Randy Iwase

From dKosopedia

Randy Iwase is a member of the Democratic Party. He represented District I (Mililani, Wahiawa, Wailua, Haleiwa, Kahuku) on the Honolulu City Council starting in 1986 when he replaced Toraki Matsumoto.

In a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article dated January 30, 2006, Mary Vorsino reported:

Iwase, whose seat extended from Waipahu to Kahuku, "abrupt, energetic and sometimes combative."

As budget chairman he often sharply criticized former Mayor Frank Fasi's spending. He also sparred with the administration over a proposed housing project at Waiola, where his brainchild -- Central Oahu Regional Park -- is now located.

[...]

While on the City Council, he spearheaded a controversial measure to halt the construction of group homes for the mentally ill, handicapped, former prisoners or drug users in Waipahu and Kalihi. He argued too many of the homes were concentrated in low-income neighborhoods.

As City Council budget chairman, Iwase emphasized programs "that provide services to the public," he told the Star-Bulletin at the time. In 1986 he proposed cutting Fasi's budget by more than $28 million. He also resisted the former mayor's pushes to increase property tax rates and user fees at public golf courses.

After three years on the City Council, Iwase resigned to run for mayor. He lost in the primary to Marilyn Bornhorst, who declined comment Saturday.

After a stint as executive director of the Aloha Tower Development Corporation, Iwase ran for the state Senate seat vacated by state Sen. Ron Menor. In a Star-Bulletin article after his 1990 win, Iwase said he entered public office because of his "political heroes," John and Robert Kennedy. "People I greatly admired were in politics," he said, "and told us to make a contribution." [1]

Iwase left the council in 1988. He was elected to the Hawaii State Senate in 1990 representing the 18th Senatorial District (Waipio Gentry, Wahiawa). Iwase left the senate in 2000 after being appointed to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board.

Iwase is a lawyer by profession and has served as deputy attorney general. He graduated from the University of San Francisco law school and worked at Legal Aid in San Francisco before returning to the islands to join the state attorney general's office in 1974.

Iwase was a vocal supporter of amending the state constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. He supported Margery Bronster in 1999 when the Hawaii State Senate voted against her second term as state attorney general.

Iwase was the recipient of a Small Business Hawaii Lawmaker of the Year award for 1998.

Iwase ran for governor of Hawaii in the 2006 elections, but lost to the incumbent.

External Links

Ohira, Rod. Donohue won't run for governor Honolulu Advertiser, 1-9-06.
White, Doug. Iwase first Democrat to challenge Lingle Poinography!, 1-28-06.
Vorsino, Mary. Iwase known for quiet thoughtfulness -- Once described as "combative," he lately has had a low profile Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 30, 2006.
Star-Bulletin staff. Hawaii AFL-CIO issues endorsement for Iwase Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 23, 2006.
Iwase, Randall. Hawaii needs to take action on gas prices Honolulu Star-Bulletin, August 24, 2006.

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This page was last modified 20:24, 19 December 2006 by dKosopedia user Corncam. Based on work by dKosopedia user(s) Jbet777 and Allamakee Democrat. Content is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.