[ OUR OPINION ]
Our City Council choices
could face exciting challengesBudget problems, traffic and transportation and ethical conduct of political leaders are among the prime concerns for Honolulu voters as they consider the City Council election next week.
THE ISSUE Ethical issues and matters related to population expansion will pose concerns for City Council members.
A possible financial shortfall may force new Council members to raise property taxes, cut services or seek other sources of revenue. Traffic jams have gone unrelieved as the city has cast about for transportation solutions, now largely focused on a controversial Bus Rapid Transit system. Meanwhile, the push for housing projects outside of areas targeted for growth like Kapolei runs into concerns about the resulting increases in traffic and preservation of agricultural lands. Woven through all of the issues is voter distress about the integrity of elected officials as two Council members have been sent to prison recently for abusing the public's trust.
Term limits have opened six seats on the nine-member Council, setting the stage for a fresh direction and a new order of the city's legislative branch. To determine our endorsements, the Star-Bulletin interviewed all the candidates for City Council, save one who politely declined.
These are the people we believe are capable of leading the city forward.
>> District 1 (Waianae to Ewa): Pam Witty-Oakland. The first-time candidate comes to the job with a background in running her own accounting firm. As a legislative aide to Council member John DeSoto, Witty-Oakland has analyzed city budgets, which should serve her well in determining how to control costs. She favors attention to core services before funding extras and would eliminate the city's economic development office, which she said duplicates state efforts. She supports development in Kapolei instead of on Central Oahu's agricultural lands.
>> District 2 (Mililani Mauka-Ahuimanu): Gerald Hagino. The Oceanic Institute researcher has firm experience in the workings of government. The former legislator and executive assistant in the city's managing director's office believes public faith can be restored if officials are "totally accessible" to the community. He is a strong advocate for agriculture and favors use of Central Oahu land for agricultural expansion. Hagino says the police department should be properly funded and staffed to improve working conditions for its officers.
>> District 3 (Heeia-Waimanalo): Barbara Marshall. Marshall's skills, honed as a veteran reporter for Channel 2 News, amply prepare her for asking the right questions about how the city spends taxpayer money. Her goals are to ensure that the city continues essential services such as police protection and trash collection before taking on "nice to haves" like Sunset on the Beach. She proposes the city increase recycling efforts to lessen pressures on landfills and seeks to solve problems with BRT to move mass transit ahead.
>> District 4 (Hawaii Kai-Waikiki): Robert Fishman. Fishman will use his extensive experience in private business and as director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority to analyze city operations for efficiency. His four years as city managing director (1994-98) also gives him good perspective. As an Army Reserve colonel, he recently served as an adviser for homeland security in the Pentagon. He will work to acquire federal grants to aid the city in boosting its fire and police operations.
>> District 6 (Makiki-Kalihi Valley): John Steelquist. Newcomer Steelquist has been long involved in community affairs through the Makiki Neighborhood Board and vision teams. A business professor at Chaminade University, he will bring fresh ideas and a strong, analytical view to governing and the budgeting process, which he says should be conducted for the long term rather than year by year. Although he favors the BRT project, he believes mauka-makai routes should be included for maximum usage.
>> District 9 (Kunia-Mililani Town): Michael Nakamura. The retired police chief has a down-home approach to the city's public safety issues, such as community policing, where an officer would live and work in the same neighborhood. He says that before new housing projects are built, the city must first solve its traffic problems. Although he is not in favor of BRT, he believes bus travel can be increased by lowering fares and expanding routes.
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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
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