[ OUR OPINION ]

---

Harris wrongly
put taxpayers in
publishing role

THE ISSUE Mayor Harris' book, "The Renaissance of Hawaii," is on sale at bookstores.

MAYOR Harris would like history to record his decade as Honolulu's chief executive as visionary and courageous, but campaign financing scandal has tarnished his administration, leading many to judge him as ethically challenged. His new vanity book, "The Renaissance of Hawaii," makes a compelling if overblown case for the legacy he desires, while his improper method of publication bolsters the more dubious assessment.

The mayor is now the published author of a glossy 220-page soft-cover book, with 109 pages of colorful photos, that sells for $20. He did not need an agent to convince a publishing house of the book's potential profitability, choosing instead to dip into the city coffers for $75,000 to pay for the printing; the book does not say what company printed it.

According to the book's back cover, proceeds will go to the city's general fund. However, 75 cents of every dollar will merely replace the money that went to the printer, and then only in the event that the self-aggrandizing tome is sold out.

There is no mention of compensating taxpayers for the untold amount of assistance on city time Harris received from city Managing Director Ben Lee, three other Harris staffers and two executives in the city Department of Planning and Licensing, all included in the book's acknowledgments. Did public relations executive Kent Miyasaki, Hawaii Pacific University communications professor Bruce P. Bottorff and two local photographers acknowledged in the book work for free?

The book describes in grandiose terms how, with Harris at the helm, Honolulu became "a model for how a city can be reborn with vision and community leadership to be a truly sustainable city." His name does not appear in the text of the book, sprinkled instead with the "we" word, as in, "Over the last six years, we have worked to empower the people of this island to be active participants in creating and realizing that shared vision."

The book makes a strong argument for the wisdom of his decisions in the areas of land use, energy, Hawaii's economy, the environment and quality of life. By the end of the book, Harris cannot restrain his pride:

"May future generations say of us here today that we were bold and visionary at the turn of the millennium; that we grasped Hawaii's destiny in the global community and produced a quality of life unparalleled in the world; and that as we led Hawaii through a period of unprecedented change, we never allowed our island values to be compromised.

"Let them say that we met the challenges of our time and that our stewardship marked the renaissance of Honolulu." In other words, let them not say a word about city contractors' illegal campaign contributions.