Why I Would Make the Best Mayor – Peter Carlisle
If elected Mayor, I will get the City鈥檚 financial house in order because government has to be healthy. If government isn鈥檛 healthy then the private sector can鈥檛 be healthy. It鈥檚 also important to generate jobs in the private sector instead of generating jobs in government. By working with the private sector, government dramatically increases its chances for economic and social success.
So we need to prioritize, reduce the debt burden, remove inefficiencies, and look for new ways of doing things. The City cannot continue the way it鈥檚 been operating. We have to look at how much money the City has coming in and how much it鈥檚 currently spending. Once we have those answers, we can determine the appropriate actions to take.
As former Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, I know how bureaucracy can damage the effectiveness of government. When I first became prosecutor, our crime rates were at an intolerable level. By working with law enforcement agencies and with a staff of 270 employees, Honolulu is now the safest big city in the United States with more than 500,000 people.
While the scope of the Prosecuting Attorney鈥檚 job and the scope of the Mayor鈥檚 job may vary, the goals are ultimately the same. Doing what鈥檚 best for the City now and what鈥檚 best for generations to come.
We have to stop putting the burden of government on taxpayers, which causes government to get fatter and taxpayers to have less money. In the private sector, you have meetings to figure out how to keep the doors open. In government, we have meetings to try and spend money before it lapses. In this economy, it鈥檚 absolutely critical to implement the private sector model into our government.
Honolulu Hale needs transparency. We recently learned of the shameful disrepair of Hanauma Bay. Ignoring certain problems like our sewer system only make them exponentially worse. It鈥檚 just common sense to properly maintain what鈥檚 already in place and make it more efficient, like the permitting process available online and in real time.
We also need to get people back to work in the private sector. That鈥檚 why I support rail transit and the sooner we get this project started, the sooner we can get people employed. By generating jobs in the private sector, the economy will be infused with more spending and revenue.
The City must also help the homeless by triaging the population and finding shelter for families with children. We have to identify the homeless with mental illness and those with medical problems. Each subgroup has its own needs and should be directed to the appropriate agency. I am willing to consider a safe zone, but in order to be a viable solution, the City must partner with outside agencies to ensure and fully address public safety and public health issues.
The City must facilitate more recycling. Trash is gold when recycled into refuge derived fuel and other materials. In 2012 the third boiler at the H-Power Plant should be up and running to lessen the burden on the landfill. In the meantime, we need to focus on how much garbage we鈥檙e creating in our respective homes and recycle. The City must do its part by making it easier for residents to make greener choices.
As Mayor, I will consider all sides of an issue, make the necessary decisions, spend money wisely, and address the City鈥檚 mounting debt facing us, our children and our grandchildren. The only way to fix Honolulu Hale is no more status quo or politics as usual, and that鈥檚 why I would make the best mayor.
