HILO, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Billy Kenoi and Harry Kim have known each other for decades. Kim coached Kenoi when Kenoi was just eight years old. And Kenoi was Kim's executive assistant when Kim was mayor. So it was a friendly matchup when the two candidates for Hawaii County Mayor met Friday in a candidates forum at the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
One of the topics at the forum was what to do with the island's trash as the Hilo Landfill nears capacity. Mayor Kenoi pointed to Oahu's H-Power facility as something that Hawaii County can emulate.
"They (Oahu) have four times as much trash as we do, over a thousand tons. They generate over 50 megawatts of energy that powers over 40,000 homes, and they do it for a cost of 91 dollars per ton," said Kenoi.
"Whether waste to energy will be the solution here, I don't know," said former mayor Kim. "It may be something we'll pursue, but we will pursue alternatives besides a landfill."
Perhaps the most pointed disagreement between the two had to do with Community Development Planning on the Big Island, a program started by Kim when he was mayor.
"By law, government will work with the public to determine their lifestyle and the future of their land," said Kim. "I think it's very important that we do this, by ordinance, by law. I was not happy with this administration not fully embracing it."
Kenoi countered that his administration has started even more community development plans several Big Island districts. But, he added, "Community development plans are important because they give the community meaningful input. But they do not supersede community services that everybody expects every day."
Both candidates also came out in support of geothermal energy, but with close government oversight.
"I am here to support geothermal," said Kim. "I am here to tell you we must do it safely like California does it. We must enforce rules and regulations and not depend on the private industry to tell you what the situation is in regards to public safety."
"Currently we have 38 megawatts being produced," said Kenoi about Puna Geothermal Venture's plant. "A lot of fear and questions are going around that there will be a thousand megawatts and industrialization of Puna. And the politics of fear is the worst politics of all."
Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Harry Kim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Kim. Show all posts
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Harry Kim to File for Mayor
By Dave Smith - June 4, 2012
Source: Big Island Now
Former two-term mayor Harry Kim today took out nomination papers to run for the chief executive position on the Big Island.
Kim told Big Island Now this afternoon that he will definitely file to run for mayor tomorrow, which is the election deadline for the Aug. 11 primary election.
Kim’s candidacy adds a significant twist to the mayor’s race where he will become the 10th candidate, according to Friday’s report from the state elections office.
Those with the highest profiles, incumbent Mayor Billy Kenoi and County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Kim, 72, served as mayor from 2000-2008 after a 24-year stint as director of the county’s Civil Defense Agency. He was prevented by term limits from running for re-election immediately after that.
Kim knows his chief opponents well.
Yagong ran against him for mayor in the 2004 nonpartisan primary where he received 26% of the vote to Kim’s 62%. Kim has known Kenoi for many years and coached him as a player on the Waiakea High School football team. Kenoi also served as an executive assistant in the last six years of Kim’s administration.
Kim said he didn’t have qualms with either candidate who he said have a “different style of management” from him. Kim had endorsed Kenoi’s bid for mayor in 2008.
Kim said today that his return to politics was largely driven by actions that occurred during the past session at the state Legislature dealing with geothermal development.
He said he was disheartened by the easing of restrictions for those activities including the removal of the requirement for subzones for geothermal development.
But what prompted him into direct action, Kim said, was a request from DLNR Director William Aila Jr. to the state Environmental Council. Aila had asked the panel to exempt exploratory geothermal drilling from the state law that mandates the preparation of an environmental assessment or the more rigorous environmental impact statement.
Kim said he was dumbfounded when a committee of the council voted almost unanimously to recommend approval of Aila’s request.
“I couldn’t believe (the committee) did this,” Kim said. “I said, nah, they wouldn’t do that.”
After being urged to intervene by Gary Hooser, head of the state Office of Environmental Qualify Control, Kim spent four days researching the matter and preparing testimony.
After Kim appeared in person before the full Environmental Council in Honolulu, its members reversed the committee’s recommendation and voted to deny the change Aila had requested.
After that, “I really started thinking about geothermal, safety and health in government,” he said. “How could they do this?”
Kim said he also wondered how, if the exemption stood, government could justify requiring environmental studies for other types of projects.
Kim said his jaw dropped when he heard Aila say drilling for geothermal is comparable to drilling for water.
“I realize that some people truly think that geothermal is harmless,” he said. “I would think people in authority should do some research.”
Kim said he decided to re-enter politics to make sure geothermal and other development “is done right.”
“I realized that it’s not just about geothermal, it’s about faith in government,” he said.
Kim said another subject he is concerned about is solid waste. He said he has never been a proponent of landfills anywhere in Hawaii, and believes the solution is a plant like Oahu’s H-Power where garbage is burned to generate electricity.
He acknowledged that the waste-to-energy facility considered during his second term carried a steep price tag of $125 million, but feels that it’s the government’s duty to find a way to do it affordably.
He said he was also opposed to the County Charter amendment that set aside 2% of county revenues to purchase land to be preserved as open space, partly because it didn’t include funding for maintenance of those lands.
“That’s not a good way to spend public money,” he said, adding that such funding should be found elsewhere.
In the area of public funding, Kim will likely be subjected to questions about his administration’s practice of increasing the size of government during flush times, when soaring property values inflated county coffers.
During Kim’s eight years in office, the county’s operating budget more than doubled to more than $400 million. That included a tax increase of nearly 25% for homeowners sought by Kim and approved by the council for the 2002-03 fiscal year.
Kim said today he will run a campaign similar to his other two, in which he describes himself as an “applicant” for the mayor’s job.
While he has relatively little time for fundraising, that also includes continuing his policy of not taking any campaign donations greater than $10. Kim said no amount of advertising he could purchase would overshadow public perception of his years of public service.
“I worked for the people here for more than 40 years, and by now they should know me and my methods,” he said.
Kim acknowledged that his health could be an issue in the campaign, as he suffered two heart attacks in his final year in office.
“My health at this point is good,” he said, while acknowledging that he is currently undergoing additional cardiac testing.
He also admitted that because of the health issues his family did not want him to run, but supports his decision to do so.
Source: Big Island Now
Former two-term mayor Harry Kim today took out nomination papers to run for the chief executive position on the Big Island.
Kim told Big Island Now this afternoon that he will definitely file to run for mayor tomorrow, which is the election deadline for the Aug. 11 primary election.
Kim’s candidacy adds a significant twist to the mayor’s race where he will become the 10th candidate, according to Friday’s report from the state elections office.
Those with the highest profiles, incumbent Mayor Billy Kenoi and County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Kim, 72, served as mayor from 2000-2008 after a 24-year stint as director of the county’s Civil Defense Agency. He was prevented by term limits from running for re-election immediately after that.
Kim knows his chief opponents well.
Yagong ran against him for mayor in the 2004 nonpartisan primary where he received 26% of the vote to Kim’s 62%. Kim has known Kenoi for many years and coached him as a player on the Waiakea High School football team. Kenoi also served as an executive assistant in the last six years of Kim’s administration.
Kim said he didn’t have qualms with either candidate who he said have a “different style of management” from him. Kim had endorsed Kenoi’s bid for mayor in 2008.
Kim said today that his return to politics was largely driven by actions that occurred during the past session at the state Legislature dealing with geothermal development.
He said he was disheartened by the easing of restrictions for those activities including the removal of the requirement for subzones for geothermal development.
But what prompted him into direct action, Kim said, was a request from DLNR Director William Aila Jr. to the state Environmental Council. Aila had asked the panel to exempt exploratory geothermal drilling from the state law that mandates the preparation of an environmental assessment or the more rigorous environmental impact statement.
Kim said he was dumbfounded when a committee of the council voted almost unanimously to recommend approval of Aila’s request.
“I couldn’t believe (the committee) did this,” Kim said. “I said, nah, they wouldn’t do that.”
After being urged to intervene by Gary Hooser, head of the state Office of Environmental Qualify Control, Kim spent four days researching the matter and preparing testimony.
After Kim appeared in person before the full Environmental Council in Honolulu, its members reversed the committee’s recommendation and voted to deny the change Aila had requested.
After that, “I really started thinking about geothermal, safety and health in government,” he said. “How could they do this?”
Kim said he also wondered how, if the exemption stood, government could justify requiring environmental studies for other types of projects.
Kim said his jaw dropped when he heard Aila say drilling for geothermal is comparable to drilling for water.
“I realize that some people truly think that geothermal is harmless,” he said. “I would think people in authority should do some research.”
Kim said he decided to re-enter politics to make sure geothermal and other development “is done right.”
“I realized that it’s not just about geothermal, it’s about faith in government,” he said.
Kim said another subject he is concerned about is solid waste. He said he has never been a proponent of landfills anywhere in Hawaii, and believes the solution is a plant like Oahu’s H-Power where garbage is burned to generate electricity.
He acknowledged that the waste-to-energy facility considered during his second term carried a steep price tag of $125 million, but feels that it’s the government’s duty to find a way to do it affordably.
He said he was also opposed to the County Charter amendment that set aside 2% of county revenues to purchase land to be preserved as open space, partly because it didn’t include funding for maintenance of those lands.
“That’s not a good way to spend public money,” he said, adding that such funding should be found elsewhere.
In the area of public funding, Kim will likely be subjected to questions about his administration’s practice of increasing the size of government during flush times, when soaring property values inflated county coffers.
During Kim’s eight years in office, the county’s operating budget more than doubled to more than $400 million. That included a tax increase of nearly 25% for homeowners sought by Kim and approved by the council for the 2002-03 fiscal year.
Kim said today he will run a campaign similar to his other two, in which he describes himself as an “applicant” for the mayor’s job.
While he has relatively little time for fundraising, that also includes continuing his policy of not taking any campaign donations greater than $10. Kim said no amount of advertising he could purchase would overshadow public perception of his years of public service.
“I worked for the people here for more than 40 years, and by now they should know me and my methods,” he said.
Kim acknowledged that his health could be an issue in the campaign, as he suffered two heart attacks in his final year in office.
“My health at this point is good,” he said, while acknowledging that he is currently undergoing additional cardiac testing.
He also admitted that because of the health issues his family did not want him to run, but supports his decision to do so.
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