Talk Story
Got a telephone book?
Then register to voteIF YOU aren't yet registered to vote in the Sept. 21 primary, read this. Today is the deadline.
I won't embarrass you by describing the image of black South Africans standing in line at the polls after generations of apartheid or recalling the suffrage struggles of American women and minorities. I could, though. Then I'd remind you of Hawaii's appalling voting record, documented by the 2000 Census.
In November 2000, only 44.1 percent of eligible voters in Hawaii cast ballots, the worst statewide turnout in the country by 8 percentage points.
Guilt isn't a positive motivator. Maybe anger works better. Remember the van cams you were so burned about? Think about our terrible public schools and how nobody seems to be accountable for them.
Remember the rip-offs like the Ewa Villages moving scam and the airport maintenance overcharges. If that doesn't work, think of the University of Hawaii softball stadium, koa benches at the Capitol, cost overruns, non-bid contracts.
CONSIDER the bozos the rest of us elected, the ones convicted of theft, taking kickbacks, laundering money, dabbling in cronyism or awarding contracts to campaign contributors.
Remember the legislators who chickened out when the governor proposed a bold economic stimulus package. Rather than take tough steps to cut spending or increase revenues, they raided special funds to balance the budget. How will they do it next time? Because of reapportionment, they all face re-election.
"My vote doesn't count," you say? You're wrong. Ben Cayetano won re-election with less than a majority by a scant 5,254 votes. There were 4,964 ballots cast that didn't count or were blank and a third-party candidate got 4,398 votes. It was that close.
Four years ago, Merwyn Jones of Waianae demanded a recount when he lost his re-election bid by 21 votes -- the recount showed Emily Auwae actually won by 40 votes. In the 1998 primary, Alex Sonson lost to Roy Takumi by nine votes in Pearl City. It can be that close.
IF YOU don't know how to register, find your Verizon yellow pages -- everybody with a telephone in Hawaii got one this month. Turn to page 45.
There, between the map index and the coupons, is the Wikiwiki Voter Registration form. Fill out the form printed on the back, sign it, tear it out and mail it by 4:30 this afternoon to your county clerk. The addresses are on the form.
If you miss today's deadline, register anyway. Mail the form by the first week in October and become eligible for the November general election. Although you won't help decide which candidates will be on the November ballot, you'll still be able to choose your favorite party nominees and support candidates you think can make a difference.
Mea culpa. Several readers noted that in my Aug. 15 column in the first edition I confused the cruise ships Nieuw Amsterdam and Norwegian Star. It was the Norwegian Star that began week-long interisland cruises in Hawaiian waters last December, including weekly four-day side trips to Fanning Island.
The Nieuw Amsterdam, on the other hand, was the ship American Classic Voyages bought in 1999 for its Hawaii cruises and renamed the Patriot. Because the Patriot was foreign-built, an act of Congress was required to exempt it from foreign side trips while American Classic built two new ships in Mississippi.
American Classic went under after Sept. 11 torpedoed tourism, but Star Cruises PLC -- parent of Norwegian Cruises, operator of the Norwegian Star -- has regained profitability. Now, Norwegian has purchased American Classic's two unfinished ships and will complete building at least one of the American ships in Europe.
I wonder, if Norwegian ever sends the finished ship to Hawaii, will it only have to go to Fanning Island every other cruise?
John Flanagan is the Star-Bulletin's contributing editor.
He can be reached at: jflanagan@starbulletin.com.