 Hi everybody, welcome to a new show for Think Tech Hawaii, The Will of the People. My name is Martha Randolph, Martha E. Randolph, and I am going to be your host for this particular program. The episode of today's program is How and Why to Join the Democratic Party of Hawaii. The goal is to help you understand how you can be working from the inside of the party to change its politics and policies. We are so fortunate today to have, as our first guest, Keali Ilopez, who has recently been elected the new chairperson of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, but who has a longstanding relationship with political activities and consumer affairs in Hawaii, and she did work as the director of consumer affairs and commerce for Governor Neil Abacromby, and has also been involved with the station Olelo and other such things. So I'm going to let her fill you in on any other details. But before that, and excuse me for being so talkative, we need to remind you that today is the last day to register to vote for the primaries unless you are prepared to go down to your voting station and register there. Keali, can you tell us a little more about that, because that's very important information. So it's, first of all, today's the deadline to register online. So a lot of folks, if you can, that's going to be the easiest way to do that. If not, you can go in and register, but you have to do that in person, either at the polling location or at the walk-in. So don't forget you can do walk-in voting as well, and in that case you can also register to vote at that time. And be sure to bring an ID. Yeah. Be sure to bring a picture ID. Okay. Ideally. Preferably a state ID or your driver's license, something of that nature. Exactly. All right. Now, to begin with, when Keali was elected to be the chairperson, there were some questions raised in the news and at the state convention concerning her professional commitments and her role as chairperson, and would there be any conflict? So I was wondering if we can address that right away and explain to you why she does not feel there's any conflict at all, or if there is, she can handle it. Exactly. And I think the issue of conflict is a valid one to raise. The Democratic Party of Hawaii clearly is involved in helping to have candidates elected. So those who are going to be in office, who are currently in office, you know, many of them are Democrats. And as a lobbyist in my most recent three years, I've had the opportunity to interact and have discussions with them. But I also want to say for my four years as the director of the Department of Commerce Consumer Affairs, a big part of that was also advocacy at the legislature. So a big part of that is just really having a relationship with folks where they feel that they can have an honest conversation with you about issues. Why that's important for the Democratic Party is there are specific platforms that the party adopts, social justice, economic justice, protection of the environment, sustainable energy. I mean, there's just a broad range of platforms. And the concern that folks could have is when Karen Lee is at the Capitol, we want to make sure that as the chair of the Democratic Party, she's not advocating on positions that are in contrast or in opposition to the platform. And that's a fair, that's fair. So I think the issue is that's an ethical issue. Those are things that I throughout my work experience have had to deal with how to maintain that level of that broad line between the advocacy for the party and pushing our platform forward versus those of clients that may be part of my day job or day job. My sense is keeping those separate. OK. And I think that could be something we could reserve as well for another program on the ethics of government, which I think we'd like to follow up on. We can talk about that. You know, it was interesting to me that I've been in Hawaii since 2000. And one of the first things I did was register to vote. However, I was completely unaware that when I did that, I was not automatically registering for the Democratic Party. And actually, no one told me that in order to be a part of the party, I had to go down to the party office and register. Now, I have since done that. But there would have been, in my mind, no understandable reason why that was important. And that was before I realized how much you can do within the party once you become a member of it. So can you please give us an idea of what it means to join the party and how that can help you to really participate and cause change? And how does one find out if you ever really enrolled in the party in the first place? So first of all, thank you for the show. And thank you for asking that question. Because that's really the pivotal issue, is for people in the public to recognize that you have to be a member of the party. So oftentimes, we'll have people who say, well, I voted as a Democrat all my life. That's not the same as literally going online. So you can go to our website and click the Join button. And in there, it allows you to register as a Democrat. Excuse me, you will find those links on our website, by the way. Go ahead. And when you register, what that allows you to do is participate in the internal workings of the party. Now, as you talked about, we talked about the platform. The platform is critical in so far as wanting to have legislation that conforms to that, moving certain agendas forward. Again, we talked about social justice, for me, issues related to Native Hawaiians. Those platforms are voted on by those people who participate within the party. Not just those who elect members to office. So you have to be a member, a registered member, to actually have a say in any of these platforms or in any kind of issue that the party is addressing. So you can register online, but you actually have to call the office to find out if you're a registered Democrat. We don't have that available because it's a private list. Of course, membership. So people can call that number. It's 596-2980. Yeah, again, this will be on the website. So maybe you can tell people a little bit about the different roles or functions they could as a regular registered Democrat start to fulfill in their community and in the party without having to have a whole bunch of money or some big sponsor or preparing to give up their entire life into politics. I think the first thing to, one of the easiest things to do is hopefully there are, hopefully you're paying it, you're looking at who's running for office in your area, your council member, your house member, your Senate, your senator, the governor's race, lieutenant governor's race and participate. Call them and offer to volunteer for those candidates. That's one way. Internally, within, everyone may not know, but there's a district you live in. There's precincts. You can get involved at that level, at the district level. Those are key because the district participants get to go to the convention on their island. I'd like to speak to that for a minute. There is something called a preference poll, which is our way of saying, we're going to decide who we want to be the person running for the Democratic Party for president. And I believe the next one is in two years. And it was after the last preference poll that I suddenly discovered, much to my amazement, that there was such a thing as a precinct, that there were going to be elections for precinct officers. And subsequently, once those offices were elected, some voting for who was going to be part of your district council. These were all things I actually didn't know of, except as numbers and phrases on my card. Now, are these things that anyone who registers with the Democratic Party can, shall we say, run for, can participate in? Absolutely, and they should. So the reason why it's important to participate, let's look at the precinct level, which is the starting level. Precinct officers, for example, voted on and selected three names that they gave to me to fill Senator Will Esparro's seat for Ewa Beach. Those precinct members, officers were the ones who came up with that list of three candidates to give. So they get to select that. At the state level, you can become a member of what they call the State Central Committee. The State Central Committee was critical in providing the three names to Governor Abercrombie with regards to filling Senator Inouye's seat. So there's different levels, but also the other thing is those precincts are important part of, if you're a precinct member and district member, you get to go to the, for Oahu as an example, you get to go to the Oahu Convention. But also at those presidential preference polling meetings, you also pick who's going to represent you at the state convention. And also what they call the ad hoc, the extra people who are entitled to represent your precinct outside of the executive officers. And I was fortunate enough to attend the Oahu County Convention twice as a representative, and I attended the 2016 state convention. And again, as I said, it was a revelation to me because I had no idea how important my small contribution could be. One of our problems, I believe, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, is that sometimes there are not enough registered Democrats showing up to participate or run for these offices or take on these roles, so that we can actually have a state convention with, and I'm not referring to a state convention on another island, which imposes a different problem, but rather a state convention where there just are not enough people who said they are willing to represent their precinct or their districts so that you do not have the full number of possible votes in there, which is one of the reasons why we're doing this show. Because, ladies and gentlemen, if you are not part of the party, you are not part of the answer to some of the problems that are often complained about. Absolutely. That is critical, so you are correct. In some districts, the complement of delegates is full. In other districts, you might only have 50%. We actually had a district that had no representatives attend the convention, and what that means is that community's voice is not considered when you're looking at these resolutions and or the platform or changes to the party. And people have to understand that they're critical. The resolutions focus on everything from what kinds of initiatives the state should be involved in as it relates to renewable energy, what position the state should take as it relates to agriculture, development, health care, just even the broad range of employment. So a big issue that we've seen in this last legislature but also became an issue or discussed at the convention is the issue of pay. What's a living wage in Hawaii? And so those types of things, it's critical. Because then you get the party behind those initiatives. But if the party doesn't have a whole large base of people participating, there's not enough substance behind our moving forward. So people have to get involved. There is something else that the party has, which again, I found to be enlightenment. And that is called caucuses or groups which represent specific interests so that people who are members of the Democratic Party can work in those areas that they are most concerned with, the environment, aging, and education, et cetera. Could you tell us a little more about how do you get involved in a caucus? If you're just, even if you just registered, let's say you go to the party, you sign up, and you say, I'd like to know more about what's going on. I'd like to maybe join a caucus. Can you tell us what that means and how we would do it? I would say a caucus is a wonderful way to get involved because the focus there, so where the precincts and districts relate to where you live, the caucuses are based on issues. And you go to our website, and it talks about who we are, and the caucuses are there. So we have a Hawaiian Affairs Caucus, a Veterans Caucus, LGBT Caucus, Kupuna Caucus, Young Democrats Caucus. And those people are able to, so I was a member of the Hawaiian Affairs Caucus, and we were able to look at issues tied to Native Hawaiians. So when the legislature was in session, we looked at all the bills that we felt impacted Native Hawaiians, and we consistently participated down at the legislature advocating for those bills that we supported. And then going, speaking against those that we didn't, could it support? And to me, that's a unique and powerful way to get involved, but also to really make a difference in your community. Just briefly, because we're going to be coming up on a break shortly. One of the things I experienced was a tendency to apathy in my precinct. So actually, we're going to be going to break in a minute. So I'm going to end with this question, but you can hold on to the answer, and we can resume it again. And that would be, what do you do if you feel like the people who are in charge of your precinct currently have made no effort to contact you and you don't know how to reach them and are not doing the job, as it's described, in the information in the material? I think that's something we should talk about, because there are many people who've been serving in their roles for a very long time, and they just keep getting re-elected and re-elected, but they haven't actually done anything. And this is not speaking against them, because one doesn't know why they've done that, but the recognition that action must begin at all levels. Absolutely. I look forward to answering that. Thank you. OK, very good. Now, we're going to be going to a short break. This is Martha Randolph on the Will of the People. My guest today is Kay Ali-Ilo-Pez, the chairperson of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. And I hope you will stay tuned and come back with us for the second half. Thank you very much. Hey, Aloha. I'm Stan Energyman here on Think Tech Hawaii, where community matters. This is the place to come to think about all things energy. We talk about energy for the grid, energy for vehicles, energy and transportation, energy and maritime, energy and aviation. We have all kinds of things on our show, but we always focus on hydrogen here in Hawaii, because it's my favorite thing. That's what I like to do. But we talk about things that make a difference here in Hawaii, things that should be a big changer for Hawaii. And we hope that you'll join us every Friday at noon on Stan Energyman. And take a look with us at new technologies and new thoughts on how we can get clean and green in Hawaii. Aloha. Hello, everyone. I'm DeSoto Brown, the co-host of Human Humane Architecture, which is seen on Think Tech Hawaii every other Tuesday at 4 PM. And with the show's host, Martin Desbang, we discuss architecture here in the Hawaiian Islands and how it not only affects the way we live, but other aspects of our life, not only here in Hawaii, but internationally as well. So join us for Human Humane Architecture every other Tuesday at 4 PM on Think Tech Hawaii. Hi. Welcome back to the Will of the People. My guest today is Keali Ilopez, who is the chairperson of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. And my name is Martha E. Randolph. And when we broke for the break, OK, broke for the break, you see I'm very fast on with language. I had just asked Keali what a person who joins the party can do if they feel they have no way of getting their precinct officers to inform them as to what's going on, or if their precinct officers are people who are there and listed, but you've never even heard of them. Is there anything you can do? And I'm not thinking in terms of punishment, but more, how can I either bypass that or ask the party to help me get my neighborhood a little more organized? There you go. I think that's important. I think with anyone, I appreciate that one of the assumptions may be that what is it they're doing, but the fact that you might reach out to them and say, how can I help organize and move things forward, I think, would be helpful. So each precinct has a district. There's a district chair. If you're getting emails from the party, it will list right there up in the sidebar who your district chair is. And there's actually a hyperlink to email them. But the other thing is there's county chairs. We try to have, so the state party deals with the broader issues. Each county actually comes up with its own plat, its own resolutions and policies. And I would say people should get involved in those as well. So the chair for Oahu County, for example, is Rich Halverson. Maui is Tim Lara. Hawaii Island is Margaret Willie. And on Kauai, there's Mina Morita. Yeah, we have those posted on the website, ladies and gentlemen. And you contact them and let them know what your concerns are. And I think they'd be happy to help connect you with someone, especially if you're willing to get involved. I don't think we're a party that wants to turn away volunteers. Yeah, well, we would certainly like to think so. I also know that the tendency to have a poor voter turnout, even more so in local elections than in national elections, compared to the number of voters, and compared to our population, is really quite astonishing. Laura Nevitt, who is the executive director of the party headquarters, told me that there are 15,000 people listed as Democrats with the party who have not registered to vote, which is pretty appalling. And I believe that what the party envisioned with the concept of precincts leading to districts, leading to county offices, was to get people involved. And the facts would tend to bear out that there was a time in the ancient past of the 60s when people were far more active. Absolutely. And when they came out to vote in much larger numbers. And perhaps a great deal of passivity has come into the voter. Because they think they really have no voice. And so we today are taking time to say, there is a way you can have a voice. And there are people you can turn to if you feel your local precinct is not helping you to become a part of the progressive system. By progressive, in this case, I'm referring to activity in the party, not a political opinion. Right, no. And I think that's critical. I mean, as you said, Hawaii used to have the best, one of the best voter turnouts. Now we have the worst. And I think it is an issue of people feeling either disenfranchised or feeling that perhaps the party isn't relevant or doesn't represent them anymore. My thought is, if that's the way you feel, get involved. The reality is decisions are being made every day, whether they're at the state capitol, in Congress, at the city council. If you just sit back and don't get involved, no one has the benefit of your help or your insight on what could be a different way to look at things. So to me, it's real critical for Hawaii in particular to have our local people get involved. We cannot continue to let the outside world determine where we go. And we have to get involved. People have to understand that they really actually have a role. And if your thought is just talking to a legislator or decision maker isn't working, get involved in the party, the party can help be a stronger voice for you. Absolutely. One of the things that I remember from the past two years is that there seemed to be a number of opportunities. They were supposedly fundraisers. But they were opportunities to actually come and meet the candidates for various positions more frequently and more on a one-to-one basis in smaller groups, which was wonderful. I didn't know I could reach my representative in that way. And is that something that the party's going to continue to do under your leadership? And why did you decide to run for this office in the first place? You obviously have a long background, and you didn't need to. But there was a feeling in you that it had to be done. So why don't we talk about that? OK, no, absolutely. And I think the reality of recognizing that Hawaii is changing so much and that I too felt like I had no control over that. And then I looked in the mirror and realized, hey, in order for that to occur, I actually have to get involved. And that's my thing for anyone is rather than point fingers at who's doing what or isn't doing what, look in the mirror and say, what are you doing? What am I doing to make a difference? And for me, it was seeing that the environment or how it operates to me is starting to feel a little bit more like I could be living anywhere. And there's a special spirit and feeling that so many people have come to love about Hawaii and move here for that I think is we're losing. And I think unless we're purposeful about revisiting why Hawaii is special, I'm not talking from a tourist perspective, but from a deep-seated cultural sense of caring for each other, caring about each other, the environment, we're losing that. We really are. And it's happening at a rate that I think is a little bit very disconcerting. I really believe the Democratic Party can play a role in making a difference in that. Democratic Party is the party of Hawaii. And therefore, it needs to step up. It needs to step up and take a bigger role. And to me, the only way that we can do that is you have to have people who are willing to help move it in that direction. And that's why I ran. Yeah, well, I was going to ask you also if anyone actually approached you. But you've given me all the reasons why you had to run. And those, I think, are good reasons for anyone. I would have taken those reasons as to run. But one of the things I learned a long time ago is don't run for something unless you have some idea of what you have to do. Clearly, your experience is going to feed into fulfilling this role. Do you think that it's perhaps one of the reasons why you were voted in? And Tim Bandebier, who is a wonderful and sincere man who did amazing things to increase inclusivity in the party, he was very approachable. And if it hadn't been for him, there are a lot of people who would have felt alienated from party functioning because the party has been basically run by smaller power groups that have been there for a long time, probably because they were the ones who were active in the first place and they did not quit. They stayed in it. So this is not to imply chicanery. This is simply, if you are the person who shows up, then you are the person who makes the policies. Exactly. If your desires and wills are not appeased and if you lose your cause, if you give up and walk away, it never gets raised again. So you have to participate. And you have to keep participating, as so many people have done, in this legislature, and gotten many things passed that I know have been on the books for over five years or more. And they constantly had to come back. And if they had given up, we wouldn't have certain laws today. Isn't that correct? That is absolutely true. And to keep in mind, for some legislation, it's taken 10 years. Let's look at the issue of medical marijuana, as an example, or marriage equity. Those were long-fought efforts that took multiple years. So it can take quite a long time. But you've already sold me and others on why it's important to get involved. And the diversity of the party is critical. So my perspective is continuing that inclusiveness, continuing to welcome new people, new ideas, understanding that there's an old guard core of certain democratic values that I think are still important to look at. And part of that is around just being part of Hawaii. But to me, I think the biggest thing that I hope to bring to this whole process is just recognizing that every single person has something they can contribute and that they want to. No matter whether we agree or not with the outcome, if they have an interest in making Hawaii better, I have an interest in having them be part of the party. OK, well, that's fantastic. I also understand that a number of meetings that are held there, the state committee, county committees, many of these meetings are actually open to the public in the sense that if you are a registered Democrat and you know when it's taking place, you are allowed to come and listen in. As long as you don't interfere with the business. And even then, if you do have a question, usually there's an opportunity to ask about it. So perhaps another reason to join the party is that you get to come in and listen to what is actually going on at the state level, at the county level, and see who the people are who are representing you that you may not have realized and what the issues are that they are dealing with. I would encourage everybody to come to any of these meetings and you can find out about them on the website. Now, we have only a short time left, so I would like to, first of all, thank you for coming on the show. There's clearly a lot more we can talk about. Sure, absolutely, I think so. But we can't do it today. So, Kaylee Ilopas is the new chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. OK, chairperson. Chairperson, let's be gender correct here. And I want you to know that in two weeks, I expect to have John Robert Egan, who is an immigration attorney from the Migration Council, because we are going to talk about recent immigration issues and how the outcry of the public acted to cause some changes or limitations in the efforts of the Trump administration. I don't know how successful they've been, but in this case, I need to talk to a lawyer. So for the rest of you, I hope you will continue to watch Think Tank Hawaii and the programs that you find most interesting. And you can look on our website and links to find out more about Kaylee or background and more about the Democratic Party and all of the things we've talked about today, the various links. Please do, if you are not registered to vote, register. Be prepared to do it on the day, which is August 10, I believe. August 11? August 11, there we go. And please do call the party or email or write and become a listed Democrat. If you think you are a listed Democrat, contact them and update your information, because that is also important. There's a lot of need for that. Or if your parents were Democrats and they've passed, let them know as well. We need to update them in jail and get it cleaned up. So thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for watching the show. And I hope to see you in two weeks' time when we will be talking about the immigration issues facing America right now. Thank you, Martha, and bye.