District 21/22/23 Newsletter (Diamond Head to Kakaako, Waikiki to Moiliili-Pawaa)

This Wednesday (4th Wednesday), April 26, 2006, at 6 PM, Hawaii Republican Headquarters, is the last monthly meeting before the state convention May 26-28, at the Sheraton Waikiki. Everyone who wants to attend can attend either as a delegate, alternate or guest -- of which they all get treated basically the same except in voting matters. Only officially designated delegates get to vote -- but there's a lot more to the participation than the official business of being a duly certified delegate. You get to meet everybody who's involved in politics and government up close and personal -- which is quite another thing from learning about them only through the media -- and so I would avail myself of such opportunity to "be" the scene.

Rather than just sitting home and writing letters to the editor of the newspapers -- that the newspapers will edit out to maintain a favorable bias to their own candidates and positions -- you get to find out firsthand what's really going on. The state convention is the kickoff event for a lot of people's campaigns -- and the time at which we learn about most of them. However, the official deadline for registering one's desire to run is in July. The major qualification is one's own desire to run -- and nobody else can decide that for another or prevent another from expressing that will and desire. It's as simple as that -- in case anybody has ever entertained such an ambition.

Of course the worst secret in town, is that not even the Democrats believe there is anybody who can compete against Linda Lingle for re-election as governor -- but undoubtedly the media will do the best they can to sow those doubts so there will be some money spent on them to influence the unwary and uninformed. But by now, practically everybody has met the Governor and knows there couldn't be a better person to represent everybody as the governor of Hawaii. As good as she was the first time around, she never stops improving.

And so that establishes the foundation upon which more people like her can be in those positions of responsibility and accountability. In the past, it seemed like the governor's major role was coming up with new excuses of why government didn't work as it should -- and anybody who said so, didn't know what they were talking about. So the political climate has changed in that important regard -- and that is the beginning of change, in the hearts and minds of the citizens. One can't just dictate change from above -- but everybody has to be on board for society to have any meaning. So it is a slow and tedious process that requires and exercises patience, perseverance and dedication. Just playing the game is as important as winning.

I still encounter the old way of thinking -- that it is dangerous to declare oneself to be a Republican, or even be too interested in these matters -- because there might be repercussions, consequences, retaliation and retribution. And that mentality is a tremendous problem -- and why we needed a New Beginning -- in a society that aspires to be truly free and democratic. That old ways was not a good society, let alone evolving toward a more perfect one. That is the problem of government -- when it mainly exists to serve itself, and so there is that need for another perspective to oversee those possible abuses of power and trust. That's the role of the Republican Party in Hawaii -- to maintain that vigilance, and provide examples that government can be done right -- by the people.

The media used to regard that as their role -- of reigning in the dominating party so that a second political party was not necessary -- and so regards us somewhat as competitors to the niche they have reserved for themselves. But they too can be equally self-serving and are frequently aligned with the dominant party to maintain the rule of the self-designated few over the many -- while calling themselves "Democrats." Don't be misled by the words, labels or ideologies.

The most important quality to look for in leadership, is how a person relates to those they represent. And that is why I invite you to come and meet these people at whatever opportunities are presented to you -- and find out for yourselves, rather than depending on people to tell you how you should think about these things -- because they said so.

You can use these links to keep up with the latest thoughts and developments. The last is my personal thoughts summarizing what one needs to know in as few words as possible -- but that's just the way I see it. I don't presume to speak for anybody but myself.

http://www.gophawaii.com/
http://www.hawaii.gov/gov/
http://hawaiirepublican.blogspot.com/