|
I think more things are done if you have built relationships before you get to these real
<br />formal situations.
<br />The other issue I think is real important in going from a two -year to a four -year term is what
<br />I'm finding is what my job is entailing is riding shotgun on projects. I've put in maybe ten,
<br />fifteen projects and they will never come to fruition by that time, I'm realizing. If I'm not
<br />elected next year, whoever is, whether they follow through on it, that's their kuleana. All the
<br />work that I might have done up to this point, is going to go for naught, if whoever is elected
<br />does not see any importance. That is a big issue. In that sense, two years is nowhere close to
<br />getting projects started, and making sure that they get done; that continuity is very critical.
<br />Otherwise, if it is not done, all that work that one council may have done in two years goes to
<br />waste, totally ineffective, a waste of time, a waste of money, whatever you want to call it.
<br />That is a big part of why we need to move forward.
<br />When I think about it, and when I talk to people about the four -year thing, the biggest fear is,
<br />what if we get a bad one. That's the biggest fear that I hear, what if we get a bad one. Now,
<br />in the three things that I mentioned; the education side of things, the effectiveness, the
<br />building of relationships, the riding shotgun on projects, and you balance that with, what if
<br />we get a bad one. Well, in my situation, I was able to get in in the primary. So, there is a
<br />large majority that is going to be okay with what I do. There is a small majority that no
<br />matter what I do will not be happy, therefore, for those people, what if we get a bad one; it's
<br />already there. Their attitude of what if I got a bad one already exists from the minute that I
<br />took office. And I'm experiencing that every day that we have public hearings. So, balance
<br />that concern, what if we get a bad one, between all the things I just talked about, and to me
<br />it's a no brainer. I'm not doing this so that I stay longer, that's not my point. My point is
<br />I'm in the office now, and I'm telling you what I am finding. It makes all the sense to go to
<br />four years, versus two.
<br />Another issue is the finances, especially in times like we have today, economic times. The
<br />State is going to put out money for this new Clean Election's, if you like. So, I don't really
<br />have to go out and go raise money from the people themselves, like I did in the past, because
<br />we will be receiving -- -Well, maybe this is the inequity, some of us will be receiving funds,
<br />and some of us will not. My bottom line with that is, every two years we will be spending a
<br />good six months, so I would say a good one fourth of my term, my mind will be on re-
<br />election, which will make me a little bit ineffective, and take me away from what I should be
<br />doing because I'm worried about whether I will be elected or not. So, I work three quarters
<br />of my term Scott free, and then I got to come back and worry about spending money, maybe
<br />State money, maybe my own money; definitely my own money. But, I'll be working
<br />overtime; I won't be able to just do my campaigning, because now I have to separate that. I
<br />know I will not be as effective for that time that I'm campaigning, because I'll be burning the
<br />candle at both ends trying to assure that I have another term.
<br />So, for all those reasons --I didn't write anything down - -I'm trying to do this because I'm
<br />doing if from what I'm feeling about this particular job. But, anyways, that is my statement
<br />on the four -year. I believe I did hear one of you mention - - -I don't know if it is one of your
<br />3
<br />
|