Strong choices for City Council

Of the five seats up for grabs on the Honolulu City Council, four are being contested in the Aug. 11 primary because they have more than two candidates in each race. The fifth, District 5, has two candidates, James Hayes and incumbent Ann Kobayashi, who will compete in the general election. If no candidate gets a majority of the votes in the primary, the top two will go to the general.

In all four races listed here, our recommended candidates have different backgrounds and experiences, but share one feature — they support rail transit, the biggest public works project in the state’s history and a critical component to Oahu’s future prosperity.

» District 1 (Leeward Coast, Kapolei, Makakilo, portion of Ewa Beach). Incumbent Tom Berg, the fiery conservative who describes rail transit as "a bait-and-switch scam," is facing four challengers for his seat: E.J. Delacruz, 19, a full-time candidate; Mel Kahele, 60, a lobbyist for the Iron Workers Union Stabilization Fund; Kymberly Pine, 41, a state representative; and Alex Santiago, 55, a former legislator, community activist and Hawaii Psychological Association consultant.

Pine and Santiago have the most credentials, with years of public service and community activism, including multiple terms in the state House. Either could make an excellent Council member.

Our choice is Santiago. District 1 faces a wide range of challenges — rapid urban growth, diminishing agricultural lands, poverty, Native Hawaiian concerns and brutal traffic conditions — that require a Council member who can balance those needs and reach acceptable solutions with other Council members and the city administration. Santiago fits the bill. He is a strong supporter of rail transit and rational growth and, like Pine, opposes another Leeward Coast landfill.

He also has a solid track record as an advocate for the disadvantaged, particularly as executive director of PHOCUSED (Protecting Hawaii’s Ohana Children Underserved Elderly and Disabled). Santiago’s experience and independent nature will serve District 1 well.

» District 3 (Waimanalo, Kailua, Kaneohe). Incumbent Ikaika Anderson faces Chad Kaukani, a retail consultant for Sprint Hawaii, and Deborah Bossley. Anderson has become a vocal presence on the Council, most recently pushing hard for a complete ban on commercial activity at Kailua Beach Park and more Council oversight of the finances of the Hono-lulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, which is overseeing the rail project.

Recently he also displayed a troubling lapse of judgment: He turned a simple parking problem into a mini-tempest, resulting in a city Ethics Commission finding that he violated ethics laws by trying to intimidate city parking personnel over a parking violation warning.

But while we have disagreed with Anderson on a number of issues, he has been a strong advocate for the community he serves. Of the three candidates in this race, he is the best-equipped to continue in that service.

» District 7 (Kalihi, Sand Island, Salt Lake, Hickam Air Force Base, Ford Island). This race features three candidates vying to replace Romy Cachola, who has reached his two-term limit. The political veteran here is state Rep. Joey Manahan, 41, the House vice speaker who is completing his third term. His opponents are Martin Han, 27, who worked as a sales manager at Qualitek International Hawaii before becoming a full-time candidate; and Lillian Hong, 71, a jeweler.

Han, an energetic community volunteer who said he has walked this district three times, demonstrates a sincere and deep understanding of the community he would represent. He wants to tackle some of the most difficult problems in his district — crime, graffiti, trash and poor roads — and improve conditions for the less advantaged, including residents of public housing.

The City Council could use Han’s fresh outlook and enthusiasm.

Also, recent revelations about Mahanan’s campaign spending are troubling: As first reported by Hawaii News Now, Manahan claimed $29,000 in meals between January and June as campaign-related expenses — an extraordinarily high amount for a City Council race and has prompted inquiries by the state Campaign Spending Commission.

» District 9 (Mililani, Kunia, portion of Ewa Beach). Four candidates are running to replace Nestor Garcia, who has reached his two-term limit: Ron Menor, an attorney and veteran legislator; Vai Sua, president of a Waipahu security company; Inam Rahman, a doctor; and Sy Cullen, a teacher at St. Joseph School. Menor’s experience and deep roots in his community give him the edge.

Menor has served in the Legislature at various times between 1982 and 2008, representing many of the same areas he would serve as councilman. He held key leadership positions in the Senate, and has a long history of service in community organizations, including the Lions Club. Menor lost a re-election bid in 2008 in the wake of a no-contest plea to a drunken driving charge.

He still has much to offer, and voters in his district should give him the chance to do so.