The Campaign Spending Commission is soliciting public comments on proposed rules for the Hawaii County Council comprehensive public funding project.

The legislature authorized the Hawaii County project in 2008, and it became law without the governor’s signature. The law provides that candidates for the Hawaii County Council can qualify for public funding by gathering signatures and $5 contributions from 200 residents of their district, and agreeing not to seek or accept other private campaign contributions. Qualifying candidates will be eligible to receive 90% of the average amount spent by the winning candidate in the same district in the last two elections. However, only $300,000 is available for the public financing program, which will be distributed on a “first come-first served” basis.

A public hearing on the proposed rules is scheduled for January 27 at 9 a.m. at the state office building in Hilo.

The rules spell out types of campaign expenses that can be paid for with public funds, which are limited to those “directly related to the candidate’s campaign”, and also lists expenditures which are off-limits for public funds.

Unauthorized expenditures include a candidate’s personal expenses, tickets to campaign events of another candidate, donations to community groups or any olitical party, gifts, and costs of a post-election “mahalo party” for supporters.

The Hawaii County pilot project goes well beyond the public funding available to candidates for other offices, which is limited to 10% of an expenditure ceiling for each office.

Sen. Gary Hooser, who is running for Lt. Governor, announced yesterday that he will seek to qualify for public funding, and will abide by the spending limit set by law.

However, the spending limit is so high that it is really meaningless. According to the Campaign Spending Commission, candidates for Lt. Governor are “limited” to spending $863,790 in both the primary and general elections, or a total of $1,727,580.

But in 2006, Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona spent only $396,606.92, and only one other candidate spent over $100,000.