Marumoto to lead state’s
Bush team

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

State Rep. Barbara Marumoto will head the Hawaii campaign of Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Bush also named former U.S. Sen. Hiram L. Fong and former Congresswoman Patricia Saiki as state honorary co-chairpersons, and Howard K.O. Chong Jr. as state finance chairman.

"They are able, dedicated and experienced leaders," Bush said. "I feel fortunate to have their advice and support as we move forward in the Aloha State."

Marumoto (R, Waialae Iki), a 21-year state House lawmaker and current minority leader, said she joined the Bush team because she backs his efforts to give people control of their schools and their tax money. Such ideas are needed to create more jobs and better opportunities for Hawaii families, she said.

Fong said Bush is a leader who will restore respect and honesty to the office of the presidency. Fong served in the U.S. Senate from 1960 to 1977, and is co-founder of Finance Factors. He also owns Senator Fong's Plantations and Gardens in Windward Oahu.

"We want someone who makes us proud of our country and brings a clear vision to leadership," Fong said. "He is also a proven leader who unites people behind common goals."

Saiki, the 1994 Hawaii gubernatorial Republican candidate, said that as former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration under President George Bush in 1991, she knows his son has what it takes to keep small business running smoothly.

"He has done it for Texas, and he can do it for Hawaii as our president in the new millennium," said Saiki, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1986 to 1990 before an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 1990.

Meanwhile, Chong said Bush's conservative approach to government will benefit Hawaii and the country. Chong, who served as Republican state chairman for Hawaii under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, is president of Healani Land Co. and a former vice president of City Mill Co. He also is also a Republican national committeeman.

"We are very pleased to have an individual with the political experience of Mr. Chong leading our fund-raising effort in Hawaii," said Don Evans, national finance chairman for Bush For President.

Other Hawaii members of the Bush campaign are state House Republicans Emily Auwae (Waianae), Bertha Leong (Niu Valley), Galen Fox (Waikiki), Mark Moses (Kapolei) and Jim Rath (South Kohala).

Members also include Kauai Mayor Maryanne Kusaka; former state Sens. Fred Rohlfing and Mike Liu; Honolulu City Councilman John Henry Felix; former Maui Councilman Alan Arakawa; and attorney Randal S. Yoshida.