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State senator
apologizes for
Bronster vote
Some in the Ewa Beach, Makakilo
By Pat Omandam
district say his letter is
an election ploy
Star-BulletinWhen Makakilo resident Michael J. Golojuch heard Brian Kanno was among the 14 state senators who voted against confirmation of Margery Bronster as attorney general last year, he fired off a letter to Kanno saying he disagreed.
Today, Golojuch said he is pleased to hear Kanno has apologized to some 20,000 district households for ousting Bronster, who along with then-state Budget Director Earl Anzai was fired that day.
"The timing was bad, if nothing else," Golojuch said. "As far as it being a big issue now, I don't think it's a big issue now anymore, to be honest with you ... "
"There's been a few that said 'I can't vote for him because of that,' but I think the majority of the people, if they were going to vote for him, would vote for him based on what he's done for the community overall, and not just on that one issue," he said.
Kanno was expected to file papers for re-election today. Yesterday, Kanno reiterated what he told voters in a letter mailed to his district over the weekend: It was a mistake to vote against Bronster while she was investigating former trustees at Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate."As we go forward to the voters and ask them to look at these things, we just want to be up front, ask them to consider our complete record and say that you know, we've made mistakes, too," Kanno said.
"Looking back, having the benefit of this year, I realize now it was a mistake to vote out Margery Bronster when she was investigating the trustees," said Kanno, who said he did support the investigation and removal of the trustees.
Kanno asked voters to consider the good things he has helped to bring to the district, such as new high and middle schools in Kapolei, 24-hour ambulance service from St. Francis West Hospital and funding to widen Fort Weaver Road.
"I've been working hard to get things for our community, and in fairness, we ask them to look at the whole record. You know, there's been disagreements along the way and mistakes along the way, so we just hope that they consider the positives along with the negatives," he said.
Other residents, however, disapprove of Kanno's apology. Mary Ann Miyashiro, an Ewa Beach resident considering a run for the state Senate or House, said she was upset by Kanno's vote because it went against what the community wanted.
Miyashiro, who is on the Ewa Neighborhood Board, said Kanno stood firm by his decision when the board asked about the Bronster vote last year.
His apology now comes too late and at the wrong time, she said, as people will see it as simply an election ploy -- and that's the problem.
Kanno has made the Bronster vote a campaign issue, although no other candidates for his Senate seat have done so, she said.
Seven of the 14 senators who voted against Bronster are up for re-election this fall.
So far, two people have taken out papers but have not yet filed to run for Kanno's seat.
They are Libertarian Wade A. Thode and Miyashiro, a Republican.
Bishop Estate Archive
Kamehameha Schools
