CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Mufi Hannemann shook hands with Duke Bainum yesterday after a half-hour of questions and answers with moderator Tina Shelton of KHON-TV at PBS Studios in Manoa.

Candidates call
for money rules

Duke and Mufi want new limits
on different sources of funding

Mayoral candidates Mufi Hannemann and Duke Bainum called for stricter limits on union and business contributions and loans -- ideas apparently based on each other's campaign spending.

The two former city councilmen sat down for a half-hour of questions and answers during a forum scheduled to be aired at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow on public television as part of Island Insights Election 2004, sponsored by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and PBS Hawaii.

There was a Thursday embargo on reporting about the debate, but that was broken by KHON-TV during yesterday's 6 p.m. newscast.

As the spending in the mayor's race nears the $5-million mark, both candidates have raised millions of dollars and have used loans from themselves to finance their campaigns.

Bainum so far has reported nearly $2 million in loans, while in the last spending period Hannemann reported a $90,000 loan.

Hannemann, however, points out that he doesn't have money like Bainum's family wealth to turn to as a source to finance his campaign.

Hannemann called for limits on the amount of money candidates can loan to their campaigns. He also said a deadline or timetable needs to be set on when a campaign must repay the candidate.

Hannemann pointed to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who reportedly spent $73 million of his own money when he ran for the seat he won.

Hannemann said reforms are needed to prevent the rich from buying elections.

"The reason is that only the wealthy are going to be able to run," Hannemann said later in the day. "These are very costly and expensive campaigns ... Over 90 percent of the people in Hawaii, perhaps the United States, that will not be able to run for office."

Bainum acknowledges self-financing his campaign, but he said it's because he doesn't want to be obligated to contributors.

"I want to be beholden to the people," he said.

Bainum said he would support voluntary limits on self-contributions, but he said mandating those limits could lead to constitutional problems.

Bainum also called for limits on contributions given to candidates by unions and businesses, similar to legislation that has been proposed at the state level.

Hannemann has received the lion's share of labor endorsements including all of the public sector union support. That support has led to both monetary contributions and donated help.

The two called on media outlets to provide a certain amount of free time for campaigns because a large part of the cost is for advertising.

"If people want true campaign spending reform, then it has to be across the board," Hannemann said after the forum.

Hannemann and Bainum also answered questions on high-profile people who have endorsed them and explained their philosophical differences when both sat on the Council.