August 1992 Home   Newsletters

September 1992

October 1992

President's Message (Arlene Ellis)
Bus Rapid Transit vs. Rail
League Testifies - on the General Excise Tax Surcharge - 1 (Arlene Ellis)
League Testifies - on the General Excise Tax Surcharge - 2 (Astrid Monson)
League Testifies - Rail
League Testifies - Resort Mixed Use
League Testifies - Annual Development Plan
Oahu Silver Legislature
Viewpoint
General Membership Meeting on Proposed Charter Amendments
Olelo
Letter to the Editor (Lawrence H. Gordon)
Membership
Honored
Education Forum

Viewpoint

JUNE 29,1992

The City Council's current budget has been criticized in the press and by the mayor because it cuts deeply into the mayor's request for $730,000,000 for construction projects, and because it shifts $15,000,000 for sewer repairs and improvements from the operating budget to capital funding. This latter change would cost $14,000,000 for interest, it is charged.

What has not been pointed out is that approximately $200,000,000, of the $339,000,000 cut from the construction budget, was for the fixed guideway rail project. The council has not yet given final approval to this project, its route is still uncertain and its financing still in question. How can the city start building it now? And if it cannot, why does it need the money?

Another thing the public doesn't know is that the city proposes to float over $800,000,000 in bonds to help finance the project. This will cost an additional $326,000,000 in interest.

This is considerably more than the $14,000,000 interest on sewer bonds. Neither the press nor the mayor are objecting to this. We wonder, why not?

JULY 31, 1992

The Charter Commission on July 28 voted to amend the provisions for initiative and recall petitions by basing signature requirements from the number of those who voted in the last election, to those who registered to vote -whether they voted or not. In 1990, roughly 77% of those who registered, voted. By changing the base, the requirement for the minimum number of signatures required to get on the ballot increased roughly 29%.

We strongly oppose this vote. The principle behind a democratic form of government is that the ultimate power rests with the people. The people delegate power to elected officials to represent them in the creation of laws, institutions and programs to further the health, welfare and security of the nation and its people. The people have the right to keep some of that power to use when they feel their interests are threatened ---power in the form of initiative, referendum and recall.

The Commission turned down the citizen's request for referendum. By now making it extremely difficult to mount an initiative or recall -- to all intents and purposes -they have removed the citizen's last resort to direct democracy. Who's interest will this serve? Certainly not yours or mine. We have only one recourse left. If we want to retain our power to address our grievances by mounting an initiative or recall -whether we ever use it or not -- we must vote this measure down on November 3.

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