Tuesday is voting day and here I am doing my best impression of an unintelligent Bill O'Reilly.  I'm posting this for my fellow Hawaii voters to give you an idea on how to vote if you had no idea what to expect.  I don't want anyone to take my votes and opinions and adopt them as your own.  Make your own decisions people.  That's what makes the voting process so special!  Feel free to use this as a tool or at least something to give you an idea of what you will be seeing come Tuesday on the Hawaii ballots.  I am by no means a political pundit but I think I know enough to make an educated decision.  Enjoy this.  If you're not from Hawaii then you can just totally disregard this blog. 

Key:
D = Democrat
R = Republican
L = Libertarian
G = No Party
* = Incumbent
Bold = My vote

Governor/Lt. Governor

Randy Iwase/Malama Solomon (D)
*Linda Lingle/James (Duke) Aiona (R)
Ozell Daniel/Li Zhao (L)
Jim Brewer/Renee Ing (G)

I cannot vote for Ozell Daniel because I can’t find any information on him other than the fact that he’s a comedian.  Jim Brewer, though he has some great stances, I can’t vote for him because it’ll feel like a wasted vote.  There’s no way he can win.

I think people overestimate the job that Linda Lingle has done.  It was easy for her to do well because she succeeded one of the worst governors in Hawaii history in Ben Cayetano.  She’s not Pro-choice, anti-death penalty, “Addicts get treatment; dealers & repeat users get jail”, no gambling and so forth.  And you guys should know that she’s a firm supporter of George Bush and always has been.  I need to mention the one thing that I hated about Lingle during her campaign was her ridiculous radio ad where she has her little niece asking why Iwase is being mean to “Aunty Linda”.  I mean come on … Lingle spent almost 20 times as much on her campaign than did Iwase and she still has not said what she will do for the people of Hawaii in her next term.

Randy Iwase came out on fire during the debate.  I only saw bits and pieces of it but he went on the attack and Lingle put up a very timid defense.  I think he got a big boost by being endorsed by the HSTA (HI State Teacher’s Association) and the fact that Lingle seemed afraid to debate him more than once.

I’m voting Lingle just because I don’t think she’s done a terrible job and I don’t have a lot of confidence in Iwase or Malama Solomon.  Jim Brewer may actually be my favorite candidate but I don’t think he’s capable of leading this state.

Senator

*Daniel Akaka (D)
Cynthia Thielen (R)
Lloyd Jeffrey Mallan (L)

How many of you knew that Thielen was voted “Hempster of the Year” for her work in promoting the industrial use of marijuana?  How funny is that.  Other Thielen notes include that she voted for bills that prohibit landlords and employers from discriminating against homosexuals and transsexuals; is against importing foreign oil and is for developing renewable resources and using domestic oil; voted against the fluoridation of Hawaii’s water and is for abortion in all instances (Pro choice).

Now on to Akaka.  I don’t have much to say about him and that’s a sad fact.  He has been a senator of Hawaii for 16 years and I can’t name one thing that he has done for us.  Actually, the one thing I can name is that he attempted to get the Akaka Bill passed and he couldn’t.  Also, I am Hawaiian, and I, in no way, support the Akaka Bill.  The injustices that the Hawaiian people suffered were in no way comparable to that of the Native Americans.  Accept it.  The overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani was illegal and was an awful thing and there should be some sort of reparation but the Akaka Bill is not the answer.  I don’t want to give Akaka another 4 years to do nothing but work on a Bill that I do not support (and he’ll never get it passed).

I’m not going to talk much about Mallan because I don’t know anything about him other than the fact that he’s for Hawaiian Sovereignty.  He’ll get votes from his mom and that’s about it.

My vote is for Cynthia Thielen.  I do not agree with her stance on importing foreign oil but I think that Hawaii needs a change.  Ed Case would have been ideal but Thielen is better than Akaka.

Congress

*Neil Abercrombie (D)
Richard (Noah) Hough (R)

Brief notes on Abercrombie:  He’s pro choice in regards to abortion, is for embryonic stem cell research, is for same-sex marriage and gay adoptions, voted against prohibiting US flag desecration, voted against more sentencing and prosecution of juvenile criminals, is against the death penalty, against prayer in schools, and that’s all for now.  It’s unreal to read how this guy has been voting in the last 16 years.  Totally against a lot of what I believe in as a person.  Plus, I remember reading an article a while back that stated that Abercrombie had the worst attendance out of all congressmen in the US.  Embarrassing.

I don’t know much about Hough.  He’s a newcomer and I don’t know how he beat Mark Terry in the primary.  Still, I read though his website and he does stand for a lot of things that I do like the preservation of the pledge of allegiance, no tax hikes and other things.  Plus, you really have to read though that link I provided.  He’s funny as heck man.  For example:

Noah favors adopting the 9/11 Commission Recommendations
Neil Abercrombie believes that the recommendations are misguided and that we just need a Department of Peace - then the world will sing kumbiya!

I’m voting for Hough just because I cannot vote for Abercrombie.  Much like Akaka, Hawaii needs a change.

U.S. House Representative II

Mazie Hirono (D)
Bob Hogue (R)
*Ed Case held position before giving it up to run for Senator ... I voted for him!

State Representative (District 26)

*Sylvia Luke (D)
Bob Tom (R)

This one is just for me because I doubt anyone else reading this lives in my district.  These two people have been running ever since I’ve lived here in my district.  I voted for Sylvia Luke last time and I’m changing my stance.  Sylvia Luke has been our representative for a while now and I don’t know what she’s done.  I’ve seen her once and that was at a Kawananakoa Middle School band event.  At least I know that Bob Tom is against the idiotic rail transit system and that’s something.  What does Luke stand for?  No idea.

Constitutional Amendments

"Shall the governor be required to select board of regents candidates from a pool of qualified candidates screened and proposed by a candidate advisory council for the board of regents of the University of Hawaii as provided by law?"

NO

"Shall the Constitution be amended to provide for a salary commission to review and recommend salaries for justices, judges, state legislators, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the administrative director of the State, state department heads or executive officers of the executive departments, and the deputies or assistants to department heads of the executive departments, excluding the superintendent of education and the president of the University of Hawaii?"

NO (in the words of Bob Jones … “Salary commissions do make sense, but this says the recommendations must either be totally accepted ... or totally rejected.  That makes no sense.”)

"Shall the mandatory retirement age of seventy for all state court justices and judges be repealed?"

NO

"Shall the Constitution of the State of Hawaii be amended to provide that in continuous sexual assault crimes against minors younger than fourteen years of age, the legislature may define:
(1) What behavior constitutes a continuing course of conduct; and
(2) What constitutes the jury unanimity that is required for a conviction?"

YES!!!!!!!!

"Shall the State be authorized to issue special purpose revenue bonds and use the proceeds from the bonds to assist agricultural enterprises serving important agricultural lands?"

YES

Charter Commission Questions

Do the charter questions on your own because there are just too many for me to list for you.  Read up on them here