Kaipo Asing could have been included in The Garden Island’s 1/2/00 article featuring “Five To Watch.” At a Sam Blair run “Ohana Kauai” meeting the other night, the people (a group of citizens who sincerely care about the direction Kauai
Kaipo Asing could have been included in The Garden Island’s 1/2/00 article
featuring “Five To Watch.”
At a Sam Blair run “Ohana
Kauai” meeting the other night, the people (a group of citizens who
sincerely care about the direction Kauai is going) were privileged to have
Asing, a most respected and admired individual, as their guest.
In our
political system that is now requiring obscene amounts of money to run for
office, Kaipo ran probably the most austere campaigns that anyone ever
undertook in the modern history of our island, and for 16 years he won every
election!
Kaipo is a very private, modest individual and when he was
asked by Sam Blair what his formula for success was, he only downplayed his
answer and wouldn’t expand on this truly amazing success story.
However,
the very learned Carol Bain (League of Women Voters president) offered what
was probably the best answer — it was Kaipo’s sincerity, honesty, and
integrity that endeared him to the people and that’s how he beat the odds by
being the number one vote-getter with minuscule funds.
For you few
naysayers out there who are saying that Kaipo still didn’t win the
“big” one—for Mayor— you may be technically correct.
But, in
my opinion, Kaipo only had himself to blame for that loss because again, his
code of ethics wouldn’t let him ask the people who loved and respected him for
help for fear that he would be obligated to someone’s special interest and his
success “code” wouldn’t allow that.
I believe that Kaipo did
get the message from the 25-35 people in attendance who unanimously showed
their respect and support for this man, who for his 16 years as councilman
demanded accountability for wrong moves made by our administration.
He
and Jimmy Tehada held people’s feet to the fire and wanted to know where our
tax dollars were going and why.
Their questions were the voices of us
citizens who they represented, as it seems that no one in authority will look
after the issues that concern them today.
Make no mistake about it,
whenever Kaipo brought up any subject, he was well-prepared and had
documentation to support it.
This statement in no way is meant to show
disrespect for those council members who vote their conscience.
But the
Asing bull-doggedness to question wrong decisions is, for the most part,
missing. We can only hope that Kaipo will run again in 2000 and be the
consumer advocate we so desperately need.
Glenn Mickens
