HONOLULU -- With less than three weeks before the primary election, the two leading Democratic candidates for governor faced off in a live, televised debate Monday night.

The most interesting exchanges came as Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann questioned each other during the 90-minute debate on Hawaii News Now.

Abercrombie asked Hannemann about residents in Kalihi and elsewhere who are facing 400 to 500 percent increases in property taxes because their homes have been reclassified to higher-taxed commercial and industrial zones.

"Can you explain, then why the people shouldn't hold you responsible for that tax and the taxes that are being paid right now by the people who simply can't afford it?" Abercrombie asked Hannemann before a live audience at the Neil Blaisdell Center exhibition hall.

Hannemann quoted from the city’s real property administrator, a civil servant, who is not a political appointee. "To suggest that the mayor or the city council could influence an assessment is irresponsible," Hannemann said.

Hannemann wanted to know about new programs and departments Abercrombie's proposing. "Can you tell us exactly how much it's going to cost and where the money's going to come from, other than federal funding?" Hannemann asked Abercrombie.

"I will not be for a tax increase. I will prove that we can effectively spend the dollars that we have by using the people that we have right now to get the job done," said Abercrombie, who did not detail how much his proposals would cost taxpayers.

Abercrombie asked why the Hannemann campaign controversial "compare and contrast" mailer was sent to neighbor island residents after Hannemann apologized to people who were offended by it. The brochure compares the candidates’ birthplaces, education, wives and business experience.

"If you thought the mailer was wrong, why did you continue to send it out?" Abercrombie questioned Hannemann.

"That was not a mailer that we sent out again, Neil,” Hannemann answered. “Unfortunately the US Postal Service is -- and I know what's you're gonna say -- that I'm blaming someone else -- but that's why they received it, because of the length of time when you do bulk mailing."

Abercrombie was asked what qualifies him to run the state, when he has never run a city, state or a substantial business. "I think I have a pretty good role model in Jack Burns. He came directly from the Congress to be the first democratic governor of this state. And I think he set a pretty good standard," Abercrombie said.

Hannemann asked Abercrombie why he believes Hawaii should “move away“ from convention tourists and move toward time-share and part-time resident tourism markets

"We have to have a combination of hotel rooms and a combination of the kind of time shares that are being sold now. These aren't the quick buck artists,” Abercrombie said, noting that tourism giants like Hilton, Disney and Marriott are building more time-share units in the islands.

There were a couple of lighter moments when the candidates were asked about key Hawaii facts.

While Hannemann knew that the state song is “Hawaii Ponoi," he did not know who wrote it.

“I wish I knew ‘cause I would like them to write a song for me too,” he said. That would be impossible, since the song was written by King David Kalakaua, the Kingdom of Hawaii’s last reigning king who died in 1891.

Although Abercrombie knew the state fish is the humuhumunukunukuapuaa, he just had a hard time pronouncing it. He tried two times but never quite got the pronunciation of the Hawaiian tongue-twister of a fish correct.