POLITICS & ENVIRONMENT
BEST GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE
Neil Abercrombie
Former Congressman Abercrombie still faces a tough primary battle with Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann before he even gets to the general election, but if MauiTime readers had their way he’d win in a landslide. For a primer on Abercrombie’s positions and policies, see our June 3 Q&A with him; in short, he’s putting education at the forefront of his campaign, clearly in an effort to distinguish himself from the current (and soon-to-be termed out) governor, whose own education record is spotty to say the least (see Best State Blunder). In the end, whether he wins or loses, Abercrombie is committed; he quit his Congressional post earlier this year to focus full time on his campaign, a decision for which he drew some heat. His defense: “I’m running for governor. You run for governor, you go all in.” @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: Mufi Hannemann
BEST MAYORAL CANDIDATE
Mayor Charmaine Tavares
Clearly, MauiTime readers have mixed feelings about Mayor Tavares. On the one hand, you voted her your favorite Mayoral candidate (in a squeaker over former Mayor Alan Ararkawa). But you also voted her runner up for Scariest Public Figure. ‘Guess it’s one of those love-hate things. We’ve made our feelings about the Mayor clear, but she is the incumbent and has already racked up a number of key endorsements, so it would certainly be unwise to discount her. On the other hand, the field of candidates vying to unseat her is large and diverse; whatever the outcome, this promises to be an interesting race. @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: Alan Arakawa
EDIT PICK: Best (Non) Candidate Who Should be on the County Council
Lucienne De Naie
We’ve blown this horn before, giving her multiple endorsements and even putting her on the cover, but Maui has repeatedly said “no.” It’s hard to figure out why. De Naie is a tireless advocate, especially for environmental issues, but more importantly she’s smart as a whip, sensitive but tough, passionate, full of integrity and knows her stuff inside and out. Other current councilmembers combine some of those qualities, but none have the full package. De Naie says she isn’t planning to run this year but may consider doing so at some point down the road. Hopefully by then voters will have finally realized she’s part of the solution. @jacobshafer
BEST COUNTY OFFICIAL
Gladys Baisa
For years, this category has been the sole possession of Councilmember Jo Anne Johnson, who’s leaving the council because of term limits. Now, MauiTime readers have spoken, and Johnson’s heir apparent has emerged: Councilmember Gladys Baisa. Whether Baisa will have a run like Johnson’s (on the council or in BOM voting) remains to be seen, but for now it’s clear her Pukalani-Kula-Ulapalakua constituents, and voters islandwide, have warmed to her generally friendly, amenable demeanor. Baisa’s known as a peacemaker, a role she gets to play frequently on a council with some big, competing personalities. Even a mini-scandal involving a tax exemption claim on a home outside her district wasn’t enough to shake readers’ belief that Gladys is one of the white hats in county government. @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: Jo Anne Johnson
WORST ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE
Water
Maui’s breathtaking beauty and fragile ecological balance make for an array of pressing environmental issues—but they all come back to water. Do we have enough? Is it being properly allocated? Are we keeping it clean? From wastewater injection wells to stream flow restoration, taro farmers to golf courses and mega resorts, the water question is raised again and again in different contexts. It makes sense: our bodies, after all, are mostly made up of the stuff. We can’t live without it, and so it follows that we should protect and defend it with our lives. @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: Cane Burning
POLITICAL ACTIVIST
Lahaina Honolua Senior Citizens
In 1970, according to the text of a 2005 resolution honoring the group’s 35th anniversary, the Lahaina Honolua Senior Citizens Club was formed with a roster of 53 members. Over the years they’ve been an active force in the community, testifying at meetings, contributing to boards and commissions and volunteering. Though most people pay lip-service to honoring the elderly, often they’re a forgotten group, pushed to the margins and ignored. Kudos to the Senior Citizens Club for making sure that doesn’t happen on Maui, and for proving once again that age truly is a state of mind. @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: Lance Holter
WORST COUNTY BLUNDER
Merrill Lynch Investment
I have to say, I’m proud of our readers for this one. This was an underreported story—though it got some good coverage in February from MauiTime contributor Doug Levin—about how the county and state were left holding the bag on some bad investments, made around the time the bottom started to fall out of the global economy. The county sued to reclaim its $32 million, but the bigger question was (and remains) whether state and local governments—and the rest of us for that matter—will be able to resist getting suckered into the next financial bubble. @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: TVRs
WORST STATE BLUNDER
Furlough Fridays
For the second straight year, this was a no-brainer. While 2009 brought the collapse of the Superferry, 2010 was all about Furlough Fridays. As the economy declined and cuts loomed, the teachers’ union ratified a contract that called for less instructional days. Not surprisingly, the public revolted, and it quickly became clear that the union and Gov. Lingle had to go back to the bargaining table to come up with a different solution. That’s when the dysfunction and mayhem really set in. Barbs were traded in the press, protests were staged and ultimately parents were arrested in the Governor’s office. It was a PR nightmare that brought shame and federal finger-wagging on Hawaii. But most of all it was a huge disservice to our keiki who were caught in the middle. A law passed this year frees up money to ensure no furloughs in the 2010-’11 school year. That’s a start, but the work of improving our state school system has just begun. @jacobshafer
Runner Up: DLNR Reef Damage in S. Maui
BEST METER MAID
Officer Keith Taguma
OK, we admit it. We created this category especially for Taguma, and you readers obliged by overwhelmingly voting him in (see the runner up for evidence of just how big a landslide it was). If you don’t know Taguma you’ve never driven (or, more to the point, parked) in Wailuku. He’s the half-man, half-cyborg meter maid from hell, seemingly able to be in multiple places at once, constantly nailing people (including, it should be said, pretty much everyone in the MauiTime office) for safety stickers that expired yesterday or for staying 2 hours, 1 minute in a 2-hour space. Yes, technically he’s just doing his job. But he does it with such fervor and steely eyed glee it’s hard to feel anything other than contempt for the man. And we haven’t even mentioned the checkered past that led him to his current, unglamorous position (Google “State v. Estrada” if you’re curious). Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to move our car. @jacobshafer
Runner-Up: We Have Meter Maids Here?
BEST COMMUNITY NON-PROFIT
Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO)
MEO’s mission statement—to provide “Basic tools for living, for earning, for self-reliance [and] for community involvement”—has always been important. But since the beginning of the financial crisis it’s become particularly prescient; now more than ever people need a lifeline, a support system, a hand up. And, of course, MEO can always use help, in the form of volunteers and donations. If you think they’re doing important work—and clearly you do based on this vote—pitch in. A rising tide, as they say, lifts all boats. 189 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, 877-7651, meoinc.charityfinders.org @jacobshafer
Runner Up: Maui Food Bank
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL NON-PROFIT
Pacific Whale Foundatio
PWF deserves this win for all they do to raise awareness about humpbacks, including the important role they play in the ocean’s ecosystem and the global threats they face. But we love them because they get people—conscientiously and carefully, of course—up and close and personal with our majestic annual visitors, offering spectacular views of slapping fins and beaching backs. In all honesty, one of our biggest disappointments with this Best of Maui is that it didn’t come out during whale season so we could get an eye-popping 3D image of a blow hole in action. Ah well, there’s always next year.
300 Maalaea Rd., Suite 211 , Wailuku, 249-8811, pacificwhale.org @jacobshafer
Runner Up: Surf Rider Foundation
WORST POLITICAL SCANDAL
Sol Kaho’ohalahala Residency Challenge
This issue actually popped up last year, when a group of Lanai residents came forward claiming Kaho’ohalahala lived in Lahaina rather than Lanai. Sol ultimately won the Lanai Council seat by a healthy margin, but the legal challenges haven’t let up, and as of this writing are still very much active. Kaho’ohalahala has decided to run for Mayor this year—a position where it doesn’t matter where you live as long as it’s in Maui County—and will almost certainly serve out his current Council term. But it’ll still be interesting to see how this protracted fight plays out, less for Kaho’ohalahala than for the precedent it could set. @jacobshafer
Runner Up: Furlough Fridays
SCARIEST PUBLIC FIGURE
Gov. Linda Lingle
What is there to say about Gov. Linda Lingle that hasn’t already been said (much of it in these pages)? From the Superferry boondoggle to the Furlough Friday dustup to her recent veto of civil union bill HB444, she has been consistently—and often woefully—out of tune with the best interests of Hawaii. The good news is her eight years are nearly up, and in November we’ll elect a new leader, hopefully one with the fortitude and foresight to guide the state forward rather than holding it back. @jacobshafer
Runner Up: Mayor Charmaine Tavares
TOWN TO LIVE
Lahaina
Last year, Lahaina won best place to visit, so I guess what you guys are saying is that it’s just a great place. And we agree. Front Street and the Banyan Tree get all the attention—and deservedly so—but the West side also boasts a ton of cool hidden corners, populated by people with intense pride for their side of the island. The town’s historical significance, both pre- and post-contact is also not to be overlooked. Had Best of Maui been around a few hundred years ago, it’s a safe bet Lahaina—or Lele as it was once known—would have won then, too. @jacobshafer
Runner Up: Kihei
TOWN TO VISIT
Paia
Sure, there are more obvious choices, but we appreciate that our readers went the subtler route and chose this quiet, understated North Shore burgh, which offers a little bit of everything: smiling, spaced-out hippies, sunburned tourists, sand-covered surfer dudes, barefoot backpackers, laid back locals. And, oh yeah, an insane collection of really good restaurants that makes us wish we had four stomachs every time we head out there. Add some awesome nearby beaches, that cool graveyard that’s crumbling into the sea and the fact that this is the last, best stop on the road to Hana and we’re thinking Paia is a pretty awesome place for the people who live there, too. @jacobshafer
Runner Up: Lahaina
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