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First in a series on City Council candidates and the issues.

There’s a changing of the guard coming to Honolulu Hale.

Not only will voters elect a new mayor in September, they’ll also welcome four new members to the the nine-member City Council either in the primary or the November general election. The election comes as Honolulu grapples with deep financial issues such as city furloughs, a $5.5 billion rail project and how to pay to fix the city’s aging sewers. A worsening homelessness problem, trash and zoning issues also need to be addressed.

The three districts in contention are Districts 2, 4 and 6. Breene Harimoto is running uncontested in District 8.

To help voters wade through the 21-candidate pool, Civil Beat sent out a 10-point questionnaire to every candidate running for the council. Their answers help paint a picture of their priorities and their ideas for solving Honolulu’s biggest problems.

The responses revealed four major areas of concern: Rail, homelessness, infrastructure and trash.

Over the next four days, we will look at the candidates responses, their criticisms and their solutions beginning with what they seem to consider the most pressing issue – rail.

Five candidates did not respond after almost a month, despite repeated e-mails and phone calls. We will post the complete answers from the 16 who did by the end of the week.

Rail

Half the candidates were either against rail or were at least hesitant about whether to proceed because they’re worried about how the city can afford it.

District 2

In District 2 – which covers the bulk of northern Oahu and is currently represented by Donovan Dela Cruz, who voted in favor of rail in 2006 – both John White and Ernie Martin support it but Ben Shafer feels otherwise.

“Something has to be done as the present traffic conditions in Leeward Oahu are unacceptable,” Shafer said. But, he cautioned that “financially, the best guess estimate is just that, a guess and the same goes for ridership and ease of traffic.”

Shafer asked, “Why don’t we have the city buses run every 15 minutes during rush hour traffic to and from work? Why don’t we make riding the bus during these hours free?” He also thought a “mass transit/trucking tunnel” from Ewa Beach to Sand Island with “commuter express service to downtown” could be another option for the city to consider.

White and Martin, on the other hand, believe the issue has been settled.

“The voters have spoken,” White said. “I will work to ensure that the rail-transit project is done on-time and on-budget.”

Martin agreed. “I support rail transit and the accompanying Transit Oriented Development as they provide a buleprint for how our island will grow,” he said.

District 4

In District 4, which covers the south-eastern tip of Oahu and is being briefly represented by Lee Donohue, who was appointed after Charles Djou left the council to go to Congress, rail sentiment was divided. (Djou opposed rail.)

Rich Turbin and Stanley Chang both lent their support but candidates Frank De Giacomo and Jeremy Low were unconvinced with the merits of the project.

De Giacomo, in particular, seemed to think that rail would drain the Honolulu economy.

“With the sewer consent decree, I’m concerned about it leading the city and county to bankruptcy, especially since the project is gold plated and filled with kickbacks and more money leaving Hawaii than staying,” De Giacomo said.

Low echoed that financial concern. “I am not convinced the present funding process is enough,” he said. “I believe the federal government must guarantee a much higher percentage of the funding for the project to work successfully.”

Low didn’t, however, go so far as to say that he won’t ever support rail. He kept himself in an “unsure” category saying, “Although there are many problems with the present rail-transit project and I cannot support it in its present form, I do not support killing the project.”

Stanley Chang disagreed with De Giacomo and Low’s financial concerns. “I believe the funding mechanisms for the rail are sufficient, as the Business Roundtable has demonstrated,” he said.

He also said that rail will reduce traffic congestion and that ultimately, the project is an inevitability.

“To preserve our quality of life, the decision was made a long time ago to direct development to the central and leeward sides,” Chang said. “Rail is essential to make that possible.”

District 6

District 6 has the most candidates. Ten people are vying to replace mayoral candidate Rod Tam (who supported rail) and represent what is essentially downtown Honolulu. Three of the candidates support rail: Larry Fenton, Tulsi Tamayo and Shawn Hamamoto. Five don’t or are unsure. Of those, strongly opposed to the project are Frank Lavoie, Tim Garry and Bob Viera. Two did not respond.

“It is a $5.5 billion boondoggle,” Lavoie says. “The GET increase has already sucked $536 million from our residents, money that they could use to improve their own lives and to create employment opportunities locally.”

Garry agreed with Lavoie.

“Rail is a Mufi job program for the unions that got him in office,” he said. “The developers and real estate owners around the stations will be the winners here.”

Less dissatisfied but still not lending their support to rail were Sesnita Moepono and Chris Wong, who are also vying for the District 6 seat.

“Many of our unemployed residents are banking on jobs that the rail-transit project will generate. Creating jobs is necessary in our recession economy,” Moepono said.

But, like many of the other candidates, Moepono also has reservations about how to pay for rail.

“I am concerned that there is not enough money to fund the project and the county will have to raise real property taxes,” Moepono said. “I am supportive of a rail-transit project that won’t bankrupt our county.”

Wong felt the same way.

“I am a cautious advocate of rail,” he said. But, “the money for sustained rail construction and operation is simply not available and we cannot place the burden of cost and debt on the keiki; it is simply not an option.”

If Larry Fenton wins the District 6 seat though, he’ll support rail. He has faith that Honolulu officials have made the right decisions for the project to be built completely and on budget.

“I am for the rail project,” Fenton said. “We have received assurances from the former mayor and gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann as to the soundness of the rail project and adequate financing arrangements.”

Shawn Hamamoto has faith in Honolulu government as well.

“I have to rely on the administration’s statements that the funding mechanisms are adequate.” He did say, though, that finances for the rail project would have to be closely monitored to assure its success.

District 8

If the candidates elected from Districts 2, 4 and 6 do in fact end up being against rail, the council can at least expect support from one new member.

Breene Harimoto, who is running uncontested in District 8, said: “The decision on rail has been made. It is time to end the debate as to whether or not we will build the rail system. It is time to end the debate as to what technology to use. We must now turn our energies to the conversations about how to ensure that it is done right and that it will be successful.”

The Tally

Who is supporting, not supporting, leaning for or leaning against the current proposed rail-transit program.

Candidate	District	For Rail	Against Rail	Leaning For	Leaning Against	No Response Received
Ernie Martin	2	√
Ben Shafer	2		√
John White	2	√
Shari Berinobis	4					√
Stanley Chang	4	√
Makani Christensen	4					√
Frank De Giacomo	4		√
Carl Higashi	4					√
Jeremy Low	4				√
Rich Turbin	4	√
Larry Fenton	6	√
Tim Garry	6		√
Shawn Hamamoto	6	√
Frank Lavoie	6		√
Carlton Middleton	6					√
Sesnita Moepono	6				√
Dennis Nakasato	6					√
Tulsi Tamayo	6	√
Bob Viera	6		√
Christopher Wong	6				√
Breene Harimoto	8	√

Coming Tuesday: Council Candidates on homelessness.