Gov. Neil Abercrombie plans to visit with seniors on Kauai this week. He will also听visit听Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, greet kupuna and meet with high school seniors on Maui.

On Sunday, Abercrombie will celebrate “linking generations” with Japanese-American women, attend the听United Filipino Council of Hawaii’s听annual convention and make remarks at the听Moiliili Senior Center.

Next Wednesday, the听governor plans to go to a Hawaiian home lands groundbreaking in Kapolei and proclaim a听“Pedestrian Safety Month.”

Kupuna. Students. Military. Women. Filipinos. Japanese. Hawaiians. Kauai. Maui.

All happen to represent important voter blocs, and Abercrombie, in a tougher-than-expected re-election campaign, is right to reach out to them.

There’s just one thing: The听schedule above is not part of his campaign. It’s his official office agenda.

Does anyone really think our governor is not using the taxpayers’ hard-earned cash to give himself a leg up in his bid for re-election?

Earlier this month we wrote about a rash of听bill-signing ceremonies听the governor’s office held 鈥斕齣ncluding five in one day and several on Maui and the Big Island.

The ceremonies听allowed the governor to pose for hundreds of photos with lots of happy constituents 鈥斕齛lso known as听voters.

The bill signings and the official visits essentially amount to campaigning: an elected official eagerly glad-handling and engaging in retail politics.

Besides the听bill-signing ceremonies and official visits, there are the press releases, which are coming fast and furious these days. Especially the ones where Abercrombie is handing out money. Here are a few from just the last month:

• June 21:听Governor Releases $450,000 for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii
• June 26:听Governor Releases $30.4 Million for Natural Resource Protection, Defense Facility Upgrades
• June 27:听Governor Releases $22.6 Million for Construction Projects at Hawaii鈥檚 Airports
• July 3:听Governor Releases $2 Million for Oahu Veterans Center Improvements
• July 15:听Governor Releases $1 Million for Kakaako Community Resource Center
• July 22:听Governor Releases $500,000 for New Lanai Community Health Center Facility

Lanai. Veterans. Kakaako. Travelers. Japanese. Defense. The environment. Important, all of them.

Maybe听it was a coincidence, but Abercrombie addressed the听Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce the day after he released the听half mil听for the听Japanese Cultural Center.

And maybe it was coincidence, but Abercrombie debated opponent David Ige at the Japanese Cultural Center just three days after releasing the $500K.

The money isn’t Abercrombie’s. The press releases always explain that the appropriations听are听“identified by the state Legislature.” But that’s never part of the headline or even the first paragraph.

The guy that actually deserves some credit for “identifying” the funds is the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means committee, who approves the spending. His name is David Ige.

But, somehow, Ige’s听name always gets left off of the governor’s press releases. Same for Sylvia Luke, chairwoman of House Finance, who happens to be supporting 鈥� yes! 鈥� David Ige for governor.

By the way, Ige is meeting with important constituents groups this week, too. They include a luncheon with kupuna on Maui and the听Japanese Women鈥檚 Society Foundation Luncheon.

In fact, they are the same two events that Abercrombie will be attending. But Ige is going as a candidate (and on his own dime) while Abercrombie is going as a governor 鈥� on our dime.