The good book says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10.
I have come to realize public politics is the root of all evil.
County Prosecutor Justin Kollar left his elected position three years early and is costing taxpayers and the County of Kaua‘i nearly $500,000 for a special election to fill the void.
In the interim, Rebecca Like (pronounced lee-kay) who has served as third in command the last nine years in Kollar’s office has taken over the prosecutor’s position until the special election results are in.
The election will be between Shaylene Iseri, a family law attorney in Lihu‘e who previously served as county prosecutor for 12 years. Kollar challenged Iseri, and won, in 2012.
The next primary election is Aug. 13, 2022, with the next general election for the county and state being on Nov. 8, 2022.
The question remains: Why couldn’t Rebecca Like retain her interim position an additional six months and wait for the next primary election and add the prosecutor’s job to that ballot? This could save the county almost a half-million bucks?
A law should be made whereas any politician that leaves their elected position early that causes a special election should be liable for all costs of a special election? Better yet, the county or state should just wait for the next election to fill any void?
Commencing the next election as I currently feel, I will not publicly endorse any politician including those in the upcoming special election for a new county prosecutor.
Public politics and supporting any candidate of any party or no party has become a cancer of the soul. Cancel culture, general hate, and folks not being able to handle comedy any longer hasn’t helped matters.
I have been unfriended by a local politician that was once a friend because of one of many things I publicly endorsed his rival, yet they remained friends. I have also been unfriended by many over an ex-president I supported of whose name I won’t mention. No politician is worth losing friends or family over.
My parents and most elders of my generation drilled into us to not discuss politics or religion in public. They were right.
Politicians and politics have caused me nothing but misfortune.
Therefore, starting the next election I will endorse no politician publicly. The only one who will know whom I endorse is between me, my creator, and the privacy curtain of the voting booth.
It’s time to make the privacy curtain in the voting booth great again, and if you happen to use a mail-in absentee ballot it’s time to fill that buggah out in private and NOT post it on social media for the world to see.
As far as the upcoming County Prosecutor special election goes, it’s just a matter of whom you like, or should I say leekay,(sic) no pun intended.
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James “Kimo” Rosen lives in Kapa‘a with his dog and blogs as a hobby at dakinetalk.blogspot.com.
