Election 2008 and Resa Tsuneyoshi

[Note: I'm back! Sorry for the long absence. No, Dawn and Matt, I'm not telling you why I hate Macy's just yet. I'll post that eventually. Let's just say I no longer have a credit card there.]

Ahh...it's election time. I love election time. I don't know why. I've loved election time from when I was a wee little Kat even though I wasn't old enough to vote. I think the process is fascinating and I really feel that every American citizen over the age of 18 should participate. I used to get into arguments with some of my high school friends over this, as they viewed Election Day as merely a day off of school/work. Sure, Election Day can be a day at the beach. But why not take a few minutes to stop by your local polling place and cast your vote first? And really, as a woman, you owe it to the women who came before you to vote. They weren't given the priviledge of being equal to a man and had to fight for their right to vote.

Anyway, I haven't been paying as much attention to local politics lately and didn't know who I'd choose for my mayoral candidate. Luckily, I managed to catch the televised debate last week. It helped clear a few things up (though I still haven't decided who I'm voting for) but it was way more entertaining than I thought it'd be. I particularly loved the way Mufi Hannemann and Ann Kobayashi regressed to being elementary school students. I think the low point was when they each said that the other one was a meanie and that his/her mommy and daddy were mad. Good times. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a debate before.

I know the primary is tomorrow, but if you haven't made up your mind yet the Honolulu Advertier has a Voters' Guide that is very helpful. You can compare the candidates and see where they stand on a various issues. I had no intention of voting for Resa Tsuneyoshi for Senate but had no strong feelings about her in any way. After reading the Voters' Guide, I am extremely glad that she is not running unopposed.
-Reason 1: She's 19. I've been seeing her quite a few mornings with her bloody signs on my way to work and I wondered how she was able to spend so many mornings campaigning. Now I know why. She was on bloody summer vacation as UH wasn't in session. She's a kid. I would actually have no problems with her age if she wasn't so very 19. Her views (and frankly her website) make it painfully obvious that she has very little life experience and doesn't and will not understand the people she's supposed to represent.
-Reason 2: Her answer to this question: What's the No. 1 thing needed to improve Hawai'i public schools?
Hawaii's public schools need a stronger relationship between teachers, parents, and administration. Parents must volunteer in schools, teachers must keep up with current teaching standards, and administration must create a set of standards and continuously enforce the standards. Um, yeah. A part of me thinks, "No sh*t." Another part of me thinks, "Hello, steps are already being taken throughout the school system to implement this." Another part of me thinks, "Have you heard of NCLB and HCPS?" And yet another part of me thinks, "Do you even know what the problem with Hawaii public schools is?"
-Reason 3: Her answer to this question: What steps should the state take to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel?
--Implementing an even/odd driving schedule according to license plate numbers which limits car on the road. --tax breaks to individuals who utilize public transportation. --additional taxes to individuals who decide to purchase gas-guzzling vehicles. Um, what?!? Do you know who you represent? Do you know where you live and its relation to Honolulu? Are you for real? Oh, and by the way...wasn't that your SUV limo that I was driving next to on my way home from work today? I thought it was...there was an obnoxiously large sign plastered on the side of it with your name on it.
-Reason 4 (and this is a good one): Her answer to this question: What is the No. 1 quality-of-life issue facing Hawai'i, and what would you do about it?
It should be mandatory for one parent to stay home with the children. This parent would be in charge of instilling values and disciplining the children; at the same time, more parents would be available to volunteer in the schools. In return, the parent would receive a tax credit according to the working parent's to offset any loss income. As was my reaction to much of what she said: "Um, what?!?" There are so many things wrong with this statement that I scarcely know where to begin. You want to take away a parent's right to go to work?!? Okay, a) What decade are you living in? What an antiquated way of thinking!, and b) When I become a mother, I will definitely continue to work. Not because I have to (though I do), but because I want to. And quite frankly, I think many members of my community feel the same way. Yes, we value family. However, we also value hard work and you really do not know the people you represent. And you want one parent to be in charge of "instilling values and disciplining the children?" When we have kids, those children will definitely be the product of mom and dad. If one is working all the fricking time, those children will not be the product of mom and dad. That child will be the product of mom or dad. And "the parent will receive a tax credit...to offset any loss income?" Um, that's a pretty big tax credit that will have to be given. As in most families, we each contribute a fairly large portion to our joint income. One person not receiving a paycheck would be a huge financial hardship that no tax credit would lessen that hardship enough that the one parent allowed to work wouldn't have to take a second and a third job. I, like most of my friends, am the product of both a working mom and dad. We all came out fine. We value family and hard work. My parents did not raise me to be a stay at home mom, nor did I work my arse off getting an advanced degree to become one. The same goes for my husband. I have nothing against parents who choose to stay home with their kids. I think it's the right decision for them. It is not a decision that should be imposed upon those of us unwilling and uninterested in doing so.
-Reason 5 (yep, there's more): The fact that I was driving home from work next to a limo SUV with a huge Resa Tsuneyoshi sign on it. I've never had the greater huge to roll down my window and flip someone the bird before (I also resisted the urge to pull over yesterday morning to tell all of this to the girl herself. Yeah, I'm proud of me, too).

Go out and vote tomorrow!