Question: Everybody who was running for an elected office who was in office had to quit beforehand: Mufi Hannemann had to quit as mayor, and Neil Abercrombie had to quit Congress. How come James "Duke" Aiona didn’t have to quit his job as lieutenant governor?

Answer: Neil Abercrombie was not required to resign from his congressional seat to run for governor, and neither is Duke Aiona. But for different reasons.

Hawaii’s "Resign to Run" law does not apply to federal offices.

Any person who holds a federally elected office does not need to resign to run for any county, state or federal office. Abercrombie voluntarily chose to do so.

Aiona, meanwhile, can run for governor while still holding elected office because his term would end before he would take his new office, if successful.

Article II, Section 7, of the Hawaii State Constitution says, "Any elected public officer shall resign from that office before being eligible as a candidate for another public office, if the term of the office sought begins before the end of the term of the office held."

Attorney general opinions, meanwhile, have determined that:

» A person who is required to resign from a state or county office currently held must do so no later than when nomination papers for the office sought are filed.

» Officeholders are not required to resign if their successors would be elected at the same election in which the officeholders are candidates for other offices.

MORE SHREDDING

The Waianae Chapter of AARP, assisted by Boy Scout Troop 125, is sponsoring a free paper shredding from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow in the Home Depot parking lot in Kapolei (Kmart end).

Each person can bring up to four file boxes of personal documents to be shredded.

The Leeward event coincides with the free shredding offered by the Hawaii Better Business Bureau as part of Secure Your ID Day. Take up to three boxes or bags of paper, CDs and floppy disks from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow to Aina Haina Elementary School or the Pensacola Street parking lot of McKinley High School. (See "Kokua Line," Oct. 8.)

MO-PED DISPOSAL

For anyone looking to dispose of unwanted mo-peds, the suggestion is to take it to a scrap dealer ("Kokua Line," Oct. 20).

An easy way to do this is via Aloha ‘Aina Earth Day recycling events, held monthly in different neighborhoods.

Mo-peds are among the items accepted, with the total weight of all scrap metal tallied and proceeds given to the host school or organization, said coordinator Rene Mansho, community relations director of Schnitzer Steel Hawaii.

If you would like to request curbside pickup, call Mansho at 306-1876 or e-mail her at RMansho@schn.com.

The next event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at Kanoelani Elementary School, 94-1091 Oli Loop. Also, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 6, Leeward Community College, 98-045 AlaIke St.; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 13, Palama Settlement, 810 N. Vineyard Blvd.; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 4, Kapolei High School, 91-5007 Kapolei Parkway.

To find out what items will be accepted, go to www.opala.org/solid_waste/calendar/calendar.html#aloha_aina or contact Mansho.

Another option: Jeffrey Gilbert is offering to take unwanted mo-peds for free to be recycled for parts or disposed of. Call 341-3814.