On Friday, Dr. Don Claeys expressed his disappointment that Hawaii has no voter information pamphlet in a letter to the editor. The League of Women Voters of Hawaii County (LWVHC) shares his frustration. For 20 years, the league has sought legislation that would implement such a pamphlet. The league is a nonpartisan organization that works to increase understanding of public policy issues and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.
While the county did post the ballot language, summaries, and fiscal impact statements of the proposed charter amendments on their website, voters often find the official wording a challenge. Other than names on the ballot, the county has no candidate information on its site.
Years ago, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii County stepped in to fill this breach. VOTE411 provides both candidate information and information on issues, including pros and cons on the charter amendments. It is the only place where voters can find thoughtful, unbiased information on Hawaii County’s ballot. You can find VOTE411 on the LWVHC’s website at https://my.lwv.org/hawaii/hawaii-county.
Unfortunately, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii County does not have much of an advertising budget, and along with a few ads, the league has relied on word-of-mouth to spread the word about VOTE411.
As for a voter pamphlet, the league will continue to work for its passage at both the local and the state levels. If you see the need for such a pamphlet, please join us in our legislative efforts.
Rosemarie Muller
President, League of Women Voters of Hawaii County
Read the article online here.
****** Letter to the Editor by Dr. Don Claeys ******
On the second side of our ballot, voters are being asked to weigh in on several amendments to the Hawaii County Charter.
I am disappointed that there is no included voter pamphlet explaining these requests. We need information to decide these votes: Who wants this issue to pass or lose? Who benefits? What are the financial costs of deciding one way versus another? How will passing this change how my company does business or how my children’s school is influenced?
Just because the request sounds nice and noble isn’t a reason for it to pass. My advice would be if you don’t understand or you don’t have enough information to decide then vote “no” on all of them. If politicians get enough two-by-fours to their foreheads maybe next time they will decide to treat us like adults and explain their positions so that we can all make an informed decision.
Don Claeys, MD
Villages of Mauna Lani, South Kohala
October 16, 2020