For the first time since both officially entered the race for governor, Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann shared the same stage at a candidates' forum.
For the most part the two leading democrats shied away from personal attacks and stuck to their talking points.
The hour long event at the Sheraton Waikiki was sponsored by the Waikiki Neighborhood Board. While seven candidates shared the platform the focus was clearly on Hannemann, the former mayor of Honolulu, and Abercrombie, the former Hawaii congressman.
One of the four questions focused on how each candidate would tackle unemployment on Oahu as well as the neighbor islands.
Hannemann zeroed in on his executive experience, which has become a common theme of his campaign.
"It takes a seasoned executive (to tackle unemployment) who knows what it's like to fix the economy,” said Hannemann. “That will be our number one focus and working in a collaborative fashion with the neighbor islands.”
Abercrombie sold himself as an agent of change and touted his ability to secure federal dollars.
"I've been listening to people for more than a year now on all the islands and what they want is change,” he said. They want to see to it that we don't leave federal dollars on the table the way we've done it.”
One of the most pressing questions for Waikiki residents as well as Hawaii's tourism industry is homelessness.
Hannemann and Abercrombie were asked how as governor they would tackle the growing problem.
"People are homeless (and) people are under sheltered because we do not have workforce housing,” said Abercrombie. “You cannot have a situation in which only the very rich are able to be sustained. If we're going to attack homelessness we have to attack the basic economic foundation under it."
"A couple of ideas we've thrown out there (is) we're open to a tent city,” said Hannemann. “A safe zone if you will…if we can get a community to step up.
There was also the question of how to improve the visitor experience at Honolulu International Airport as well as getting into Waikiki.
"The ultimate answer is rail,” said Hannemann. “There will be a station at the airport that will take us to Ala Moana Shopping center and then we'll do a circulator system coming into Waikiki.”
“If you want to have a good visitor experience here, let's have a good experience for our own people first,” exclaimed Abercrombie, who said he would try to keep Hawaii’s younger generation from moving to the mainland.
Voters will get to choose the democrat of their liking on September 18 during Hawaii’s primary election.
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