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02-03-2010 - Every Person Counts

by Bill Kaneko

Politics in Hawaii is not working for the people. We have a leadership vacuum that is tearing our communities apart and powerful interests that seek to preserve the status quo.

Everyone knows this, but few stand up to it. Only you can put an end to the political game-playing occurring at the expense of our children.

Mayor Hannemann says he has an "exploratory committee" -- even though there's no such definition in Hawaii's law. He says that the committee does all the work so he can focus on being mayor. He says this despite the fact that he is clearly campaigning for governor, holding fundraisers on the neighbor islands, and paying attorneys big money to undercut the efforts of his competitors.

He's a candidate when it helps him, and not a candidate when it hurts him.

While Mayor Hannemann thinks about maybe or maybe not running for governor, The Honolulu Advertiser reports that he is tapping "a well of potential donors in business and labor interests banking on city projects such as rail transit."

We have a very different view of democracy. So far, 2,176 donations have been made to Neil's campaign of which 1,074 were for $100 or less. In the last six months, you helped raise $861,000 compared to Mayor Hannemann's $1,067,000. That's way beyond what the insiders and pundits thought we would raise. But this statewide grassroots campaign is going to need tremendous resources to counteract the impending advertising blitz of our opponent. Please continue to contribute what you can.

Too many pundits and politicians think that a person or corporation that gives $5,000 counts 100 times more than a person who gives $50. The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited corporate contributions will only make this worse.

We are asking everyone to give whatever you can. And whether giving your best means $5 or $5,000, or spending 5 hours a week recruiting friends and neighbors, in Neil's eyes, every person counts the same.

That's the principle that will bring good government back to Hawaii. Let's say NO to the status quo.

Neil Abercrombie is a candidate for governor. You and I are his campaign.

Mahalo.

Read Neil's view of where the state is, where we need to go, and the kind of leadership we need to get there.

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