I thought long and hard about posting this , but I feel like I have to speak out.

It's been weeks of working with lawyers to get them off my back. Finally, I told my Harvard trained lawyer, that I want him to fully edit my petition to get on the superior legal ground to DEFEND MY FIRST AMENDMENT and to call forth the power of the ANTI-SLAPP law in Hawaii, making this the most expensive editing and rewrite workshopping of my writing.  My petition stays now after being edited , after thousands of dollars of lawyers fees.

I want to speak to you about local elections.

Mayor Victorino was the only mayoral candidate who reached out to me about my petition and told me that he has also canvassed the population and felt like the majority of the population that he has talked to can back up my opinions about the hospital and healthcare here in Maui and asked how he can help.  I told him that I am building a grassroots support here in Maui so it doesn't matter which person is in the seat as long as the majority of people are educated and are activated to speak out for themselves that is what is important.  I told him that I appreciate his support but I did not want to make it political at this point.

Three weeks ago , I saw Bissen sign waving at the corner of Haleakala Hwy alone after dropping off my child from school and I thought why not stop by and see what his thoughts are. I introduced myself to him and told him that I am the doctor that wrote the petition regarding the hospital and if he knew about my petition. He said he knew about it and was following it.  I asked him if he has asked others in the community if they can corroborate my opinions and he said he hasn't.  He said that it is not and has not been brought up as a priority for his constituents.  He said that it might be a priority to me because I work there but no one has brought it up to him. Mind you that wasn't my question, I asked if he had asked people about it.  He told me that if it is a priority it is maybe 12th or back down.  This was suprising and upsetting to me because as the only hospital on island, I thought more people would have brought it up to him, but I guess his select voters don't care about this issue.  He also questioned my tactic on bringing it up to the public instead of bringing it up the ranks in the hospital administration . I told him that I actually emailed the administration about the issue of retention of physicians before the petition and they didn't get back to me.  But it was also a protective strategy on my part because if I brought it up the ranks, in a few months, what happened to Dr. David Williams might have happened to me.  They might have written me up for erroneous false lies to get rid of me on island as Dr. David Williams alleged on his letter to the MEC and the Maui Health System Board of Directors (which all of them have ignored at this point in public, but most have privately supported)   The MEC and The Maui Health System board have been deaf to Dr. David Williams plea for their help in order to save his good name and great clinical records in public. He is fired now, no longer working on island serving the beloved Maui Community.  I told him bringing awareness to the public was education for the public but also protection for myself. I hope he can understand that. He told me he was once part of the Maui Health System Board of Directors, so I thought he would be more aware of the personalities that I am dealing with. In the end, he had a very political answer, "I will listen to both sides if it comes down to it" and gave me his business card to set up a meeting if I like.  I told him that I wish for him to become the best person to improve Maui, but I was sad about what I sensed about his energy and his approach to me, a resident coming before him to address the issue of healthcare in Maui.  For those supporting Bissen, I say let him hear your concerns about the hospital and healthcare here in Hawaii, put him to task. 

I was not a supporter of Mayor Victorino before my talk with Bissen.  I actually voted for Ms. Kelly King, but after my talk to Bissen, I will now vote for Mayor Victorino.  He is not perfect, but looking at who will have white gloves in dealing with the moneyed class here that have controlled Maui for so long, I feel like Bissen will be more gingerly because he needs money for the next election cycle.  Mayor Victorino has the opportunity, as the lame duck politician, to be more bold for the people's interests.  As a neighborhood community advocate posted on her facebook page, "A vote is not a Valentine, you aren't confessing your love for the candidate.  It's a chess move for the world you want to live in."  Most of the time, the most articulate, most educated,  personable person is not the best leader, sometimes it the slow deliberate guys who stumbles on their words and ideas.  (watch this interesting youtube video: https://youtu.be/zeAEFEXvcBg

Make your chess move this election day in order to create and shape the world you want to live in. Support who you want to support but please put them to task to work on the hospital and healthcare issue here in Maui.