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Fasi slams Harris after
private firms pay for
TheBus luau

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Opponents of Mayor Jeremy Harris say he should get City Council approval whenever a private business is asked to contribute gifts to the city.

Former Mayor Frank Fasi criticized his successor yesterday for asking a Canadian-based bus company, New Flyer Industries, to pick up the tab for a $9,000 luau for Waianae residents over the weekend to usher in the city's CountryExpress! bus service.

The city recently purchased from New Flyer 30 buses, at $450,000 each, for the CountryExpress! route.

Another private firm, Westland Consulting, contributed an additional $2,500 to have the Makaha Sons perform at the city-sponsored celebration. Westland helped determine routes for the CountryExpress! project.

Fasi pointed out that gifts to the city are supposed to be approved by the Council and thinks that the contributions were quid pro quo to help Harris look good in an election year.

"If it was a gift, then it violates the City Charter," Fasi said. "And if it was not a gift, (it was) a campaign contribution -- they're violating campaign spending laws."

But Transportation Director Cheryl Soon said the contributions by both New Flyer and Westland were "made to the community" and therefore don't need the Council's approval.

Soon said it's common for companies that do work with the city to hold or pay for a celebration following completion of a project.

Robert Watada, executive director of the state Campaign Spending Commission, said his initial interpretation is that the gifts were made to the city and likely should have been reported to the Council. Watada added, however, that he is investigating to see if there were any political issues.

Chuck Totto, acting executive director for the city Ethics Commission, said he does not know enough about the situation to form an opinion, but would look at the matter if brought formally to his attention.

Fasi, who is challenging Harris' re-election bid this fall, and Councilman Mufi Hannemann, a third challenger, said the contributions were only one instance where the mayor has asked city-affiliated companies to pay for city-related costs without seeking Council approval.

Hannemann noted, for instance, that the administration asked several companies to pay for the taping and prime-time broadcasting of this year's "state of the city" address made by the mayor.

Harris officials noted that Fasi, while mayor, began the practice of asking companies to pay for celebrations and that Hannemann solicited food donations from companies for an inauguration ceremony when he was chairman two years ago.

Fasi denied ever asking companies to contribute gifts. Hannemann said he reported the food donations and got them approved by the Council.

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City & County of Honolulu