Aloha … I genuinely appreciate being invited to meet you … In all the years that the Bishop Street Exchange Club has been inviting candidates for public office to speak, I’m probably the first to bring a guitar … I’d like to introduce my wife Carol. Some of you may know Carol as a member of the Board of Education.
One reason I asked Carol to join me is because we would like to share one of Hawaii’s treasures: the beautiful Hawaii Aloha.

The reason we’d like to share this song with you is that it’s very easy to forget—especially when you work downtown every day—how lucky we truly are to live in Hawaii. In fact, sometimes we can even forget that we live on an island.

Carol will translate for us and—if you don’t already know—you’ll see that Hawaii Aloha is actually what the title implies: a love song to Hawaii.

As Don mentioned in his introductory remarks, I am a candidate for Congress representing Hawaii’s second congressional district. It’s a district that includes rural Oahu and all the neighbor islands.

I’ve been involved in public life in Hawaii for many years. And I’ve served on the Honolulu City Council representing nearly 100,000 people on West Oahu.

But the reality is that most people, especially on the neighbor Islands, don’t know me.

For that and other reasons, I’m spending as much time as possible campaigning at the grassroots level on every island, walking door to door, introducing myself to people and listening to their concerns.

If you really want to know what’s going on in Hawaii, all you need to do is go door to door. It’s so enlightening, and so important, that I really do believe that all elected officials should be required to go door to door a few days every month.

Let me tell you one story that I believe sums up what people want in their political leaders and captures the essence of the frame of mind of many of Hawaii’s people today.

A few days ago, I was walking door to door on Kauai … in a neighborhood comprised primarily of older Americans of Japanese Ancestry. In a political context, this was a neighborhood that has traditionally—religiously—voted Democrat.

It was hot. No tradewind at all. Not very many people were home. All who were home were courteous. But I was not running out of bumper stickers.

As I approached the next house, I could smell pikake. There was a small yard overflowing with the best-cared for purple, white, and green orchids I’d ever seen.

When I looked up, I noticed someone working in the garden near the back of the house. As I approached, I saw a very small woman, who I estimated to be in her seventies or eighties, weeding the garden. I could tell from her weathered skin, her skill with the spade, and the ease with which she squatted on her heels to work that the incredibly beautiful yard and gardens were her creation and labor of love.

When I greeted her and introduced myself, the woman very pleasantly replied, “If you’re a Republican, don’t waste your time talking to me. Because I never vote for Republicans!”

I really liked this woman. I confessed that I was a Republican. But I told her I wouldn’t consider it a waste of my time if she’d talk story with me. When she didn’t shoo me away, I found a bucket nearby, turned it upside down and sat down. My new friend resumed her weeding and began to tell me her story. (By the way, I’ve changed her name and other details, because I want to protect her privacy.)

This beautiful woman I’ll call “Misako” was born on Kauai more than 80 years ago. She was widowed in her forties and never remarried. She’d been a Democrat her entire life and had spent years campaigning for Patsy Mink. Recognizing a kindred door-to-door campaigner in me, she recounted some of her experiences walking the neighborhood in years past for Patsy Mink and other Democrats, and talked to me about how Kauai and Hawaii had changed over the years.

This charming grandmother asked me why I was running for Congress. When I began to tell Misako my story, she stopped weeding and gave me her full attention.

As I told my new friend, when I was 17 years old, I almost died in a surfing accident. My grief-stricken mother had arranged for a priest to perform the last rites.

When it seemed possible that my life was over, I became overwhelmed with thoughts of regret. I felt I had wasted my life.

As I lay in my hospital bed, I was overwhelmed with the desire to live a life of purpose and meaning. The desire I had as a boy to work for the well-being of others, to help people in some way, was stronger and more real than ever.

The desire to be of service to others was first planted in my heart by my parents. By serving in the Air Force, my Dad—and my Mom—dedicated their lives to serving our country.

This desire to be of service was further strengthened by what I was learning in Church. Visiting monks inspired me—at the age of 14—to join a Catholic Seminary, intent on serving God and His children as a priest.

It wasn’t long, however, before surfing and other teenage interests became front and center.

But my surfing accident woke me up. The understanding I had as a child—that real happiness is found in working for the well-being of others—became a mature understanding in the core of my heart. My desire to be of service to others became stronger than ever and has, to this day, propelled and directed my life.

That desire to be of service has motivated me to try to be the best son, husband, and dad possible; to devote most of my adult life to working with children as an educator, teacher, and coach; to organize Stand Up For America in response to 9/11; to fight for the protection of traditional marriage; to serve on the City Council, and now, to offer to serve the people of Hawaii in Congress.

I was talking fairly fast because I didn’t know how long I’d have before Misako told me she had to get back to her weeding. But this life-long Democrat, sharing space in her garden for the first time with a Republican, wanted to know where I stood on issues and how I differed from my Democrat opponent.

I told Misako that one thing I learned while serving on the Honolulu City Council is that the federal government sucks so much money out of the local community in the form of federal taxes that local government—where basic services such as transportation, education, and law enforcement are provided—are strapped for money.

The typical American works three hours a day to pay taxes—and two of those three hours we work every day is just to pay federal taxes.

Because federal taxes are so high, there’s not much left in local government coffers or in the people’s pockets. And it’s not just here in Hawaii—all over the country, the cities and counties have to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to provide basic services.

That’s why I want to reduce federal taxes—to make money available for basic services and to put money back into people’s pockets so they can have more to spend here at home, and, yes, to set aside for a rainy day. The reality is that we’re over-taxed and under-served.

That’s why I’ve signed the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge to not vote to increase federal taxes. Ed Case, on the other hand, refuses to sign the Tax Pledge. Case refuses to pledge not to increase our federal taxes. The Americans for Tax Reform give Case a rating of 20% and say that as our congressman Case has voted in favor of 80% of the bills that would raise your taxes. (atr.org)

Another congressional watchdog organization, the Citizens Against Government Waste, rates Ed Case “Unfriendly” to taxpayers based on his performance in Congress regarding saving taxpayers money. (cagw.org)

The Citizens Against Government Waste examine congressional votes to determine which members of Congress protect tax dollars and which members fritter away our hard-earned money.

With a rating of 21%, Case is just two points better than “hostile” and ranks solidly at the hostile end of the “unfriendly” to taxpayers range.

I oppose the estate tax—otherwise known as the “Death Tax” and will fight to have the tax permanently repealed.

Case voted against the permanent repeal of the “Death Tax.” Case voted to keep the Death Tax in place and establish a tax rate of 49%!

I support the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This Act provided the most significant tax cut to American taxpayers in over 20 years, benefiting small business and taxpayers alike.

Case voted against the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act.
Case voted not once but twice against the Tax Cut Package and Child Credit Preservation and Expansion Act of 2003. Among other benefits to Hawaii’s families, the Act that Case voted against would have increased the child tax credit to $1,000.

Case even voted against a recent effort by members of Congress to cut federal spending by placing a cap on how much of our money Congress can spend.

As I pointed out to my friend in her garden, I find it ironic that although Case says he believes the Number One issue in America today is the national deficit and out of control federal spending, Case has done little to help cut federal spending or reduce taxes.

I also explained to Misako that I don’t agree that the Number One issue in America today is the national deficit.

I believe the most important issue facing post-9/11 America is national defense and homeland security. Nothing is more important than the safety of our people.

Everything else depends on our nation being secure. Take our economy, for example.

Events following the terrorist attack of 9/11 proved that without security, economic prosperity is impossible.

It took more than a year for Hawaii’s economy to recover from the terrorist attack of 9/11 in New York City. People were afraid to travel; tourists stayed home; unemployment rose.

It would take just one horrible terrorist attack in Hawaii—such as with a large bomb detonated aboard a ship docked in Honolulu—to devastate our economy. Without security, there will be no prosperity.

Conversely, security without prosperity is also impossible. Without prosperity we won’t be able to afford to do all that needs to be done to make our nation and state truly secure. To have the required prosperity, we need to recognize the source of America’s prosperity: the entrepreneurial spirit of our small business men and women and the hard work of our labor force.

Government needs to help, not hinder, our small business men and women who form the foundation of America’s prosperity.

I told Misako that I believe small businesses need to be protected from frivolous lawsuits. I also believe we should demand that people take responsibility for their own behavior. Case evidently doesn’t share those beliefs, since he voted to allow overweight individuals to sue restaurants for their obesity. Case thinks restaurant owners should be held liable if their patrons over-eat and get fat!

In another anti-small business/anti-individual responsibility vote, Case voted to allow negligence lawsuits against firearm manufacturers and vendors when criminals use firearms illegally. If Ed Case had his way, a small company that manufactures a firearm—and the gun store owner who sells that firearm—could be sued for negligence if the gun is used in the commission of a crime.

Misako asked me if Ed Case were a lawyer. I said yes. She said that might explain the way he votes.

I agreed. That might also explain why Case voted against medical malpractice reform. I support efforts to reduce excessive litigation costs and enhance patient access to quality health care. Case voted against medical malpractice reform aimed at reducing patient and taxpayer costs.

Unfortunately, I told Misako, most members of Congress, like Case, are lawyers. Nothing against the lawyers in the room today, but I’m sure you would agree that there are enough lawyers in Congress already. It’s our children’s education—not the interests of lawyers—that needs more attention.

Of 535 members of Congress, only 35 members have a background in education. Most folks would agree that if we’re serious about improving education, we need and deserve more educators in Congress.

When Carol and I first met, we were going to college on the mainland with plans to dedicate our lives to education. Carol wanted to be a speech pathologist while I wanted to be a teacher, and a coach. We quickly realized that we had one important thing in common: our love for children and the desire to devote our lives to educating young people.

One of the main reasons I’m a candidate for Congress is to focus federal attention on education. I’m not talking about focusing more bureaucratic attention on Hawaii’s educational needs. In fact, I’m in favor of reducing the size and scope of the federal Department of Education and sending some of the $60 billion spent every year on education at the federal level, back here to Hawaii. I want to get some of our tax dollars back here to spend on education—and let our principals, teachers, and parents—not federal bureaucrats—decide how that money should be spent to better educate our children.

As a lifelong educator, teacher and coach, there’s one thing I know about kids. They don’t see themselves as Republicans or Democrats. They just want to learn. We need to base education-related decisions not on partisan politics but on our aloha for our kids.

I told Misako that my desire to be of service naturally extends to caring for the environment.

Shortly after I was elected to the Council, I discovered developers were poised to put a landfill—a garbage dump—over the Pearl Harbor aquifer. It was almost a done deal. It blew my mind that we were going to be gambling with the purity of the drinking and bathing water for 70% of Oahu’s residents from Waianae to Hawai’i Kai.

I thought, “Wait a minute, 10 or 20 years from now, our grandchildren might not have water! The effect would be devastating on our people and our economy. Two-thirds of Oahu could become uninhabitable. Hundreds of thousands of people would need to move to the mainland or neighbor islands, creating chaos.” I was determined to stop it and I’m very happy that we succeeded.

If I didn’t accomplish anything else in my life, just knowing that I helped protect our children and their children’s source of fresh water for generations to come is satisfying all by itself.

I’m also pleased that while on the City Council I’ve helped move Hawai’i closer to the day when we will no longer view landfills as a solution to our solid waste disposal challenge. In a project I’ve dubbed “Ship it Out,” I traveled to the mainland at my own expense to study the viability of shipping Hawai’i’s trash to environmentally-friendly landfills on the mainland. Taking the lead in this area has moved Hawai’i closer to the day when we will no longer be dependent on landfills. The “Ship it Out” concept is not a long-term solution to our solid waste disposal problem, but it is a viable, environmentally friendly solution while we work on a cost-effective, permanent high-tech solution.

I also told Misako about Stand Up for America—an organization I formed in response to the attack of 9/11. SUFA is dedicated to inspiring all of us as Americans to stand up for our country and the freedoms and democracy we all cherish, and to provide opportunities to people to express our solidarity and patriotism.

I pointed out that Ed Case voted against the National Defense Authorizations Act of 2004. He voted against appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military activities, including weapons, ammunition, and military family benefits.

As the son of parents who devoted their lives to serving in the military, and as one whose daughter is volunteering to risk her life in the service of our country, I know the importance of supporting our military and military families.

I also appreciate the fact that the family is the foundation of our culture. I explained to Misako how diametrically opposed Ed Case and I are on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation of family and therefore civilization itself. Marriage is also connected to every issue and problem we face, be it education, crime, small business, etc. This is a reality that most people instinctively understand. That’s why 70% of the people in Hawai’i oppose same-sex marriage and want traditional marriage protected.

Soon after the Hawaii Supreme Court essentially legalized same-sex marriage in Hawaii in 1993, I formed the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values and began campaigning for a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage.

On the other side in the battle was Ed Case—defending the State Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage and doing everything he could to prevent the people of Hawaii from having the chance to override the Supreme Court’s ruling by means of a constitutional amendment.

As you probably remember, the people of Hawaii set aside any differences in race, religion, or politics and, in 1998, worked together and turned out in record numbers to vote in favor of the constitutional amendment. An overwhelming 70% of Hawaii’s voters said “No” to same-sex marriage and “Yes” to protecting traditional marriage.

Unfortunately, Case didn’t accept the defeat—and didn’t respect the clear mandate from Hawaii’s people. Even after 70% of Hawaii’s people said we do not want same-sex marriage legalized no matter what you call it, then-state legislator Ed Case continued trying to legalize same-sex marriage through the back door by calling it “civil unions” or “domestic partnerships.”

In 2002, when he was campaigning for Governor, Case spoke to a very appreciative audience at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center and boasted about his role in the effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Hawaii.

To use his own words, Case said he has “championed … and will continue to champion … the war” to legalize same-sex marriage.

Misako said, “That’s not right. It’s wrong to legalize same-sex marriage.”

I agree with Misako and 70% of Hawaii’s voters that we need to protect traditional marriage. That’s why I support the Federal Marriage Amendment to protect traditional marriage in Hawaii and across the country.

Of course, just as Ed Case used his position as a state legislator to actively oppose the state constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage in Hawai’i, he is now using his position in Congress to actively oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment. (Case even voted against the Marriage Protection Act before Congress this summer that would prevent federal courts from overturning Hawai’i’s constitutional amendment and laws in other states protecting traditional marriage. The reality is that Case wants same-sex marriage legalized.)

With activist judges in Massachusetts and elsewhere rewriting our constitution from the bench, it’s just a matter of time before Hawaii’s law protecting traditional marriage is challenged—paving the way for judges to overturn the people’s decision.

Our Founding Fathers never intended to allow judges to change the Constitution without the people’s input. If activist judges are allowed to make these decisions, the people of Hawaii and the rest of America won’t have any input at all. That’s why we must pass the Federal Marriage Amendment—so the people’s voice will be heard.

I assured Misako that as her representative in Congress I will fight to protect traditional marriage.

She said, “But will you be able to be effective in Congress as a Republican?
I said, Yes—I will be able to be effective in Congress precisely because I’m a Republican. Like it or not, Congress is and will be dominated by Republicans for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, as a newcomer and a member of the Minority Party, Ed Case has no real power or influence in Congress. The reality is that a member of the Minority Party in Congress with very little seniority is simply not able to be effective.

Since he was elected to Congress, Case has introduced 18 bills. Of that number, only one bill has passed. It renamed a post office on Maui.

As a member of the Majority Party in Congress, I will be able to be effective immediately.

Hawai’i’s congressional team is presently made up entirely of Democrats. Our delegation would be much more effective if it included a Republican.

As a Republican, I will be able to open doors and channels presently closed to our congressional delegation. With a Republican member in Hawai’i’s delegation, we will still speak with one voice for Hawai’i, but that voice will be heard by Republicans as well as Democrats. We need this balanced congressional delegation to more effectively serve the people of Hawai’i. I am not a very partisan person. I work very well with Democrats and Republicans. I have respect for Senior Senators Inouye and Akaka, and Rep. Abercrombie, and I’m confident that we will be able to work in harmony and effectively as a team on issues of special concern to Hawai’i.

About then, Misako looked past me, acknowledging someone entering the yard. It was Carol, wondering what had happened to me—wondering why I had left her to finish the rest of the street. I was proud to introduce my wife and my new friend to one another. I thanked Misako for talking story with me. She smiled when I said I hoped she didn’t feel I wasted her time. When Carol and I got home from Kauai a few days later, I found this letter waiting for me.