Saying the Department of Education is the worst-run department in state government, state Rep. Ed Case is presenting himself as an agent for change as he builds his Democratic candidacy for governor a solid 10 months before the 2002 primary
Saying the Department of Education is the worst-run department in state government, state Rep. Ed Case is presenting himself as an agent for change as he builds his Democratic candidacy for governor a solid 10 months before the 2002 primary election.
He spent three days on Kaua’i this week, chaperoned to coffee hours and meetings all over the island by supporter Louie Abrams of Koloa, telling his vision of state government with him as governor, and getting feedback on the potential success of his campaign.
Education and governance of education will be key issues in the governor’s race, along with economic revitalization and the costs of running state government, he said in an interview.
Case, a Democrat representing Manoa on O’ahu who hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with the Democratic majority in the state House, has some out-of-the-box ideas for the public school system.
The way it’ set up and currently being run are parts of the problem, he said, adding that a shortage of resources is not the system’s only woe.
“I don’t think a statewide system works,” said Case, who advocates decentralization of the school system at least down to the island and county level, and down to the complex level on O’ahu.
His children attend Punahou, a private school on Oahu, but he is a product of Big Island public and private schools.
Decentralization of the education department would take an amendment to the state constitution, and Case said he is willing to move in that direction if elected governor.
While also feeling that the elected state Board of Education “is a failure,” with powerful and wealthy special-interests wishing to maintain the status quo electing like-minded board members, he admits seeing successes in public education in his statewide travels.
“The system in isolated instances, despite itself, does have its bright spots,” said Case.
In areas where there are involved parents and good school principals, there are good schools, he said.
“The community makes up the difference,” he said.
Case, who also advocates full community dialogue about government and core government services, said Kaua’i voters will be receptive to his new ideas.
Among his ideas are a move away from tourism as the omnipotent economic driver in the state, while realizing at the same time alternatives will not be able to develop rapidly, he said.
Case will face at least Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris in the Democratic primary next fall, and figures he must split votes evenly with Harris on O’ahu while Case carries the rest of the islands in order to prevail in next year’s primary election and move on to face the Republican challenger in the general election, likely to be Linda Lingle.
He said he has been hearing “negatives” about Harris while on the early campaign trail, specifically that the former Kaua’i County Council member has some trust and integrity issues, a penchant for “relentless self-promotion,” and tactics resembling “shakedowns” where campaign contributions are concerned.
Harris’ portrayal of himself as “God’s gift to municipal management” is also wearing thin in light of some evidence of fiscal mismanagement within the city and County of Honolulu, Case claimed.
Case, who hasn’t always enjoyed support from various worker unions in the state, said he would find a way to get back into elected life if his gubernatorial campaign falls short.
Word of mouth more than advertising is still the strongest campaign tool in Hawai’i, and Case figures his name recognition statewide at about 50 percent (half of the people in the state have heard of him). Case figures the statewide name recognition of Harris at 90 percent or better.
The state is wired, and Case already has a Web site (www.edcase.com) to reach half the state’s population with Internet access. The figure is even higher among registered voters who vote.
Case spent his formative years on Big Island, graduating from Hawai’i Preparatory Academy and the University of California’s Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. He is an attorney in private practice.
His family has been in the islands since the late 1800s. His cousin is Steve Case, founder of AOL, chairman of AOL Time Warner and head of a group that bought Grove Farm Co. on Kaua’i.
The family is close and will assist with his campaign financing, up to legal limits, said Ed Case. He figures his campaign will cost $1 million; as of this week, he had raised about $50,000, he said.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
