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‘Buck’ Wheat finds it’s
not easy being Green

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By Rod Thompson
Big Island correspondent

KEALAKEKUA, Hawaii -- Would-be Green Party candidate Darryl "Buck" Wheat is not a party member and is disqualified from running for Hawaii County mayor, Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra ruled.

Wheat testified Monday that he sent an application for party membership last month.

Ibarra ruled yesterday that the party's testimony that it didn't get the application shows he isn't a member.

Ibarra said Wheat missed chances to seek party membership beginning March 2 when he took out candidacy papers.

Party co-chairwoman Jeanne O'Brien said she was pleased by the ruling. The party has successfully contested four other nonparty members running as Greens since 1994.

The official Green candidate for mayor is Keiko Bonk, thought to be a strong contender.

The Greens have accused "the Yamashiro administration" of trying to sway the election by supporting Wheat -- although Mayor Stephen Yamashiro is not running, and the decision to allow Wheat on the ballot was made by a non-Yamashiro appointee.

Wheat said the decision to run was his own.

Ballots with Wheat's name on them have already been printed. It's not clear how voters will be advised he isn't a candidate.