GARY HOOSER WILL RUN FOR OFFICE THIS YEAR; LEANING TOWARD COUNCIL THOUGH SENATE STILL A POSSIBILITY
(PNN) -- Former Kaua`i County Councilmember and State Senator Gary Hooser will run for office this year according to a credible source with direct knowledge of Hooser's plans.
Hooser is strongly leaning toward running for council although a senate run is still a possibility. He is expected to "pull papers" Monday morning and file them later in the day.
Hooser currently serves as the appointed Director Office of Environmental Quality Control in the Abercrombie administration where he successfully fought off this year's legislative attempts to dramatically weaken HRS Chapter 343 environmental review laws regarding Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).
If he decides on running for council he will be seeking to reclaim his old seat where he served from 1998 through 2002. As a councilmember he helped blow the lid off of Papa`a Bay mud slide in the original "Developers Gone Wild" grubbing and grading hearings, sponsored a charter amendment giving the council audit power and was instrumental in keeping access to Kealia Kai open 24 hours a day seven days a week without security guards.
He also led efforts to uncover and reveal the facts in the "Red Chrysler-gate" scandal during the Kusaka administration, when it was revealed that Kusaka had, at county expense, secretly leased an expensive luxury car from her former campaign manager.
Hooser served as Kaua`i senator from 2002 until 2010, the last four years as Senate Majority Leader.
As Senator, Hooser was the primary introducer and mover in the Senate to pass a first-in-nation mandate for solar hot water heaters. He was instrumental in passing legislation protecting farm lands from onerous "gentleman farms'" restrictive covenants and "brought home the bacon" leading to improvements to Na Pali trail, Kilauea School and Wailua Bridge. He also helped resolve the Koke`e lease issue enabling local residents to get first rights to the leases of state cabins there.
Hooser was the first to speak out against school furloughs, led the fight in the Senate for civil unions, and is a former Chair of the Democratic Party Environmental Caucus.
According to the source, Hooser has grown weary of the Honolulu climate and is looking forward to re-connecting to his island home and his friends here on Kaua`i. Hooser lives in Wailua Homesteads with his wife Claudette, two dogs, (Roxie and Hina), one cat, (Socks) and 5 chickens (Dolly and 4 unnamed Rhode Island Reds). He has two adult children, Dylan and Kelli-Rose.
For more information on Hooser go to http://www.garyhooser.com/ .
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3 comments:
Papa‘a Bay was an access issue. As the story goes, Gary was walking on the beach with his wife when he was accosted by "security" guards hired by then Tara owner Peter Guber, who told him to leave the public beach. He fought (unsuccessfully) to gain access through the Tara plantation on the old Papa‘a Road. That colossal f-up was clowned by the County Attorney's Office.
Gary was also on the council for the beginning of the Pila‘a mudslide that lead to Jimmy Pflueger becoming a convicted environmental felon and paying the largest criminal fine in state history (at least it was at the time).
Gary played his cards all wrong
Instead of knuckling down and running for Mayor, he kept shooting for jobs way above his skill level == US House and then LG to be Governor down the road.
He'd have had a shot at Mayor after Baptiste passed. Now? Who knows.
Gary played his cards all wrong
Instead of knuckling down and running for Mayor, he kept shooting for jobs way above his skill level == US House and then LG to be Governor down the road.
He'd have had a shot at Mayor after Baptiste passed. Now? Who knows.
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