Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 10, 1 October 2008 — Courting the Hawaiian vote [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Courting the Hawaiian vote

By Lisa Asatu Puhlie lnformatioū Specialist

Facing the home stretch in the race for Honolulu mayor, Mufi Hannemann and Ann Kobayashi are courting the Hawaiian vote. "Because of the complexity of issues and the need, I coimnit to designating a highlevel official in my administration ... to work closely with our Hawaiian connnunity," said

Kobayashi, a two-tenn city eouneilwoman who gave up her seat in July to challenge the man she supported in 2004. "This position will allow the mayor to be kept abreast of issues that have an impact on Native Hawaiians." Hannemann, who has enjoyed an 80 percent approval rating as mayor, renūnds voters of his record. "As I pronūsed during the 2004 mayoral eleeūon, one of my first acts as mayor was to sign into law the repeal of mandatory lease-to-fee conversion," he said, referring to the repeal that saved landowners like Kamehameha Schools and Queen Lili'uokalani Trust from forced sales of their land. After falling short of an outright win at the Sept. 20 primary election partly due to a record-low voter turnout, Hannemann said his campaign will work to rally the troops. "We will continue to canvass traditional strong Hawaiian areas along the Leeward Coast, in Windward O'ahu and Papakōlea and will have an extensive voter registration effort, not only in the Native Hawaiian coimnunity, but islandwide." He said he was confident a larger turnout on See HONOLULU on pagE 4

At Ihe OHA-sponsored AAayoral Debate on Sept. 2, are Mufi Hanneman, left, and Ann Kobayashi. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

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Election Day would lead hini to victory, as it did four years ago. "Given the fact that 2008 is a presidential year, I expect to again benefit from a larger base of voters," he said in an e-mail. Kobayashi, who has chaired the powerful money coimnittees at the state Senate and City Council, said she is sensitive to issues concerning Hawaiians, including respectful treatment of iwi kūpuna, homesteader access to city services, has supported $100 annual tax assessments for kuleana lands - hereditary lands awarded to Hawaiian tenantfarmers at the tie of the Māhele - and increasing the inventory of affordable housing. Hannemann said he supports a state law that allows developers to seek various exemptions at the City Council that would expedite affordable housing construction. He also said he has fonned an affordable housing advisory group to eome up with a "comprehensive, citywide affordable housing strategy." Both candidates said they supported the 2006 purchase of Waimea Valley from developer Christian Wolffer, for whieh the city contributed about $5 million. "I fmnly believed that it was in the public's best interest to prohibit the subdivision of Waimea Valley into 16 luxury estates," Kobayashi said. "As a result of our stance and part-

nership, Waimea Valley and Waimea Falls Park has a spirit that is thriving. The valley is onee again a living ahupua'a on O'ahu." Hannemann said his administration "helped put together the partnership that saved Waimea Valley, as I personally met with the owner to seal the deal." OHA was a party to that purchase, whieh preserves in perpetuity 1,875 acres of Waimea Valley, 0'ahu's last intact ahupua'a. The valley now offers cultural activities and educational programs under OHA's subsidiary Hi'ipaka LLC. In other issues: » Waimanalo Gulch Landfi.ll: Kobayashi voted for its closure by 2008, but said in an e-mail that she is connnitted to completing a 25-year solid waste plan, whieh "should include eventually closing the landfill." She also wants to change the HPOWER waste-to-energy technology and expand it onto the adjacent 23-acre site. Hannemann said innnediate closure of the Nānākuli landfill is unrealistic. He plans to expand curbside recycling and add HPOWER capacity. » Mass transit: Hannemann supports a proposed $3.7 billion steel-on-steel rail system that he says will attract $900 million in federal funding. Kobayashi calls the price unreasonable and prefers the cheaper rubber-tire-on-concrete alternative, but says she will support the type the voters want. E