WHO GAVE: Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi
WHO RECEIVED: Maui County Councilwoman-elect Gladys Baisa
DATE: Sept. 25, 2006
AMOUNT: $500
This, as far as I can tell from looking through the arcane, voluminous and insufferably dull campaign finance statements so far made public, was philanthropist/realtor/power broker Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi’s final campaign contribution to a Maui official or soon-to-be official. This year alone, Yokouchi gave between $300 and $500 to seven of the nine 2007-2008 Maui County Councilmembers—Baisa, Danny Mateo (who was running unopposed), Michelle Anderson, Mike Victorino, Bill Medeiros, Joe Pontanilla and Mike Molina. He gave council chairman Riki Hokama $350 last year, and $400 the year before. He gave Bob Carroll, who retired this year, $250 back in 2002. In uncertain races, he was known to hedge his bets, too. In 2005, he gave $2,000 to Mayor Alan Arakawa. But earlier this year, he gave another $2,000 to Councilwoman Charmaine Tavares, who ultimately defeated Arakawa. Usually Pundy backed Democrats, but there were notable exceptions. For instance, in 2005 he donated $2,000 to Republican Governor Linda Lingle’s campaign (records show Yokouchi did not contribute any money to Democrat Randy Iwase’s bid to unseat Lingle). See, Pundy usually, but not always, backed winners. This year he gave $2,000 each to Maui County Councilman Dain Kane and former Mayor James “Kimo” Apana in their ultimately fruitless quests to win the mayor’s office.
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