Democrats to set
new priorities

Taxes, Hawaiian rights and
other issues will be heard

By Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

Some 200 to 300 Democrats are expected to gather Saturday for their third statewide grass-roots conference to set the party's priorities for next year's legislative session, which begins in three months.

The conference is the culmination of a process that began about two months ago with neighbor island and Oahu regional meetings.

The statewide conference will prioritize issues voiced at the earlieril,15p6,7p9 meetings, said state Democratic Chairwoman Marilyn Bornhorst.

Bornhorst said issues frequently mentioned include: a progressive income tax that would put a heavier burden on the rich; tax credits for alternative energy sources; tax breaks for diversified agriculture and agricultural cooperatives; campaign finance reform; environmental protection; efficiency in government; long-term heath care; "alternative sentencing" for first-time offenders; and native Hawaiian rights.

Participants in the preliminary meetings also want the party to reaffirm its commitment to affirmative action, Bornhorst said.

"I guess we're not aligned with California yet," she said, alluding to California's move to dismantle affirmative action programs, most noticeably in its university system.

The grass-roots conference, Bornhorst said, allows the "ordinary member of the party" to voice his or her concerns.

"Even people who have not joined the party can come. But they can't vote," Bornhorst said.

The priorities determined by conference participants will be presented to legislators, most of whom are Democrats, with the hope they enact -- or at least seriously consider -- the recommendations, Bornhorst said.

The priorities will also serve as the basis for the party's platform and resolutions at next year's Democratic state convention, she added.

At the last grass-roots conference, held in 1995, Democrats declared that their top priorities were an insurance program that provided long-term care for the elderly, an issue that remains unsolved, and lowering Hawaii's high automobile insurance rates, which was done during the past legislative session.

Invited to party

Details of the Democratic grass-roots conference:
When: Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: Farrington High School auditorium.
Attendance: 200 to 300 Democrats expected.