WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR JO

Read what people who know Jo Kim have to say

Roger Yu

Jo Kim and I go back a long way. In fact our ancestors knew each other before we were born, creating a life for their families by working tough jobs at the Kahuku Sugar Mill during the crops' heyday in the 1950s. Working on that plantation meant little time for anything but putting a determined effort to the job at hand. A family's worth was built by hard work and the strength of character earned through such travails. These values were passed to their descendants. My friend Jo is not only rooted in this hard-work ethic but is also a people's attorney who has devoted her entire legal career to helping those who could help themselves the least; abused women, single parents, children with difficult living situations and the elderly. I have seen her immerse her entire self, including the raising of her three sons, in the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island. This includes active participation in schools and recreational activities such as coaching soccer, as well as community and non-profit events. Jo approaches everything with a problem-solving optimism that always seems to set the stage for a fair and equitable resolution of any difference of opinion. Electing her will be a decisive step toward a new level of competent compassion and transparency of office.

Carole Goodson

I've known Jo for almost 40 years... longer than I know my husband... and I consider her my closest friend.

We met during the Women's Movement back in the 70s on Oahu. "Our Bodies, Ourselves" had just been published and women throughout the USA were reading it and mobilizing. In Hawaii, women of all ages, incomes, professions, religions and ethnicities came together at the University YWCA and formed The Women's Health Center. Inspired by the book, our goal was to empower women to share their personal experiences, gather information, and to have a say in their own health care.

Jo is still at it. Her passion to stand up for the unrepresented and to "do the right thing" has only grown over the years. The awards she's won for her legal representation and community service attest to that. She continues to get informed, follow her conscience, and never back down or take the easy way out. She knows that we are all in this together. And she's smart, always willing to listen to varied opinions, discuss options and show others respect. That's not easy.

Other candidates can claim filial ties or the backing of special interest groups, but none can match Jo's independence and integrity. Jo Kim is the kind of candidate District 1 needs. 

Benni D'Enbeau

I worked with the Maui County Council for 13 years, four years as an aid to

a councilmember and nine years as a county attorney. During that time I learned what traits made a good member of the County Council. First among these is a willingness to tackle difficult issues and to persevere until the goal is achieved. Almost everything important involves controversy and a willingness to understand and respect all points of view is important. But equally, if not more, important is a willingness to "stick to your guns" when you believe your position is right.

Jo Kim's life and work has shown that she can do this. She will fight for what she believes and has the ability to explain her beliefs to others so that they can join her.

Jo knows the Big Island well through both her law practice and her community service.

Diana Van De Car

I've known Jo Kim for almost 40 years, as a fellow law student, as a hard-driving adversary in divorce litigation, and as a friend. She has been a tireless advocate for people with legal problems who can't afford lawyers. I don't use the term "tireless advocate" lightly. When she saw a need, she worked relentlessly to address it. She'll never take credit for all that she has done but her accomplishments have been nothing short of amazing. Sometimes it was just planting an idea in the right person's mind, sometimes it was lobbying lawyers and judges to step up to the plate, and sometimes it was just plain old community organizing. But there is no doubt that many of the organizations people now take for granted had their roots in Jo Kim's work. Thanks in large part to her unceasing efforts over many years, we now have help for people who are victims of domestic violence, we have an organization where people can get pro bono help from lawyers, and we now have a self-help center at the courthouse here in Hilo where people can get legal information without charge. It's not enough, but Jo just won't quit when there's a community need. I can't wait to see what else she's going to do for our community.