Posted on: Monday, May 20, 2002

Kaua'i mayor race focuses on style

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Kaua'i Bureau

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The three announced candidates for mayor of Kaua'i have a lot in common.

They're all on the County Council and they're all fathers in their 40s. They don't disagree much on issues — when they'll talk about issues at all.

"We vote over 95 percent the same way," said Council Chairman Ron Kouchi, 44, an insurance agent who is completing his 20th year on the council.

All three candidates say issues aren't the most important thing in this year's election.

"I think a style of leadership is more important in this race than the issues," said Bryan Baptiste, 46, a six-year councilman and an executive in an insurance firm.

Attorney Randal Valenciano, 43, in his 12th year on the council, said he doesn't even want to talk about issues and platforms.

"We feel the platform question is not relevant in this campaign. As mayor you have to deal with a wide range of issues. We're using a mission statement: Every voice has an equal say," Valenciano said.

Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, 66, is completing her second four-year term and cannot run again. She is said to be considering other political options.

As with council elections, the mayor's race is nonpartisan. If no candidate gets more than half the votes cast in the September primary, the top two candidates move on to the November general election for a runoff.

Baptiste emphasizes his reputation for involving citizens in community projects. He helped Kusaka launch the Ho'olokahi community work program in which volunteers undertake efforts such as repairing park equipment and maintaining roadways in their neighborhoods.

"It's a style of leadership, an ability to bring people together to get things accomplished," he said.

He said he'd like to refocus county government on "doing the simple things right," such as properly maintaining parks and handling public safety and welfare.

Kouchi said his two decades in public service have made for contacts on the state and national levels that would be useful in running the county.

He said he would hire good people and let them do their jobs, rather than micromanaging county government.

Kouchi said he has supported bringing in mediators to help resolve community problems. "I'm an advocate of facilitated processes," he said.

Valenciano, who started his campaign later than the other two and expects to spend far less than Kouchi or Baptiste, is positioning himself as the candidate for the common man.

"I'm a candidate willing to say I'm not going to be dominated by money," he said. "A lot of people feel they can come and participate, but it has no impact. I'd like to return the voice to the people."

Kouchi and Valenciano said one major issue is resolving the county's solid-waste problem. The county's only landfill is nearly full and no new site has been selected.

The two candidates, predictably, agree that incineration in a power-generating facility — an option proposed by Kaumakani sugar plantation Gay & Robinson — seems like a good idea.

Kouchi mentioned another issue: the future of Kaua'i's electric utility, which is up for sale to a cooperative that will be owned by the power users. The county also has voiced interest in buying the utility.

Kouchi said either choice is better than allowing the utility to remain in the hands of an outside corporation.

"It's real important for the people of Kaua'i to be the owners," he said.

If issues do erupt to distance candidates from one another in this campaign, voters should be able to follow them on the Web. Baptiste's campaign has set up a site at baptisteforkauai.com. Kouchi and Valenciano said they'll have their own Web sites soon.

Three other people have taken out papers for the mayor's race but have not filed them or announced their intentions to run. They are Ray Chuan, Lloyd Mallan and Dennis Nimkie.

Besides the three mayoral candidates on the council, a fourth council member, Gary Hooser, has said he will seek a state Senate seat. That would create four vacancies on the seven-member council.

The sudden flush of open seats has raised the hopes of potential council candidates. At least two dozen people are expected to run for the council, with the top 14 vote-getters in the primary advancing to the general election.