Politicians spend the public’s money and how well they do with John Q. Citizen’s dollar plays a big part in how they will be judged. Outgoing Mayor Maryanne Kusaka’s fans point to all the work she has done for Kaua’i
Politicians spend the public’s money and how well they do with John Q. Citizen’s dollar plays a big part in how they will be judged.
Outgoing Mayor Maryanne Kusaka’s fans point to all the work she has done for Kaua’i tourism, while her foes look at the same accomplishment and complain about how much all her traveling has cost the taxpayers.
But politicians are spending money, often their own, even before they are elected.
Candidates pay a $250 filing fee to run for public office in the county of Kaua’i.
They can get a break, though.
If the candidate agrees to stay within recently re-established campaign spending limits, the filing fee is reduced to a mere $25.
For any candidate running for mayor the maximum spending limit hovers around the $70,000 mark.
There are currently three candidates for Kusaka’s job – her second term ends this year – Council Chair Ron Kouchi, veteran Council member Bryan Baptiste and local businessman Dennis Nimkie.
“It’s a voluntary limit,” Kouchi noted.
Kouchi added that although he had stayed within the voluntary limits in his last council run, he had already exceeded (war-chesting about $100,000) the limit in his attempt to move into the mayor’s office.
Kouchi will be paying the $250 and his contributors are being told there won’t be any $100 tax deductions for their contributions.
Veteran council member Randal Valenciano has also picked up application papers for both the mayor and council, but he hasn’t committed to a particular race yet.
If he decides to run for council, Valenciano will have to agree to spend less money to received a reduced filing rate.
Council candidates are limited to $43,365 if they want to gain the fee reductions available.
Those running for state Senate, District 7 on Kaua’-i, a list that includes current council member Gary Hooser, who has picked up his application papers, and incumbent senator Jonathan Chun, who has not, are also limited to $43,365.
“I will probably exceed the spending limit ,” Hooser said.
“I would like to stay within these limits but I am prepared to exceed the limits if I have to. I would definitely do it (stay under $43,365) if everyone else would agree to. But I can’t if they don’t. It would be great if everyone did follow the same rules,” Hooser noted.
State representative candidates for House Districts 14, 15 and 16 on Kaua’i can’t spend more than $14,842.
So far that list includes former Council Member Nelson Secretario, who has picked up application papers for District 14, and businessman John Hoff, who has picked up application papers for the District 16 seat.
Hoff, like Valenciano, also picked up council papers but he hasn’t chosen which race to run yet.
Candidates can run for whichever office they please, but they can’t run for more than one.
If the candidates exceed these limits, their contributors don’t get a tax break and they pay the full $250 in filing fees.
Campaign spending reform has been a torch carried by the citizen’s action group Common Cause for the past decade.
Common cause is currently engaged in campaign spending limit battles with politicians seeking to roll back reform legislation in Colorado, Florida and california to name just three states.
