16 vie for council position

Since the vacating of the City Council seat by soon-to-be U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, we now have a whopping 16 candidates running to represent the people of Makiki, Downtown, Punchbowl, Liliha, Pauoa Valley, Nuuanu, Alewa Heights, Papakolea, and Kalihi.

This will be one of three city council elections decided this November, the others being the District 1 race between Council Member Tom Berg and former Council Member Kymberly Pine and the District 5 race, where Council Member Ann Kobayashi is defending her seat against Jim Hayes, a geologist from Parsons Brinckerhoff. But this spot could be a major determinant in city and county legislation.

While Cayetano has promised to stop the rail project, the City Council could make it difficult for him. While he can veto any resolutions to continue building the project or fund it, that veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in the Council.

Gabbard, who typically voted for rail, will soon be replaced and the dynamics of the nine-person council may be turned in for or against Rail.

I attempted to contact each of the candidates running for the city council seat by phone, and asked for a brief position on rail.

• Sam Aiona said he opposed rail.
• Ryan Kapunuai agrees with the high court’s recent ruling that the current process has broken the law and at this point opposes the project. He also wants to put rail back on the ballot now that voters know more details.
• Steven Miller said he supports the current rail plan.
• Kevin Nakasato supports rail.
• Aaron Rutlage opposes the current project.
• Chu Lan Shuber-Kwock has serious questions about the rail, and is watching it. “We are stuck in a situation,” she said. “We have to find a solution that is less damaging to our city.”
• Christopher “Nova” Smith admitted that it was a complicated issue and that he’s not against it, but it’s being built wrong. “If yes and no is the only choice, my choice is no,” he said.
• Jon Yoshimura told me he supports rail, “But there are many issues that need to be taken care of. For example the court challenges are a very big issue. I think that’s just one of the issues.”

If other candidate wish to add to this story, please email me or leave a comment below.