The Honolulu Advertiser editorial of April 9, 2006, was about as lame as I have ever seen. The blame of the “voters” as in “So the buck is to stop anywhere, it must be with the voters” is simply useless. If a candidate promises to perform, wins and then doesn’t do as he said, the voters are to blame and he isn’t?

The Honolulu Advertiser backed Jeremy Harris for mayor, but who is culpable for his non-performance? We need a change in law. It is simple. Candidates for public office must be fully accountable for their mistakes or failure to perform properly. Each must purchase a liability policy or post a bond of a considerable amount before being approved as a candidate and each must sign a notarized pledge to perform as he or she promises or be fully liable.

As for newspapers, if a candidate is to be endorsed, they should put their money where their mouth is. Post a security bond to back the endorsement. Otherwise abstain.

In the future, they should refrain from useless platitudes and offer some resemblance of a real solution to real problems. Otherwise, save your ink, should be their slogan.

Richard O. Rowland is president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. He can be reached via email at: dick@grassrootinstitute.com