KIDS ONLY!
We asked students from Queen Lydia Lili'uokalani School to tell us the qualities of a good leader. Here's what they said: "A good leader is someone who leads people to a good life and will never give up. The leader will always work as long as it takes no matter what. If there is a problem, it will be taken care of so it shouldn't be a problem anymore. The leader should be very smart and never do anything bad." What makes a good leader?
-- Christina Lee, grade 4
"A good leader is not just someone who gives orders. A good leader guides people by setting a good example for people he/she leads. A good leader cooperates and listens to co-workers, other leaders and citizens.
"A leader improves situations by putting his/her ideas into action. He/she is responsible for keeping the oath of office. He/she must also believe in himself/herself so others can believe in him/her."
-- Alex Davis, grade 6
"A good leader is a person who helps, understands people, tries to make everybody happy and listens to ideas. A good leader makes things fun and influences people positively."
-- Troy Quon, grade 5
"A good leader should be able to solve problems and make tough decisions. A good leader should also be tolerant of other students' ideas, be able to criticize constructively, have a good attention span and have a good sense of humor.
"A good leader is someone who is able to share his or her vision with other students and motivate them to work toward accomplishing that vision. A good leader should be admired and respected by others, for the job of a leader is very hard but rewarding."
-- Amanda Alvarado, grade 5
"A good leader intends to help, share and do his/her best to help others reach their goals. Also, a leader finds out information and shares it with other people. A good leader would set a good example to others. A good leader tries his/her best to make the world a better place."
-- Jessica Barut, grade 5
"My point of view on being a good leader is that I need to listen to other people's suggestions instead of doing the ideas that are my own. I need to do the ones that will be best for the majority. Then I must guide my people to do an efficient job.
"As a leader, I must be a hard worker and stay on task. Responsibility and dependability will be an important characteristic on my part. Whether the job is big or small, I must take charge of everything."
-- Kiran Kepo'o, grade 5
These are the people who would like to be in charge of running the state for the next four years. Who will run the state?
Before you can vote, you must know how these candidates think and what they plan to do as leaders. Your vote often depends on how closely the candidate's ideas match your own.
We've asked the governor and lieutenant governor candidates to tell us why they would make a good leader.
After reading their opinions, who would you vote for?
Ben Cayetano, Democrat
"I believe in making people's lives better. That's why education is important to me. We're building 11 new schools and 900 classrooms for our children."Mazie Hirono, Democrat
"I am a good leader because I bring diverse people together to listen, learn and create solutions. I also never lose sight of my values and priorities."George Aloha Peabody, Libertarian
"My leadership is by good example, honesty and positive action for success using Libertarian principles that respect your rights as a responsible individual."Larry Bartley, Libertarian
"I will work to bring down auto insurance rates and reduce traffic by strictly enforcing the mandatory insurance requirements, and educate voters about the vote-counting safeguards."Linda Lingle, Republican
"I care about the people who live in Hawaii and want them to enjoy living in our state. On Maui we built parks, pools and skate ramps because we want a great place to live."I want kids to have good, safe schools and drug-free neighborhoods. I want parents to have good-paying jobs. I want to make this happen."
Stan Koki, Republican
"With my experience as a successful businessman, I can help run government more efficiently. This will help improve the economy for your parents and your future."
