Local time-share super PAC drops $43K on Keith Regan
Campaign finance reports show which candidates in Maui County garnered the most favor from super PACs
A super PAC of Maui time-share owners has spent more than $43,000 to support Keith Regan, who is running for one of the two open Maui County Council seats, according to campaign spending reports filed last week.
The One Ohana PAC reported spending the money on radio and online ads and on media consulting services in the past seven months in support of Regan, Maui County's managing director. He is running for the Wailuku, Waihee and Waikapu council residency seat, being vacated by Mike Victorino because of term limits.
By law, super PACs can have no connection to candidates, who have no control over super PAC doings. Candidates do not directly receive funding from super PACs.
In the primary election Saturday, Regan faces former Maui County Council Member Dain Kane; former firefighter and police officer Joe Blackburn; community activist Alika Atay and Maui County Recycling Coordinator Hana Steel.
Other super PACs supporting Maui County candidates are S.A.F.E or Sustainable Action Fund for the Environment and Hawaii Center for Food Safety Action Fund, according to the state Campaign Spending Commission website.
The super PACs had a Wednesday deadline to file their spending reports for Jan. 1 to July 29 with the commission.
In 2014, One Ohana PAC, known then as Maui Timeshare Ohana, spent at least $74,000 in endorsing first-time political candidate Ka'ala Buenconsejo, who was running against incumbent Council Member Elle Cochran. Buenconsejo currently is the director of the county Department of Parks and Recreation and lost his run to Cochran for the West Maui residency seat.
The PAC also spent money to support victorious Council Member Mike White and Joe Pontanilla, who lost to incumbent Don Guzman for the Kahului residency council seat, in that election.
Time-share owners and their representatives have long sought tax relief from the county, saying they contribute millions per year to the county and are part-time Maui residents, similar to condominium owners. However, they pay more than five times the homeowner property tax rate.
One Ohana PAC also is supporting Yuki Lei Sugimura, who is seeking the open Pukalani, Kula, Ulupalakua council residency seat being vacated by Gladys Baisa due to term limits.
One Ohana spent $6,600 on radio and online advertising and on voice-over and consulting fees for both Regan's and Sugimura's campaigns in July. The July expenditures for both candidates were listed together and not separately.
In Saturday's primary, Sugimura, an event planner and small business owner, faces kumu hula and community leader Napua Greig-Nakasone, Women Helping Women Executive Director Stacey Moniz and Maui Arts & Cultural Center Events Manager Eric Molina.
The top two candidates will advance to the general election in November.
Another PAC, S.A.F.E., spent $19,000 on a mailer and postage for Maui County Council, Maui County state House candidates and three Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees candidates. Mark Sheehan, a Maui community activist, is listed as the chairman for the committee.
S.A.F.E.'s website says the super PAC "fosters a spirited 'right to environmental and community health' platform that directly addresses health, land and legal implications in the state of Hawaii - which has no laws or regulations on genetically engineered crops and growing practices.
"Its mission is to empower a growing base of well-informed citizens and legislators to change the way we utilize our natural resources."
S.A.F.E. noted that it is a sister organization to the SHAKA Movement. SHAKA, which stands for Sustainable Hawaiian Agriculture for the Keiki and the Aina, led Maui's first successful voter initiative in 2014. The initiative, which garnered a slight majority of voters, called for a moratorium on farming of genetically modified organisms. It was struck down in June 2015 by a U.S. district judge and is currently before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Atay was one of the leaders of the SHAKA Movement and was included in the mailer by S.A.F.E. Others endorsed on the mailer and their races follow: Trinette Furtado, Makawao, Haiku and Paia residency council seat; Nakasone; Richard DeLeon and Kelly King, both running for the South Maui council residency seat; Richard Abbett, Democrat, House District 8; Rep. Kaniela Ing, Democrat, House District 11; Tiare Lawrence, Democrat, House District 12; Alex Haller, Democrat, House District 13; Council Member Elle Cochran, West Maui residency seat; Council Member Don Guzman, Kahului residency seat; Shane Sinenci, East Maui council residency seat; Keani Rawlins Fernandez, Molokai council residency seat and Gabe Johnson, Lanai council residency seat.
The super PAC Hawaii Center for Food Safety Action Fund has spent $1,838 on a postcard mailer in support of Lawrence, who is battling Democratic incumbent Kyle Yamashita.
According to its website, the Hawaii Center for Food Safety Action Fund "is committed to protecting human health and the environment in Hawaii from potentially harmful industrial farming practices and by promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture." To accomplish its mission, Hawaii needs to elect "officials who will stand up to biotech and agrochemical companies and support local and sustainable farming practices in Hawaii."
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