I heard Malia Zimmerman’s comments [yesterday] morning on the Rick Hamada Show on 830 AM. I just want you to know that there are some of us who agree with Malia totally and are glad the Hawaii Reporter writers are keeping us informed.
I always check in with the Hawaii Reporter. But it is a real treat to hear your comments on the morning show.
As for the tax to fund the fixed rail system and probably the proposed $1 billion Bus Rapid Transit System, I’m afraid that if it ever passes the Legislature, the city will build up a huge fund as the state did with the Hurricane Fund.
No one seems to remember the details of the fund, but the politicians are quick to find a use for the $100 million.
If the fixed rail and the BRT are stopped, will there be any provision in the law to return the money to the public through lower property taxes or a lower excise tax? Will there be any provision to
prevent the city from using the Special Fund as a slush fund for its favorite projects?
We should not only stop the fixed rail and the BRT, but we should look ahead to prevent misuse of funds accumulated through any increase in the excise tax.
”’Stanley Hayashi, a resident of Hawaii, can be reached via email at:”’ mailto:sihayashi@earthlink.net
”’HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to”’ mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com