assigned as the radio operator for all incoming military cargo flights and knew exactly what they brought in their cargo holds.
Mr. Rita
Your artical gave me chicken skin. Feels like after all the imihana comment I make on this website FINALLY some one not only heard me but also answered back. Mahalo for that.. And judgeing by some of the comments, you seemed to have struck a nerve.. And to me that’s a good thing especially since voteing season’s comeing around. Mahalo again for lighting things up.
According to” National Guard in Relief Operations – Hurricane Iniki (6 September- 6 November 1992). – A case study.” Conducted by the U S Army War College. Quote word for word from the report:” Kauai County officials initially turned away an active component command and control unit that deployed to Kauai on Saturday, 12 September 1992. This unit deployed to Kauai without request from either county or state and was met with some consternation by county officials. This reaction was essentially understandable due to a previous unfortunate experience between Kauai County and the military.Ten years earlier, during the aftermath of Hurricane Iwa, during November 1982, the U.S. Navy offered to provide electrical power from one of it’s nuclear submarines. The hook up was not feasible and power could not be provided. County officials we’re very surprised when they subsequently received a substantial bill for the cost of the submarines deployment.” Now keep in mind that Joanne Yukimura (also in report), was 5th in command. Yes, she was the mayor. But when an emergency turns into a state emergency and then a federal emergency , most decision are made at a daily phone meeting between all of the agencies. Also according to the report: ” All five full service centers we’re fully operational at Lihue, Kapaa, Hanapepe, Kalaheo, and Princeville. by Thursday 16 September. These were to provide plastic sheets, tarps, tents, food and water. Medical stations were set up in Lihue and Hanapepe. Basically, a rumor started that the west side wasn’t taken care of because Joanne turned the military away. This was wrong information based on half truths
Wow Johnny… what a hatchet job! I remember the days after Iniki. I was working with the Red Cross in Lihue shoulder to shoulder with the army cooking and serving thousands of meals every day. They were there in the thick of things handing out MREs, tarps and stirring those huge pots. I do not know what took place at the base. I was not there. But the army was in Lihue taking a very active roll right from the start of the relief effort.
I first met JoAnn just days after Iniki and I thought she was doing a fine job. I still do. Sure, we do not always agree but, from what I’ve seen of her over the last 26 years, she is without a doubt the best person for the job. She has the aina in her heart.
I always watch myself not to judge based on partial information or a narrow perspective. Thank you for bringing up this issue. Because John wrote this article, people gathered all different pieces of information.
I appreciate Tony for bringing up very important fact: “National Guard in Relief Operations – Hurricane Iniki (6 September- 6 November 1992) – A case study” conducted by the U S Army War College.
Since County officials experienced to receive a substantial bill for the cost of the submarines deployment -even if their equipment didn’t work well- during Hurricane Iwa, all decision makers must have been more prudent.
Sometimes, a leader has to decide something that people can’t understand. People never understand, but the leader embraces the burden in his/her whole life.
Especially the mistakes we make at such a young age train us to become humble and stronger.
I respect all of your opinions. Yet, I still support JoAnn Yukimura for Mayor of Kauai 2018 for many reasons.