During an intermission at presidential candidate Ralph Nader's appearance at the UH Art Auditorium, Elia Loya, left, talked with Nader, right, about senior citizens' housing issues.
Nader backs
military downsizingThe presidential candidate criticizes
Lingle as "too accommodating"
to military expansion
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader says he backs a bill that would give native Hawaiians federal recognition.
Speaking to more than 150 at the University of Hawaii's Art Auditorium yesterday, Nader also said he supports a downsizing of the military's presence in Hawaii and an expansive cleanup effort of lands used for weapons training.
"Here in Hawaii, you have for decades had an enormous amount of military land that has been used for live-fire testing ... (which) has endangered species," Nader said. "The Department of Defense should ... assess the environmental damage ... and tell the people of Hawaii what exactly the stages and the scope of the cleanup will be."
The presidential hopeful criticized Gov. Linda Lingle, saying she has been "too accommodating to the military expansion (in Hawaii)."
"She's not sufficiently sensitive to the needs of the environment," he said, adding that there should be more public hearings on the formation of a Stryker brigade in the islands.
Army officials announced earlier this month that the unit was approved for Hawaii. Some 300, 20-ton Stryker combat vehicles in the brigade should be at Schofield Barracks within two years.
Nader also told the largely sympathetic crowd that native Hawaiians would benefit from passage of the so-called Akaka bill, which would grant native Hawaiians the same status as American Indians and native Alaskans. He had a copy of the bill with him and waved it in front of the audience.
"I think it's very important," Nader said. "It sets up a governmental arrangement."
Nader said the bill would amount to "an apology" for the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and ensure the "sanctity of hereditary lands."
Nader has not yet qualified for Hawaii's presidential ballot. By September, he'll need to submit a petition to the state Elections Office with at least 3,711 signatures of registered voters.
Nader garnered 103 signatures at yesterday's event, the first time Hawaii residents were able to add their names to the effort, according to volunteer petition drive coordinator Bob Stiver.
Several attendees at the talk said that though they are Nader fans, they're not planning to vote for the longtime consumer advocate in November.
"I'd rather vote for Nader, but I'm not sure I wouldn't be throwing my vote away," said Mario Kalson, who voted for Nader in 2000. "I'm really scared about (President) Bush winning."
Nader's critics have said his 2000 campaign lured Democrats away from Al Gore, costing the former vice president the White House. Some are warning of a repeat this election year.
But Nader said yesterday that he would continue to campaign in hopes of getting his name on as many state ballots as possible, and stressed the importance of choices beyond the two dominant parties.
"Everyone has a right to run for election in this country," he said.
Ralph Nader campaign
www.votenader.org
