Pre-election time. It is really interesting to watch the debates of the candidates in the current phase of campaigning, but it is also interesting to read the reports about such debates like the one published in The Garden Island (Sept. 21) and in later issues as well.
The answers of the candidates are important, too, however their opinion may change after they are elected. There is however one thing that it is very unlikely to change. It is their approach to problem-solving and their style of management. I am afraid that many people don’t pay enough attention to that part.
We need a new mayor and new council members. They have told you what they want to do for the island if elected, and all of them promised something. Right now, we are down to two mayoral candidates. Rapozo and Kawakami.
Kawakami’s main line is that he will be working for the future. So, for simplicity let’s call him the Future Planner.
Rapozo is fed up with bureaucracy and wants to resolve the long-existing and burning problems first. That suggests a doer, so let’s call him the Action Taker.
The question is if they will have the will and the power to fulfill their promises. And the other question is by when.
Both candidates are aware of the major problems of our island like too many visitors, too many rental cars on our roads, illegal vacation rentals, too many new settlers, bumper-to-bumper traffic, affordable housing shortage etc.
The truth lies in the details. Remember that some voters benefit from these problems. You wonder who and how? The business owners who make big or huge sales thanks to the large number of visitors, the stakeholders in the car-rental business, the landlords who charge too high rents and especially the operators of illegal vacation rentals.
You can bet, that these people will vote for the candidate who is less likely to change the status quo to make sure the continuation of their benefits. For them it is less important that the benefits they enjoy as the result of these long-lasting problems negatively affect the majority of the residents of the island, who are in this sense crisis victims.
Even though the crisis victims greatly outnumber the beneficiaries, the latter can win the election unless the crisis victims — that may well include you — don’t get off from their okole and don’t go to the polling places to vote for the candidate that is likely to do something about the problems that have been neglected or tolerated by the current and previous administrations for many years. Do you see, why is it important for you to cast your vote, provided you want a change?
Yes, we understand that there is no instant solution for these problems, but we would be content with step-by-step solutions, one step at a time that begins right after the elections.
If you want to preserve the rural character of Kauai, you will vote for the candidate who wants to limit tourist arrivals, who limits the number of rental cars, who has the courage to begin organizing the use of the cane roads even with certain limitations and restrictions, and who believes that enforcement of laws is one way to alleviate problems, plus even generate revenues and who tackles the current problems first knowing that this will provide the strongest foundation for future building, and it is more important than getting more investments for future developments. That should come after the foundation is solidified, if more needed.
Our two mayoral candidates represent two different trends: so, let’s call one of them Action Taker and the other one Future Planner. Both names and traits are positive, but let’s see which one can live up to these names. Considering the current situation, I am convinced that only a strong, honest and courageous mayor can help the crisis victims best and soonest.
Even the best leader cannot do everything by himself. Therefore the mayor must be able to select the right people for the right job and work with his strong team of managers and supervisors, men and women of integrity, plus to set an example for the community. The mayor should also know that bureaucracy very frequently obstructs the view to reality, therefore common sense should prevail in decision making.
The enforcement of good laws will be an asset to the law-abiding citizens of the community and it is possible through organizing special enforcement units in addition to using the existing police force. He should also be ready to go to problem areas without delay.
A strong, honest and straightforward mayor should not tolerate sloppiness, neglect, dishonesty and waste. And finally, he should be to able to achieve that all council members have a field day if not every week, but at least every other week, to spend a working day in different problem areas to talk to people, to observe, to report and to make suggestions for the County Council for discussion and for action. I bet it will beat bureaucracy. And the elected council members should be willing to accept this.
And finally, my personal point of view. The best way to measure the performance of the mayor is to see and evaluate the progress and the reduction of our inherited problems every year.
So, Kauai residents, it is up to you now: do you want things to go the same way as until now, or you want a change? The decision is yours, and after the elections you have to live with it.
If you want change and don’t vote, you will be helping those who prefer to live with the existing problems.
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János Keoni Samu is a resident of Kalaheo.
