Talk Story
When personal interests
coincide with public onesYESTERDAY MORNING'S e-mail, besides the usual deluge of annoying spam, brought a message from Lei Ahu Isa, the three-term state representative from Alewa Heights and Liliha who's been having a hard time deciding whether she's a Democrat or a Republican.
Her political identity crisis first became obvious back in July 1998 when she showed up at a $100-a-plate campaign fund-raiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle. This sparked a rebuke from the party chair, Walter Heen, who scolded that fellow Democrats might file a complaint against her.
"I don't regret going. It shows that I'm independent," Ahu Isa said at the time. She said she'd gotten a "complimentary" ticket to the event from a friend, whom she didn't identify.
While it's well known that buying fund-raiser tickets and giving them away is a common way for fat cats to get around legal limits on campaign contributions, it's rare to see an actual lawmaker being used for the purpose. You'd have to be blind, right?
Ahu Isa's passage to the Dark Side advanced last April, when she raised the prospect of switching parties to run for the state Senate in the newly created Waikiki-Downtown district.
The GOP, always looking for warm candidate bodies, welcomed the possibility, citing Ahu Isa's experience as chairwoman of the House Economic Development Committee. "She is on the front lines," said Republican chair Micah Kane. "She sees the proposal on behalf of her party, and she sees that they don't have the proposals that could stimulate our economy."
Gov. Ben Cayetano had a different slant. House majority leaders "put two of their weakest people in charge of two important committees," he said, referring to Ahu Isa and Rod Tam. "Nothing's coming out of the economic development committees."
In other words, don't let the door hit you in the okole on the way out, Lei.
When Ahu Isa finally switched parties last month, she said, "I helped the Democratic Party a lot. I was a good girl and I went along with leadership."
She was stung by Cayetano's comments. "When I heard what he said, I thought, 'They don't even appreciate what I have done,' and at the same time the Republicans are welcoming me with open arms."
Which brings us to yesterday's e-mail to the Star-Bulletin. It's a paean to the time-share industry. In it Ahu Isa gushes that after 9/11, Hawaii timeshares remained at 70 to 90 percent occupancy while Waikiki hotels dropped below 20 percent.
"With the devastating effects still being felt by Hawaii's visitor industry," wrote our economic development committee chair, "the State must find a means to spur development and investment in a manner that won't use State funds, and the timeshare industry is a perfect example of this."
She enumerates many resort development projects "expected to enhance Hawaii's appeal to the global market." These include Jeff Stone's $100 million Ko Olina project "that would include a world-class aquarium as well as bringing in the Hilton, Marriott, and other travel and sports facilities for the University of Hawaii, contingent on the passage of special tax-credit legislation."
THE LETTER is signed: "Lei Ahu Isa, Principal Broker for Hilton Hawaiian Vacation Suites/Hilton Grand Vacations Company, Professor of Management for Hawaii Pacific University, and Chairperson of the Economic Development Committee, State House of Representatives."
We might not know which hat she's wearing or horse she's riding, but at least we know where her paychecks are coming from.
Ahu Isa's identity crisis reminds me of a story about a Guam legislator who was called to task after he voted for government purchase of some land he owned.
"Conflict of interest?" he asked. "I own the land. I vote to buy the land. Where's the conflict?"
John Flanagan is the Star-Bulletin's contributing editor.
He can be reached at: jflanagan@starbulletin.com.