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CAMPAIGN SPENDING REPORTS

Money isn’t
everything -- name
recognition also vital

Harris has head start
Popularity served Kim well
Donors backed UH autonomy

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By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees-elect spent between a high of $56,000 and a low of $780 to win seats on the OHA board, a sign that name recognition and not just a large campaign war chest helped in this year's unprecedented OHA election.

State Campaign spending records show Maui businessman Charles Ota spent $55,952 to win the first seat ever held by a non-Hawaiian. Ota was followed by veteran trustee Clayton Hee, whose $39,267 in reported expenditures put his campaign at a deficit of $6,049.

Trustee-elect John Waihee IV, the 30-year-old son of the former Hawaii governor, spent $18,085 in his first bid for public office, leaving him with a cash balance of $866.

But that leftover amount is less than what Oz Stender spent to become a trustee. Stender, a businessman and a former Bishop Estate trustee whose name is easily recognized in Hawaii, raised $1,000 in his campaign but spent only $780.

Final state campaign spending and disbursement reports for candidates this election year were due yesterday. A look at some of the close legislative races in the general election show candidates were spending money to win, with some shelling out more than they raised.

State Sen. Brian Kanno (D, Kapolei) came within 66 votes of defeat at the hands of Republican challenger Hank Makini. Kanno outspent Makini $146,025 to $81,181, but is now $3,192 in debt. Makini, who raised a total of $110,900 this election period, has a $29,719 cash balance.

Records show one incumbent who was unseated spent less than his challenger. In the Kaimuki-Waikiki 19th District, Democratic state Rep. Brian Yamane spent $36,479 on his re-election but lost by 144 votes to Republican challenger Mindy Jaffe, who spent $42,894.

Elsewhere, incumbency helped win seats. State Rep. Brian Schatz (D, Makiki) was outspent by former Republican lawmaker Sam Aiona $65,894 to $46,890 but managed an easy victory in a race many expected to be much closer.

And Republican challenger Pam Lee Smith spent more than appointed incumbent Rep. Willie Espero (D, Ewa Beach), $22,103 to $18,955. Spending, however, did not translate into a victory for Smith.

In a race without incumbents, Republican William Stonebraker spent $18,251 to beat Democrat Greg Knudsen for the Hawaii Kai House seat. Knudsen, a Board of Education spokesman, spent $7,967 in his first campaign for public office.

Money spent on OHA races

Here's a look at what the nine OHA trustees raised and spent to win their board seats, according to final campaign spending and expenditure reports filed at the state Campaign Spending Commission:

Trustee-elect	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Rowena Akana	$10,702	5,994	4,707
Haunani Apoliona	$18,002	12,704	5,297
Donald Cataluna	$ 8,599	7,740	858
Linda Dela Cruz	not filed
Clayton Hee	$33,218	39,267	(-6,049)
Colette Machado	$18,895	12,370	6,525
Charles Ota	$57,000	55,952	1,047
Oswald Stender	$1,000	780	219
John D. Waihee IV	$18,952	18,085	866

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For next campaign,
Harris has $240,000
head start

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris has a healthy $240,000-plus balance in his campaign war chest should he decide to run for governor in 2002.

The Harris 2000 Campaign Committee reported a cash surplus of $241,764.11 in a report filed with the state Campaign Spending Commission.

Yesterday was the final day for the latest reports to be submitted.

Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, who both are also believed to be contemplating runs for the state's top office, were not required to file reports yesterday since they did not run for office this year.

But in their latest filings, which were for the period ending June 30, the Linda Lingle Campaign Committee reported $167,240.77 in cash while Friends of Mazie Hirono listed $32,303.09.

The Hirono numbers, however, don't include a $500-a-person fund-raiser held in August in Los Angeles, or a $100-a-head event held in September in Washington, D.C.

Harris managed to stay ahead of Lingle and Hirono despite spending $2,793,339.72 to win reelection as Honolulu mayor.

Former Councilman Mufi Hannemann, who finished second to Harris in September but failed to force a runoff, spent $1,209,695.77. His account has a surplus of $28,933.25.

Former Mayor Frank Fasi spent $212,813.06 and listed a $765,338.88 deficit. That deficit, however, is believed to be made up entirely of loans Fasi made to himself.

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Popularity beat
money for Big Isle
mayor’s seat

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By Rod Thompson
Big Island correspondent

HILO -- After losing the Big Island mayor's race to Harry Kim on Nov. 7, Democrat Fred Holschuh said he didn't know how much he had spent, but the amount was "preposterous."

Holschuh's campaign spending report filed yesterday shows the amount was $296,044.44.

In comparison, Republican Kim spent less than 6 percent of that, just $16,974.54.

Green Party candidate Keiko Bonk was far behind Holschuh but well ahead of Kim, spending $129,653.91.

All of the figures indicate combined spending from the primary and general election campaigns.

The figures show that no amount of spending could offset the tremendous popularity enjoyed by Kim, gained through 24 years as the county Civil Defense chief. His voice on the radio warned people of danger and calmed them with the assurance that government was working on the problem.

Whether their spending was massive or moderate, all three candidates took personal hits in their own pockets. Each candidate received more money than he or she spent, but the extra money wasn't enough to cover personal loans they made to their own campaigns.

Holschuh took in $325,433.09. It wasn't enough to cover a debt of $42,500, and his campaign owes him $14,929. (The final debt figure doesn't precisely match expenditures and receipts because of a carryover from Holschuh's 1998 Senate campaign.)

Bonk took in $130,533.87. But she still owes herself, her husband, her mother and father, and supporter Rafael Chaikin a total of $44,044.77 for loans received in 1996.

Kim took in $20,162.96. Of $8,110 he loaned his campaign, the campaign still owes him $4,921.58.

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Donors backed
UH autonomy
with $119,575

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin

Supporters of the University of Hawaii's position on autonomy gave the UH Autonomy Committee a total of $119,575 in contributions in support of the issue, according to a disclosure report filed with the Campaign Spending Commission.

UH autonomy gives the Board of Regents constitutional authority over all decisions made within the UH system.

In the Nov. 7 general election, 72 percent of voters supported the university in self-governance, while 21 percent voted against it and 7 percent left their ballots blank.

The UH Autonomy Committee set a monetary goal of $110,000 to promote its message, said co-chairman John Farias.

The committee spent $141,496.08 on the issue and now has a deficit of $21,921.08, according to reports filed yesterday.

Monetary contributors in the latest campaign reporting period were:

Koa Trading Co. Inc., $100
Servco Pacific Inc., $5,000
Hawaiian Building Maintenance Co. Ltd., $1,000
CS Wo & Sons Ltd., $1,000
Citizens Communications, $2,000
Kikiaola Land Co. Ltd., $2,500
Kapiolani Health, $5,000
First Insurance Co. of Hawaii, Ltd., $5,000
SCD International, LLC, $5,000
Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., $5,000
Richard W. Gushman III, $1,250
Ronald J. ZLotaper, $1,250
Clinton R. Churchill, $1,250
David A. Heenan, $1,250

Non-monetary contributors were:

The Pacific Resource Partnership, $1,650
Becker Communications, $29,850

Becker Communications contributed its consulting services in support of the constitutional amendment and the Pacific Resource Partnership provided television air time in support of the issue.