Canidate Restrictions

625 Keawe St, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 537-3078

JDC on 03-19-02 at 9:00 am in conference room 229
State Capitol
415 South Beretania Street

Re: HB1012

Dear Committee Members:

We oppose HB#1012 which would add new qualifications for candidates for election to the legislature. Our system suffers from a lack of qualified candidates already. Incumbents often run unopposed or with token opposition. Qualified people are understandably reluctant to change their residence in order to run for a particular office. District lines are arbitrary. A person living in Manoa can’t run for the House District that represents Makiki, but can run for the City Council District that does. A person may live across the street from you, but be unable to run for office in your district because a line divides you.

Currently we have no district residency requirement for our two US Congress seats. Does the Legislature believe Patsy Mink or Neil Abercrombie are less qualified because these requirements are not in place for the offices they hold? Britain with one of the oldest parliamentary systems in the world does not require members to reside in the districts they represent. Winston Churchill didn’t reside in the district he represented. Do you think Winston Churchill was unqualified for the job?

Why should we make such a requirement at the expense of having a better selection of candidates for voters to choose from. Surely if voters do not want to vote for a candidate based on the candidates place of abode they have the power already to do so.

Looking at this bill from a completely different angle, we see that the majority party is unashamed of this vulgar display of power. The party with the most incumbents is least affected by this bill. In fact, a special exemption exists in the wording of this bill to specifically exempt incumbents who have been displaced by the politically dubious redrawing of district lines. Naturally, no such exemption exists for noble challengers displaced by the same means.

This bill does the most harm to the Libertarian Party of Hawaii and their assiduous efforts to bring freedom and prosperity to the great people of Hawaii.

Oppose HB1012.

Sincerely:

John Orendt