Caldwell hopes party label will aid in race against Djou

A new glossy, four-page campaign brochure from Mayor Kirk Caldwell marks a change in his campaign.

Caldwell may be mayor, but that’s not what he’s running as. He’s running as a Democrat, with that D up way high in the copy. And the campaign has clicked over to attack ads.

Inside, the brochure has a compare-and-contrast layout with “DEMOCRAT” Mayor Kirk Caldwell against “REPUBLICAN” Charles Djou. It is obvious that Caldwell can’t expect to hold on to his job by relying on his stewardship of the city’s disastrously over-budget rail project.

The latest Hawaii Poll, taken June 30 to July 9, shows Caldwell trailing Djou 30 percent to 39 percent, in the ostensibly nonpartisan race.

In his brochure’s list of accomplishments, under the transportation heading, Caldwell can only boast that he has “completed nearly half of rail transit guideways” and built the maintenance and storage facility, plus bought some of the needed trains.

What is important is that not only is Caldwell a Democrat in the most blue Democratic state in the union, he is taking aggressive action. His brochure goes after Djou for his voting record on the City Council, in Congress and in the state Legislature.

To polish that Democratic image, Caldwell also brings on board four top Democrats: former Govs. George Ariyoshi and John Waihee, plus former U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka and former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.

Yesterday, Caldwell fired off a campaign email describing Djou’s transit plans as getting “crazier and crazier.” Caldwell says Djou’s proposals would double the cost of rail and wouldn’t work.

“Djou has offered up a hodgepodge of ‘alternate plans,’ all of which would likely cost more time and or money to undertake than to simply complete rail as planned to Ala Moana,” Caldwell said.

In response, Djou yesterday said Caldwell is the one lacking any plan.

If Caldwell wants to build rail past Middle Street, Djou said, the city needs a new supply of money — and Caldwell has not shown how he is going to get it.

“The plans he’s come up with are pure fantasy. No member of the congressional delegation has committed to get more money; members of the Legislature have told the mayor he has no credibility. The only thing left is city taxes,” Djou said in an interview.

As the challenger, Djou is expected to be on the attack. But Caldwell’s campaign is taking the more unusual position of attacking his underdog opponent.

In their own ways, both candidates have come up against the hard reality of a rail system that needs at least $1.5 billion more to be completed, and they come away wanting.

Caldwell has thrown out option after option, as detailed by Honolulu Star-Advertiser transit reporter Marcel Honore.

They range from calling the project pau at Middle Street and then applying to the feds for money and calling the rest of the project an “extension,” to borrowing the money in special federal transit loans.

In the end, what is obvious is that neither Djou nor Caldwell have found a way to get the money to finish the job.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.