Mayor Harris, center, is flanked left and right by his opponents Arnold
Morgado and former mayor Frank Fasi at last night's televised debate.
Photo by Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin

Suddenly, Fasi's face turned soft and almost serene.

"Well," he said, smiling. "They have to eat."

This election will be fought primarily with the help of his family and not the lieutenants who have helped Fasi through the years. Many of those former supporters say they have no qualms about going up against him.

"You can't blame them, you can't blame them at all," Fasi said last night. "There are a lot of them, though, that want me back, within his administration."

Jim Loomis is not among them. Loomis was Fasi's information director for eight years before forming an advertising firm. That firm was hired by Fasi on numerous occasions, including his return to City Hall against incumbent Eileen Anderson in 1984.

The Loomis firm is playing a critical role in the Harris mayoral campaign this year, responsible for all advertising strategy. That's the job Loomis held with the Fasi campaign through storied victories.

Loomis' wife, Paula, is also an integral part of the Harris team. Hired as an executive assistant to then-Managing Director Jeremy Harris, she now holds a similar title in the mayor's office.

Loomis said he has no misgivings about helping Harris now and fighting Fasi.

"For quite a long time, I fought and bled for him and did so willingly," Loomis said, referring to Fasi. "I'm not sorry I did that. But I'm not interested in doing that anymore."

Loomis said he doesn't want to be critical of Fasi but notes that through the years, the longtime maverick has changed.

"I owe him a lot and I think the community owes him a lot, but I think it's time that I moved on and the community moved on," Loomis said.

"It very much sums up how a lot of the rest of us feel," said Carol Costa, director of the city Office of Information and Complaint. Costa started in the office in 1974 as an information specialist, a civil service post.

Appointed director by Fasi in 1994, she was a Fasi supporter throughout the years.

Public Works Director Kenn Sprague, appointed by Fasi in 1993 and retained by Harris, said: "I'm a little sad. I think Frank could've served the community well as an elder statesman focusing on projects he wants to see happen without a political agenda."

Many who worked for the previous administration say they're free of guilt because they served directly under Harris, managing director during the latter part of Fasi's administration.

Among them is Auditoriums Director Carla Coray, in that post since Fasi tapped her 12 years ago.

Harris impressed her with his performance as her direct supervisor while managing director, Coray said.

"We accomplished many things when Frank Fasi was mayor, but I think the time is right for Jeremy Harris to be mayor," she said.

Perhaps the person who knows both men best is Jeannie Fujikawa. She served as executive secretary to Fasi during his last 31/2 years in office. She continued that job when Harris became mayor in the summer of 1994.

Fujikawa is also working on the Harris campaign.

Fujikawa won't comment on the differences between the two men nor say which is the better boss.

A secretary "has to be able to remain loyal to the person who is their current boss," Fujikawa said. "That's a must."

Don Clegg has been deputy planning director, planning director and land use director and held other jobs under Fasi for nearly two decades. Even when he wasn't working for the city, Clegg said, he did political polling for Fasi campaigns.

Not anymore. Clegg, who is doing polls for Harris this campaign, said that during the 1994 gubernatorial campaign, Fasi refused to have any polls taken during the heart of the election.

Clegg said he was asked by Fasi's lieutenant governor running mate, Danny Kaleikini, to do polls and was shown the door when Fasi found out.

Fasi's criticism that Harris has been disloyal is hypocritical, Clegg said. "He does it for political expediency. He did some of the things he's accusing other people of doing but for him, it's OK."

The Arnold Morgado mayoral campaign has retained some former Fasi supporters, albeit in less prominent roles. They include state Comptroller Sam Callejo and state Transportation Director Kazu Hayashida.