Preparing for closing arguments. I hope you’re listening.

Hannemann: Not nonbid. It was request for qualifications, and a federal requirement. One contractor contributed heavily to your campaign. And you only cut 7/10 of one percent from the last budget.

8:35 Hannemann questions Kobayashi ad re spending. He refers to her role as budget chair. “You voted for 5 of 8 budgets I submitted.”

Kobayashi: Let me talk about mayors review team for $1 million, nonbid contracts in the Star-Bulletin, why spend so much for consultant fees?

8:35 Kobayashi responds. The voters will decide.

8:33 Kobayashi questions Hannemann. For the record are you going to run for gov or congress in 2010?

Hannemann: I’m not going to commit myself to a full 4 year term if there is an option for 2010. It would be politically expedient to just say I’ll commit and then change my mind at the last minute. I’m enjoying my job, I love this job, I have a great team. The ultimate judge of where I go will be the people.

8:32 Question. Delapidated piers at Keehi. What would you do about it?

Hannemann. That’s a state function, I”m sorry I have to pass the buck.

Kobayashi. I already spke with the governor.

Question: Compare greenhouse gases from transit plans?

Kobayashi: Ours is green. This fixed guideway vehicle is a hybrid, greener than a train.

Hannemann. Totally false fact. No way that the promotion of more vehicles and buses will cut emissions. One of rail beneifts is that it reduces greenhouse gases.

8:30 Questions. More than 100 email questions. Do either one support bride or tunnel across mouth of pearl harbor.
Hannemann: It is cost prohibitive and there are national security concerns post 9-11.

Kobayashi. Agrees. Military says no.

8:29 Kobayashi. City law calls for fixed guideway system, which allows use of the rail funding.

8:27 Hannemann. The State GET will not be available for funding of Ann’s plan. County surcharge shall not be used for highways or for systems that already exist, ie., the bus.

Her’s is a new plan, will require a new EIS.

8:26 question to Kobayashi. ANywhere in your plan, will you need to raise taxes for transit plan?

Kobayashi. Probably not. It will not require more taxes. We can pay off this project a lot sooner. Based on final environmental statement by the city.

8:25 Hannemann. Once again, Ann, you’re confusing the facts. We did issue an RFP for new technology. We concluded there was no technology, and cost prohibitive. You can’t run from your voting record, you voted to keep it open.

8:25 Kobayashi: Its the people out there who are suffering. I’m not worried what Disney things.

8:23 Question to Hannemann. YOu campaigned on promise to do everything in your power to close the landfill. Now you say you will close in 15 years.

Hannemann: I did not promise to close the landfill. I said I woudl try to fulfull promise of my predecessor, but i was handed vote of council to keep it open.

Here’s the good news. The land fill is operating better than ever before, have a community impact effort, the proof in the poi is that the Disney executives I talked to agreed to invest in Hawaii and the land fill was never an issue.

8:22 Kobayashi says she hears otherwise.

8:21 Kobayashi. When I talked with her, she didn’t mention talikng with you, its with other people in your administration.

Hannemann. We have a lot of collaborative communication. Refers to a new ad endorsing him by 26 elected officials.

8:19 Kobayashi questions Hannemann. You promised to wkr with the governor, but after being elected, you were hostile to the governor. HOw did that help people of Oahu?

Hannemann: My door is alwasys open. There are issues we’re going to disagree on. THe fact that she didn’t veto the rail tax, we collaborated on the homeless issue, on all public safety issues, the number one job of the mayor, there’s constant communication and collaboration.

Kobayashi. I don’t know. He owns a house in Kahala. Did you ask him about that? I dont’ depend on hearsay. Pick up the phone and call him.

Hannemann. I heard that he said someone from your campaign called him.

Kobayashi. Just pick up the phone and ask him.

8:18 Hannemann questions Kobayashi. re council vacancy in her district. It’s all about having a choice. What legislation do you propose to prevent someone flying in to honoolulu, change his residence, get the signatures and run for office? (Reference to Duke Bainum).

8:18: To Hannemann. You’re tall. Do you fly first class?

Hannemann: No.

8:17 Q: Did Duke Bainum ever send you a thank you letter?

Kobayashi: No. You should ask him.

8:16 Hannemann: Favorite web site? Google.

Kobayashi. The one with the food, I can’t remember which one.

8:16 to Hannemann. Will you avoid running against Neil Abercombie in the future?

8:15 To Kobayashi. If you lose, will you run again?

Kobayashi. I want to make sure city taxpayers aren’t left holding the bag.

8:15 Kobayashi. Is sarah palin qualified?
Kobayashi. “C”
Lingle. “A”

8:14 Question: Constitutional convention?

Both candidates say no.

8:11 sparring over the landfill. Kobayashi calls for new technology, Hannemann criticizes her past voting record on the issue.

Taking another break. Check out www.kgmb9.com

8:00 Hannemann. Complex social issue. We are doing what the people want us to do, clean up the parks. But supporting other services, rental assistance, employment, prison pre-release programs, recognize it’s a terrible problem. We have asked state to work for us. Solutions should not be concentrated on the leeward coast.

7:59 Question: What would you change for homeless response?

Kobayashi: I wouldn’t push homeless from park to park. It’s a community issue. Need to look at responses in other areas. WOrk with the state in partnerhsip, not just push people from park to park.

7:58 Hannemann. Quotes panos. “I am not a construction cost expert.” Questions the cost calculations without relying on experts in the field. Former trasnportation directors have supported.

7:57 Hannemann questions: Was there anyone else besides Panos who was invovled in the cost estimate of your plan?

Kobayashi. Panos has been workign with is students, who have talked to officials in other areas. That’s how we came out with the amount.

7:56 Kobayashi. Submit things when it is due to give public adequate time to comment.

7:55 Kobayashi questions Hannemann. In regards to train, draft EIS lays out cost and visual impact. EIS was due in Dec 2006. Delayed and still don’t have it.

Hannemann. You’re mixing manapua and malasada here. It was at the call of the FTA as to when it will be released. I was on the phone today, it’s their call when it is to be released. We have nothing to hide. People have had a chance to debate, discuss, and vote on it. I think you’re misrepresenting the facts.

7:53 Hannemann. In the real world, you dont’ take three weeks to say we’ll spend $3 billion.

Our plan has been vetted. Congressional delegation supports. Our plan has everyone involved, as opposed to Ann’s plan.

7:52 questioned about Kobayashi’s alternative

Kobayashi. I will have a great plan. Qualifies for the same federal and state funds as the train.

It’s a great plan.

question: mayor has consulted with contressional delegation.

Kobayashi. I’ve talked to FTA, talked to two of the congressional delegation, but not lately.

7:51 Hannemann. We have high ratings, endorsments from both papers, business organizations.

7:50. Kobayashi responds. Running for mayor because I worried about what woudl happen to city under four more years of Mufi’s watch.

7:49 Hannemann. I don’t want to make promise I can’t keep. I would like to option to entertain that option (running for other office in two years). I don’t think that should get in the way. When I left council, lots of notice. I won’t do what Ann Kobayashi did, wait until last day and leave district with no choice.

7:47 Kobayashi opening. Requires courage to question, pursue new opportunities. Want to address pocketbook issues.

Truly working in partnership with gov and legislature.

The citizens of oahu are already paying increased taxes for rail but have not commitment to federal funding.

Says her alternative is scalable, built with local companies using local workers.

Criticizes taxpayer paid advertising for rail.

Cites a Dave Shapiro column.

7:44 opening remarks.

Hannemann starts. Thanks KGMB, Advertiser, and OHA (sponsors).
Who can best serve. Refers to 2004 promises. Set financial house in order. Said we would focus on basic infrasture that had been neglected for decades. Third, quality of life issues.

Fast forward. Money never in better shape. Clean audits. Increased savings 400%. More money into infrastucture. Roads, parks, public safety. Tackling environmental issues. 21st century ahupuaa program.

If the people of Honolulu decide they don’t want rail, it will be very difficult to go forward.

7:43 Introductions of Mufi Hannemann and Ann Kobayashi. Refers to recent Advertiser poll.

7:39 Honolulu candidates coming up. “Face to face, one last time.”

Back to dinner during closing remarks.

7:35 Kanoi responds. Invasive species a federal and state issue. But the mayor’s office brought together interests, worked with federal and state entities. We inspect cargoes going out but not coming in, so constantly threatened.

7:33 What are you going to do about traffic, trash, Hawaiian sense of place?

Question to Pilago. I can’t sleep at night, what will you do to rid property of Coqui frogs?

Pilago: You have to ask Kanoi and his friend, Senator Inouye. They ran out of money.

But also other invasive species. We need to do a better job to screen. Will create a county Dept of Agriculture.

7:33 Kanoi. Council was still dealing with the plan, but failed to move forward.

7:32 Pilago. It came to council late. County needs to look at recycling programs.

7:31 Question to Kahoi. What would you do to address trash issue.

Kanoi: Need to update solid waste management plan. Had waste to energy proposal, but county council declined to act.

Q/wasn’t plan late?

Kanoi. No, actually done in 2002.

7:30 Pilago. Not an issue of decriminalizing. County govt is only to effect the eradication program which has been abusive in terms of civil rights violations.

7:29 Kanoi: I will be voting no. Do not think we should be imposing policy on police. Correct way is to legalize, not through referendum. That’s why we have laws to take out ambiguity and vagueness.

7:27 Question re initiative to put marijuana enforcement to lowest level.

Pilago: I do not use marijuana. But host of civil rights complaints against county eradication policy. The ballot question is a correct one. The public must give opinions on this. I’m a drug intervention counselor, I see problems that come out of drug enforcement.

Kanoi: I’m open to the telescope. We as native hawaiians have looked at astronomy as a sacred science. Fits in a sacred place like Mauna Kea. Need to assure no adverse environmental impact.

7:35 question: Do you support 30 meter telescope project? As mayor, how would you balance issues of Mauna Kea?

Pilago. No, I do not support the telescope at present. We do not have a comprehensive community plan. Need benefits to the grassroots level. The community is not involved.

Need to better the university of hawaii. Down in Puna, we have papaya farmers who cannot get crops to market. That telescope must help create a processing plant to move papaya to markets.

7:23 Pilago asks Kanoi. Concern is that Senator Inouye did not give transportation money to him as political favor but to the island for its needs.

Kanoi. Was charged with getting transportation funding. We were successful for securing substantial resources. $5.3 million over past three years.

7:;22 Kanoi asks Pilago. You indicated you will charge cabinet with cutting $40 million in budget.

Pilago. 10% across the board. Govt has a tendency to waste, needs to be more frugal, conservative.

Our people are being laid off, losing their jobs, we all must support those having difficulty, becoming homeless. We who are employed within county government, have to sacrifice. What my admin will be for.

7:21 Kanoi. SOmetimes focus on ownership. Its also rentals, transitional. Need home and housing alternatives.

7:20 Pilago. Need to move workforce closer to work places.

Also need to move economic development into the rural areas.

Affordable housing. WOrkforce housing. Disabled housing. Senior, homeless. Must never be prejudiced against anyone.

7:19 question to Kanoi: Shoudl more be done for affordable housing on west side?

Kanoi: Yes. Our employees can’t afford to live where they work.

WE have a 1200 unit affordable dev going in in Waikoloa.

We cannot keep up with infrasturture. Need comprehensive bus transit system.

7:18: Pilago. I will never sign off on developers who haven’t met commitments to community.

7:18 Kanoi. Feeling of unfairness. Lack of roads and infrastructure in West Hawaii. People feel it every single day.

Bottom line: We’re on community, one island.

7:16 question: How to improve services in West Hawaii.

Pilago: Always a call for divisiveness. Need to move past that, treat everyone fairly. Taxes must be shared throughout the island.

WE have same traffic issues, medical issues, etc.

Have to treat everyone fairly.

7:14 Kanoi. Says he has a positive message of hope and opportunity.

Your hopes and dreams are the same I have.
Safe Hawaii island. Affordable housing. Access to affordable and quality health care. Infrastructure and roads to alleviate traffic congestion.

Collaboration. WOrking with reps and senators, council and all members of the Congressional delegation.

Very general statement, largely empty goal statements.

7:13 Angel Pilago makes an impressive opening statement, from his Vietnam experience to forming majorities on the councy council.

Watch this debate live, http://kgmb9.com/main/.
I’m going to eat dinner.

Big Island candidates coming up.

Whew.

7:03 Closing remarks.

Yukimura: I’m a local girl. We love Kauai. The people and the land. THis has driven my work for over 20 years.

The only issue is who can best lead. It will take more than talk and good intentions. It will take a proven leader.

We can keep Kauai Kauai even as we grow.

WHere there are needs, there is a potential for jobs and businesses.

Produce local, buy local, energy, food, and many other products and services.

For your children, for your future, vote Joann Yukimura.

Carvalho: Election not so much about what we have done in the past, but what we are capable of what we can do in the future.

You need to know whetehr your mayor can lead into uncharted territory with courage, bold and innovative action, to know that you have a seat at the table. Let’s not look back, let’s focus on the future.

Together we can.

7:02 Carvalho. I udnerstand the challenges. Education is important, working with Hawaii Visitors Bureau. Water Safety Task Force woudl be brought in to talk story, they’ve already done great things.

Bottom line: Educating our visitors. Go to a place where lifeguards are available.

7:01 question to yukimura. One of highest drowing rates.

Yukimura. We feel so badly for families affected. We have done much to provide life guard services. We just added at Anahola Beach Park. We need to improve our signage and ability to inform, we need to stop the tour guides giving misleading information, and need to provide more lifeguard services where we need them.

7:00 Yukimura. Failed leadeership. When I was mayor, we set out a plan for dealing with trash. However, last two administrations have failed to address that issue.

Mr. Carvalho talks about a solid waste plan, but that plan hasn’t even been approved.

We need a bold plan that will allow us to take care of trash, divert most away from the land fill.

7:00 PM Kauai as the garbage island?

Carvalho: we will site a land fill.
Need to look at curbside recylcing.
my heart goes out to people on the west side who experience the big trucks going by. I feel for the people out there.

6:58 Yukimura. As mayor, would correct the law to better protect burial sites.

Best solution is the acquisition of the site for protection of the bones and it is underway right now with a community effort I fully support. Kauai Public Land trust is involved, an organizaiton I work with.

6:57 Carvalho. Claims Hawaiian heritage. Will protect burial cultural sites.

[Need to take a break to cook dinner. Sorry.]

6:50 Moderator question: what woudl you do to match pace of infrastructure with pace of development? Re transportation.

Yukimura. Need is for good planning. A new way of thinking about infrastructure.

New roads in Honolulu hasn’t improved traffic.

Need a new way of planning our communities so people live near where they work. These are not necessarily intuitive ways to do it. Smart growth.

6:48 Yukimura quesitons: Explain how you would pay approximately $125 million for waste to energy?

Carvalho: Integrated solid waste plan. If no resources, at least give the plan a chance to unfold. Invite the key people to the table, if you don’t have resources, you may need to be creative.

If financing is an issue, then so be it.

My point is, follow the plan because a lot of work was part of the plan.

6:47 Yukimura: Hurricane was time of great natural disaster. We couldn’t even communicate physically at times.

Not an indication of current abilities to communicate with business community, which I’ve shown as a council member.

My work in the business community has been good.

6:45 Carvalho questions Yukimura.

July 1993/story mentioned “history of confrontation” and communication issues.

Why should business community support you now based on track record?

6:45 Carvalho. That’s totally not true, Ms. Yukimura.

The only changes could be made by the council. We went to the council.

[Not sure what this issue is.]

6:44 Yukimura: City manager form being called for because of past problems.

Paying attention to how we do our work as a county. Many things we failed to do in terms of effective action.

Opponent could not move development of 84 affordable housing.

Question: Explain county manager system.

Carvalho: Believe it could work. But for Kauai, its about a mayor who can connect to the people. Who can reach out, talk story, it’s about the people, that’s the difference.

We can talk about reorganization, manage people, but its about a leader.

I come from the administrative side. It’s my responsiblity to make things move.

6:42 Yukimura: Problem was of failed leadership because they didn’t follow the law. When you don’t follow the law, you create anarchy.

Mr. Carvalho was part of the administration.

6:41 Carvalho says he was early supporter “when it first came out.”

I support the Superferry, I’ve said it from the beginning.

Bottom line: People need another means of transportation.

6:40 Boylan’s question. Downturn in tourism. Do you have any second thoughts on opposition to Superferry.

I opposed the process. I supported the benefits that would come to the community. Alternative transport is important.

I would facilitate the Superferry by addressing negative impacts.

Challenges Superferry to address a series of specific negative impacts. Then we will welcome the Superferry.

6:37 Joann Yukimura
Cannot allow Kauai to stand still for two more years.

Missed opportunities costing money.

Only one issue: who can best lead?

Bernard has been saying everything I’m going to do. I’m flattered that he’s following my leadership.

Refers back to getting the job done when she served as mayor.

Experience counts.

Bernard has no experience in this kind of decision making.
And no interest in this kind of issues until he started running for mayor.

I have always fought with you, Kauai.

Keep Kauai, Kauai.

6:35 Bernard Carvalho Jr.: Economic tsunami threatens.
Uncertainty throughout the nation.
Most people never imagined facing so quickly.

Solutions of the past will not resolve issues of the future.

Term is only two years.

Must unite as a community, do it as a team.

We need leaders with courage, who can unite diverse groups of people, who can inspire to bold action and deliver results.

Nothing there beyond words.