Jim Wilson will see how the other shoe fits as he seeks a seat on the Hawaii County Council.
The former Hawaii Tribune-Herald publisher filed last week to run in the District 6 election, starting his first foray into politics since leaving the fourth estate more than a decade ago.
If elected, Wilson will be in the position of creating public policy rather than commenting on, or even criticizing, the actions of lawmakers as his past life as the head of the East Hawaii newspaper sometimes required.
But the 80-year-old Volcano resident, who was publisher from 1973 to 2002, said he’s willing to give it a chance.
“As a newspaper, we spent a lot of time criticizing,” Wilson said. “It’s time to put up or shut up.”
The candidate said he can offer “common sense business practices” as a council representative.
Areas he thinks the county can improve include attracting new businesses and streamlining the processing of building permits.
“I think just overall, as a County Council, they lose sight of what the real issues are sometimes,” he said.
While active in several civic groups, Wilson acknowledged he hasn’t invested a lot of time in County Council affairs since retiring.
He described his knowledge as average for those who follow the news. He also said he hasn’t attended a council meeting since he left as publisher.
“I definitely know the community; I know the island,” he said.
District 6 stretches from Volcano to North Kona.
Wilson’s wife, Audrey Wilson, is a food columnist for the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.