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Volu me 105 Issue 41
W I T H T H E MO S T R E C E N T S TA R A DV E R T I S E R P O L L P L AC I N G T H E G U B E R N AT O R I A L C A N D I DAT E S I N A T I E , K A L E O E D I T O R I A L S TA F F E R S F I N D T H E M S E LV E S D I V I D E D OV E R E N D O R S E M E N T A S W E L L . T H E R E F O R E , W E P R E S E N T T O YO U T H E M A J O R I T Y A N D D I S S E N T I N G O P I N I O N S O F K A L E O O H AWA Iʻ I .
The majority opinion for Ka Leo O Hawai‘i The dissenting opinion for Ka Leo O Hawai‘i WILL CARON Editor in Chief The problems facing the state of Hawai‘i are multifaceted and dire. Across the board, people are looking for something new, a change in the system. People are looking for a rational, intelligent, and decisive way to pull our economy out of the gutter, to protect our environment, and to provide every child in the state with the education they deserve and that they so desperately need. Both candidates have addressed these issues, but only one of them has the drive, the experience, and the ideas to realize the dream of a new Hawai‘i a reality. Only one candidate recognizes that the politics of today’s Hawai‘i are politics of the status-quo. Only one candidate wants to change that. The Lingle-Aiona administration has had eight years to fi nd that balance between sticking to its principles and compromising with a system that has grown so large that it cannot easily be undone and therefore survives as a necessary evil. That balance is not easy to maintain, but one that the top elected offi cial needs to be able to fi nd. Lingle failed. And Aiona is merely a product of that failure, a continuation of it. During the primary election the citizens of Hawai‘i chose Abercrombie over Mufi Hannemann. That tells us something. It tells us that the state needs, more now than ever, what Lingle tried but failed to accomplish: a new take on the economy, a new take on energy, a new take on education, a new take on the environment, and a new way of doing business at the state Capitol to accomplish these goals. Abercrombie’s message is one of change and of hope – two things that the state rallied behind uniformly a mere two years ago to put a Punahou grad in the White House. If you do agree that civil unions is a
civil rights issue, then you already know who you’re voting for, but regardless of that, on every other issue of importance to the state as a whole, Neil Abercrombie is the right candidate at the right time. During the talk he gave at Campus Center last week Monday, Abercrombie spoke of learning. He spoke of learning from lifelong friends, from mentors, from peers, from critical thinking, from failure. Neil Abercrombie has shown that perseverance in his academic life and in his political life pays off. He has shown that he has never stopped learning, that he never will, and that he will apply that learning and that critical thinking and problem solving to his term as governor. A good leader knows what it takes to advance this state into a bright, new future. A great leader knows that this cannot be done without the help and input of others and without learning from everyone who surrounds that leader. Here at UH Mānoa, at the heart of learning in the state of Hawai‘i, we – more than any other group of people in the state – know the importance of learning. As Abercrombie says in his plan to fi x the state’s education system: “The time has come to make a fundamental change.” According to an American University study, eligible voter turnout reached record lows in six states—Alabama, Hawai‘i, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island and West Virginia during the Primary election. Across the nation, the average turnout was 17.8 percent of age-eligible citizens, “lower than any mid-term primary season except 2006 when 16.1 percent of eligibles voted.” In a state plagued by apathy and bullied by corruption, it’s time to make a fundamental change – and that’s something you will only get with Neil Abercrombie in charge.
DAVIN AOYAGI Managing Editor The politics of education in this state demand accountability from the executive. This requirement for responsibility draws me toward gubernatorial candidate James “Duke” Aiona. While I fear the repercussions of writing in favor of a Republican candidate in a largely Democratic state, I hope that my sentiments will be treated as a political analysis instead of adherence to party lines. On Oct. 13 during a televised debate, Democratic candidate Neil Abercrombie attempted to link Aiona with the furloughs that encumbered education during the administration of Gov. Linda Lingle. Aiona responded with a simple statement: “it’s not my administration...It’s her administration.” There is a desire to link Aiona with past policies rather than present policies. While some may argue that Aiona should be responsible for the actions of Lingle, the equivalent is to hold Vice President Joe Biden responsible for any mistake in policy on the part of President Obama. The issue over elected versus appointed school boards highlights the difference between the candidates. Abercrombie is seen as somewhat of a champion of education due to his support from the University of Hawai‘i Professional Assembly and the Hawai‘i State Teachers’ Association. What is less apparent, however, is his uncertain stance on the school board issue. According to the Star-Advertiser, “ T he Democratic candidate for governor (Abercrombie) has... made inconsistent statements about the constitutional amendment on the No -
vember ballot.” This is based upon the fact that Abercrombie “told the Star-Advertiser in July that he opposed the amendment. His campaign staff told the newspaper in September that the former congressman was no longer taking a stand on the amendment after Lingle vetoed the companion legislation, which he opposed. But then Ab ercrombie said at a debate on PBS on Thursday (October 15) that he again opposed the amendment.” Most recently, however, the article indicated that on Oct. 19, “he (Abercrombie) believes an appointed board is the best route.” Aiona was quick to point out that, “He (Abercrombie) flip-flopped on the issue. Our opponent is doing the right thing now that the pressure got to him, but he has not demonstrated that he’s ready to work with others to reform public education.” What makes Aiona my preferred candidate however, is that he has consistently called for an independent audit of the Department of Education. While Abercrombie may feel that the “last thing we need is an audit of the educational system”, I agree with Aiona’s statement that, “The public education system, as it currently stands, lacks direct accountability.” Education in Hawai’i is a major student issue and A iona is the candidate most capable of tackling this challenge. I encourage my peers to not dogmatically follow party lines or to vote solely on the basis of a convincing editorial. Rather, students should inform themselves and critically evaluate each ballot decision. On Nov. 2, choose sound policies over partisan allegiance. JOEL KUTAKA WILL CARON KA LEO O HAWAI‘I