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• had some experience with labor organizations having served as the Assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO, Unity House, having served with the Teamsters and the Hotel Workers, so I do have a labor background and I say that we have come a long way. And there may be those of you who are affiliated with Labor Unions who would vehemently disagree. My firm belief that people today are voting for candidates based on their stands on the issues and that may be a bit of naivete on my part but that's how I believe. A small legislative body such as a County Council with nine members can ill afford to waste time and energy engaged in party politics or attempting to champion certain party planks or party lines for the reasons I articulated earlier. The needs of the people; public health and safety, do not, in my opinion, depend on partisan politics. In a small legislative body, every members' voice and vote is critically important. The issues that come before the body cross party, lines. They can't afford to "ice" out any member because he or she belongs to the "wrong" party. Party loyalty or the expectations of party leaders, may put undue pressure on elected officials to deny positions of authority or power to members of other parties. And sometimes members of the "other" party may be the more qualified to hold certain positions. Nonpartisan elections do not save the City or the County money insofar as election costs are concerned. There are still two elections; the first Special Election, and the second Special Election, so doing this to save money, I don't think is going to be a benefit. However, nonpartisan elections serve to level the playing field for candidates, allowing all candidates of all political persuasions to go head to head in the first election, and if they prevail, to avoid the expense of the second election. Partisan primaries tend to cause candidates to need to raise more money because they must compete in a minimum of two elections, the Primary and the General. As a member of the City Council of Honolulu, and as the only Republican, I don't think in terms of party politics. I have served as Vice Chair, as Chair of the Budget, Chair of Parks, Chair of Public Safety, virtually in every capacity that has been made available to me and I have worked with all of my colleagues. There is no division as to who is in the majority and who is in the minority, and I have been able to work my legislation through the agony and the ecstasy of three readings, a public hearing, and in most cases, have seen the legislation that I proposed become law, including the Lease to Fee Conversion Bill 91-95. A very controversial bill which the Bishop Estate worked very hard to dump and, I must say, to the credit of my colleagues who are Democrats, we did see that bill through. I think it was a very important bill although there are those who would, to this day, suggest that it is unfair and should not be consistent with the Land Reform Act of 1962, which was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of the United •