Ra’anui Sumner,
Thanks for sharing the article, which had already been deleted and gone.
I don’t think it was about Ms. Watson’s call for Caldwell’s exit from the governor race.
However, in my view, Civil Beat, (Media and Status Quo), were afraid that Ms. Watson’s call for “fresh start”, wanting for “new leader” like me, (although not directly mentioned), may turn the tide of public sentiment suddenly toward me, from those three announced candidates.
Perhaps, we may be able to find out the true reasons, later.
Aloha.
Here is Ms. WATSON’S deleted article.
“Commentary
Trisha Kehaulani Watson: Time For Kirk Caldwell To Hang It Up
The former Honolulu mayor is trying to run for governor despite the heavy undertow of two top aides facing federal charges.
By Trisha Kehaulani Watson
February 3, 2022 · 5 min read
38
About the Author
Trisha Kehaulani Watson
Trisha Kehaulani Watson is a Kaimuki resident, small business owner, and bibliophile. She holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Hawaii and J.D. from the William S. Richardson School of Law. She writes about environmental issues, cultural resource management, and the intersection between culture and politics. Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Civil Beat’s views. You can follow or contact her on Twitter at @hehawaiiau.
Opinion article badgeI want to say I genuinely like Kirk Caldwell. He was my state representative when I lived in Manoa.
One day, many years ago, I was sitting outside Starbucks and right in front of me, a car plowed through the crosswalk on East Manoa Road, hitting two pedestrians. Thank God we were inches from the Manoa fire station and firemen came racing out to tend to the injured men.
But I was horrified.
I made calls to the offices of council members Ann Kobayashi and Kirk Caldwell and within a few short weeks, crossing flags were installed.
This was my favorite Kirk Caldwell.
This was before …
A Love Of Public Service
Caldwell, as well as the people around him, have said he genuinely loved being mayor. There was no doubt he loved the job, and there were things I loved about his administration, specifically some of the people he hired.
But others …
The federal indictments of two of Caldwell’s top officials, former general counsel Donna Leong and former managing director Roy Amemiya, were a clear sign that concerns about the Caldwell administration had merit. Federal indictments do not happen lightly. It’s clear that the U.S. attorney has been investigating and building the case for years. And they may not be done yet.
If Kirk Caldwell is also being investigated — although so far there has been no indication that he has received a subject or target letter from the U.S. Department of Justice — it would be quite the blow to his legacy, which already wasn’t spectacular. In any case, the charges against his top aides send the public a very alarming message about Caldwell’s leadership skills.
At best, some of his top officials were conducting official acts that resulted in federal charges.
So while in office, Caldwell was at least clueless — and that’s not good.
The Air Is Thin At The Top
Kirk Caldwell is a cautionary tale to other elected officials and other candidates in the 2022 elections: Echo chambers are dangerous.
Elected officials need thick skins, not only publicly but privately. A good elected official invites not only diverse opinions, but establishes an intellectual environment where advisers can debate important issues in an open and informed manner.
Great leaders surround themselves with people who are both smart and highly ethical. There will always be people with individual agendas eager to cozy up to people in power. Great leaders know how to identify these people and keep their distance.
I imagine it sometimes gets hard for elected officials to know who their real friends are. This is why it’s critical for leaders to have people around them who ground them. It’s just too easy to go astray.
And right now, Kirk Caldwell needs good friends around him. He needs people who will be painfully honest with him. The painful, honest truth is that he didn’t have much chance of winning this governor’s race to begin with — and the indictments are the final nail in that coffin.
A screen shot Oct. 26 from Kirk Caldwell’s nascent website for governor.
A screen shot from Kirk Caldwell’s nascent website for governor. Screenshot
He needs to just stop.
Don’t get me wrong. I think anyone has the right to run. I think competition is healthy and important. I’m all for having large slates of great candidates. The thing is, he’s not a good candidate. He’s not a viable candidate. And running just fuels the political fodder and becomes a painful distraction in an election that needs attention and thoughtful consideration.
Time For A New Generation Of Leaders
We need a fresh start. We need fresh faces. We need fresh ideas.
People are exhausted and frustrated. The disconnect between the government and the people has never been greater. And I just don’t feel that the public has the patience or the appetite for empty promises and platitudes.
Voters aren’t dumb. Stop treating us as statistics to be manipulated and controlled. Treat us as people. Treat us as individuals and families that have so much to lose in the upcoming elections.
Politics may be some peoples’ careers, but policies affect our lives.
My hope is that every candidate thinks hard about how they are going to improve the lives of Hawaii’s residents. I’m not talking academic exercises, I’m talking real, immediate, direct benefits. Reducing the cost of living. Making housing affordable. Increasing wages. Creating jobs. Making classrooms safe for students and teachers.
Elections should not be about what candidates want, but rather what the people need. What’s best for the residents? What’s best for our families? I’m not talking donors, I’m talking about the people who can’t afford to donate or just don’t want to donate.
I’m talking about the people who so often become invisible in politics.
And perhaps the only way to make our leaders listen is to vote. Voting matters, because it is the great equalizer. Whether you donate $6,000 or nothing, everyone gets the same one vote. But that vote only has power when we exercise that right.
And if we are unwilling to exercise that right and that power, then we will get the government we deserve.”