After nearly 20 years in the U.S. Congress, Neil Abercrombie could hardly be called a quitter. In fact, he is just getting started. People who have watched Neil’s career, including his political rivals, know that he always gives his all
After nearly 20 years in the U.S. Congress, Neil Abercrombie could hardly be called a quitter. In fact, he is just getting started.
People who have watched Neil’s career, including his political rivals, know that he always gives his all to public service. He committed himself fully as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and now he believes he must do the same to be the governor that Hawai‘i needs today.
Since beginning his campaign 10 months ago, Neil has listened to stories of frustration all across the state. These are hard times made worse because people have lost confidence in their own government. The inability to resolve Furlough Fridays is the prime example of a collapse of leadership. As we enter 2010, people are telling Neil that they want a governor who is listening to the people and ready to lead the state on Day One.
In an editorial dated Jan. 23, The Garden Island failed to mention that the Hawai‘i State Constitution requires state candidates to “resign to run,” based on the rationale that running for office requires a significant amount of time and resources, and that candidates should not campaign while collecting a government paycheck. The state’s law does not apply to federal elected officials like Neil, but it’s the same situation. Neil knew that political pundits and opponents would criticize him no matter what he decided, but that didn’t affect him. He thought about what the people of Hawai‘i want in a leader — honesty, decisiveness, commitment — and then made up his mind.
The Garden Island wonders why there isn’t a state election law to allow the governor to appoint Neil’s replacement. The reason is that the U.S. Constitution requires that vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives be filled by election. No state law can trump that. Special elections to fill Congressional seats are not new to the people of Hawai‘i — they’ve seen it before to fill the seats of Cec Heftel, Spark Matsunaga and Patsy Mink.
After correcting an accounting error, the state Office of Elections has $1.3 million available to hold a special election. Beyond that, there are also long-term options for this office. Following the 2000 election debacle in Florida, Neil joined other members of Congress to support the Helping America Vote Act. This act has made millions of dollars available to states, including Hawai‘i, to help them conduct fair and free elections. Pursuing additional federal funds with a sense of urgency and using them wisely are responsibilities of the Elections Office and state leadership.
Long ago, Neil made a commitment to public service. If he is fortunate enough to become governor of the State of Hawai‘i, he will make sure that our electoral system is appropriately funded to reflect our dynamic democracy.
• Bill Kaneko is campaign manager of Abercrombie for Governor.
