Ex-allies to face off in contest for Council

In one of the oddities of a tumultuous election year, state Rep. Kymberly Pine will run against City Councilman Tom Berg, her former aide and ally in driving the anti-tax, less government message of the tea party movement.

Pine and Berg had an awkward falling-out after Berg won a special election in December 2010 to fill the west Oahu seat on the Council that Pine had circled for her political future. Their alliance deteriorated further over the city’s $5.27 billion rail project, which Pine favors and Berg wants to block.

"I’m a fiscal conservative but believe the rail project will actually improve the lives and improve the economy here for everybody," said Pine, a Republican who has represented Ewa Beach in the state House since 2004.

"I think our side of the island has sacrificed for many years by having numerous landfills and HPOWER, and I really am hoping to convince the rest of the island that we really need their help, and we need them to support the rail project."

Alex Santiago, a former Democratic Party of Hawaii chairman and social services advocate, and Mel Kahele, a labor leader, are among several others who have said they will run against the confrontational Berg. Santiago and Kahele both support the rail project.

Berg apologized last year after he was accused of disrupting a Waipahu Neighborhood Board meeting and suggested he would change his style after an alcohol-fueled argument with security outside an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation reception.

Berg said on Wednesday that he was not surprised by Pine’s challenge and claimed that she has been using her office to "pander" to voters outside her Ewa Beach district. He predicted that rail would be the issue in the nonpartisan election. He described himself as the only candidate for the west side seat who would help former Gov. Ben Cayetano, who is running for mayor on anti-rail platform, stop the project.

"I’m the only ‘stop the madness, stop this rail’ candidate," he said.

Berg said he did not think his job history with Pine would be relevant to voters.

"The difference between Pine and myself? Pine says she’s against tax increases. But she’s actually for the biggest tax increase in the state’s history, while I’m actually against it," he said of the rail project. "So if you want to call it a falling-out, I find that her stance and position on rail is hypocritical."

Pine, 41, is one of eight Republicans in the 51-member House. She was placed in the same district this year as Rep. Rida Cabanilla (D, Waipahu-Ewa) when political boundaries were redrawn to reflect population changes after the census. Berg also was a former aide to Cabanilla and ran unsuccessfully against her in 2008 and 2010.

Pine and Berg have also been involved in interrelated — and bizarre — disputes with Eric Ryan, a conservative activist who has worked for both politicians but now wants them out of office. Ryan has created unflattering websites mocking Pine and Berg and has released email and voice mail that documents their soured alliance.

Pine, a former legislative researcher who has also worked to help homeless veterans, said she would not campaign as a tea party candidate. She framed her interest in the practical needs of west Oahu residents.

"The biggest thing I want to do is just show the rest of the Leeward coast that we can improve our beaches and our parks. We can get the funding for new roads. We can reduce traffic and improve our communities," she said. "And I think that’s really what City Council is about."

Pine said she does not see her history with Berg as an unusual challenge.

"There will be no drama from me," she said.