The Oahu Board of Registration will reopen a hearing on a challenge to the
voter registration of House Speaker Calvin Say at 9 a.m., Thursday, Oct.
12, 2006, at the State Office Building, 3rd Floor Conference Room (near the
Campaign Spending Commission office).
I brought the challenge, which was
heard by the Board on September 29th.
Instead of issuing a ruling, the
Board has reopened the case to further question Mr. Say.
My challenge is based upon my contention that Say and his family
have, for a significant time, lived with in-laws in Pauoa and thereby have
surrendered any claim to legitimate voter registration in Palolo.
The Says
reply that they do have the family in Pauoa, but that they “shuttle” between
the two homes regularly and that Palolo is their fixed habitation.
The notion of the Says "shuttling" between the two houses is a complete
falsehood.
The now college-aged boys attended Pauoa
Elementary School and lived in Pauoa virtually their whole lives. The Says
have lived in an extended family situation in Pauoa for over 15 years.
The
Says did not abandon their children. The pretext of the Palolo home serves
only one purpose: to maintain voter registration in District 20 (and
therefore maintain Calvin’s eligibility to hold his seat in the House
representing District 20).
I have observed that the Palolo house
sits vacant most of the time and shows little sign of being lived in.
When Mr. or Mrs. Say picked up the kids from school, they
went home to Pauoa. At the end of their work day the Says routinely intend
to return to their family, not in Palolo, but in Pauoa. Mrs. Say claims she
cooks and cleans in Pauoa.
The Says contend they intend to return to live in
Palolo.
After 15 years of living in Pauoa, the Say’s “intent” to
live in Palolo has evaporated. Their intent is proved by their actions.
Mr.
Say’s spending the night in Palolo after community meetings or to be ready
for early sign-waving does not establish residence for electoral purposes.
Your residence is your home, your domicile.
You can’t run a home for a family on $30 a
month from the Board of Water Supply and $50 a month from Hawaiian Electric
as the Say’s utility bills show.
The "intent" clause was put in the law so that, for
example, someone called away on military duty or whose home was demolished
but is being rebuilt can live away from their district and still maintain
their voting privileges. Their intent is clear.
“Intent” is being abused by people like the Says who reside elsewhere, but
maintain a fake “shell” of a house for political purposes.
The Says have
chosen to live as an extended family in a six-bedroom home in Pauoa and have
forgone residence in the smaller Palolo house they own.
The Board of Registration should recognize this and rule accordingly.
Michael Palcic is a small business man who ran for state Senate in 2006.
HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com
