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City party
heralds Waipahu
bus service
Mayoral candidate Mufi
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Hannemann, who wasn't
invited, calls the event an
'election year gimmick'
and Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-BulletinThere's to be another celebration sponsored by the city calling attention to a new bus service.
And Mayor Jeremy Harris' opponents say it's yet another politically motivated event that's designed to make him look good in an election year.
However, a spokeswoman for Harris and a representative for one of the co-sponsors denied any political undertone to tomorrow's Waipahu parade and ho'olaule'a.
The event promotes extension of TheBus' CityExpress! service into Waipahu.
Some 19,000 invitations were sent to Waipahu-area residents.
The event is co-sponsored by the Waipahu Business Association and the Waipahu Community Association.
WAIPAHU ON THE MOVE CELEBRATION
9:30 a.m.: Parade begins at Leoole Street and continues down Farrington Highway to Waipahu Intermediate school.
Councilman Mufi Hannemann and former Mayor Frank Fasi, both challengers to Harris' election bid this fall, called the event overblown.
"The public has basically figured out by now that all these community hooplas with city tax dollars are nothing more than election year gimmicks," Hannemann said.
"There's a political angle to all these events, they're all scheduled to how they fit his campaign calendar," he said.
Hannemann said another indication the event is political is that he did not get an invitation to attend the celebration, even though he represents part of the district serviced by the new CityExpress! bus.
Other council members were invited and are featured in a press release put out by the city.
It would be more proper if Harris either did not use city funds or reported all contributions from outside sources as either donations to the city or to his campaign, Hannemann said.
Fasi said his celebrations were never as extravagant as those now being put on by Harris and that in 22 years as mayor, he never "invited a whole community from the mountain to the ocean to come and be my guest."
"Even when we built the HPOWER plant, I don't even know if we had a dedication except with city officials," Fasi said. "I don't think we spent $500."
Harris spokeswoman Carol Costa noted that when Fasi was mayor, countless programs were held to celebrate the opening of new buildings or services and the public was always invited.
Fasi last month criticized Harris when private companies contributed donations for a CountryExpress! celebration in Waianae. The Canadian manufacturer of the city's new, accordion-like buses paid the $9,000 bill for luau food while a bus consulting company paid $2,500 to have the Makaha Sons perform.
Transportation Director Cheryl Soon said her agency is paying for fruit punch and cake for the Waipahu event. Costa said the Transportation Services Department is also spending between $3,500 and $3,800 on invitations with schedules for the new route.
Entertainment is being provided free by area entertainers, Costa said. "It's not paid entertainment," she said. Vendors will be on hand with booths for the celebration's visitors to purchase other food or arts and crafts.
Darrlyn Bunda, president of the Waipahu Business Association, said the event is not politically motivated, even if some people might think it is.
"We're focusing on the fact that we're excited about this service coming to Waipahu," she said.
She said her association and the Waipahu Community Associationare helping publicize the event, primarily through fliers, but neither is spending any money.
City & County of Honolulu
