Mufi Hannemann was greeted warmly in Kenny’s coffee shop, located in Kalihi, a lower income portion of Honolulu where he grew up along side his three brothers and three sisters under the guidance of his parents who immigrated from Samoa.
Children sitting at nearby tables called out to Hannemann as he walked by. "I voted for you in Kids Vote," they said with shy smiles (60 percent of Oahu's kids did). Senior citizens stopped Hannemann every few feet to shake his hand and talk with him. He took the time to talk to everyone, finally getting to his table 15 minuts later in the back of the restaurant.
"This is why we are always late -- this happens everywhere we go," says his volunteer driver for the day with a smile.
It is clear Hannemann is enjoying every minute as mayor-elect of Honolulu, a privledge he won Nov. 2, 2004. From the time Hannemann was in grade school in Kalihi, friends and classmates say he wanted to be mayor. In the final weeks of the campaign for Honolulu mayor, Hannemann passionately implored the voters, "just give me a chance to be your mayor ... I want to make this the greatest city ... just give me a chance."
It seemed the odds were against Hannemann, with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin political poll showing him down by 17 points just days before the election, though internal polls showed him much closer, actually within a couple points of overtaking his opponent Duke Bainum. But Hannemann, who was losing to Bainum in the first and second print out of results on Nov. 2, 2004, election night, pulled off a victory with a lead of 1,400 votes in the final print out.
Now Hannemann will soon be sworn in as mayor of the City & County of Honolulu with a private ceremony on Jan. 2, 2005, and a public ceremony on Jan. 5, 2005. He will oversee 19 cabinet members, 10,000 city employees, a $1 billion budget and work with a diverse City Council, including some city council members who campaigned hard against him.
But that isn’t deterring Hannemann, who said during an exclusive interview with Hawaii Reporter that he plans to keep his campaign promises and help to make Honolulu the greatest city.
Here are some of his plans:
GET A GOOD SUPPORT TEAM IN PLACE
More than 600 people have applied for one of 19 cabinet position in the Hannemann administration. Sixty-seven community, business and political leaders have been asked to serve on a selection committee that will interview these candidates and determine the top cabinet candidates before Hannemann makes the final selection.
No one has been selected for any position, Hannemann says. He is aiming for an ethnically diverse cabinet, but his main criteria: "I want cabinet members who want to be in public service, who are highly ethical and who are willing to work long hours."
Andy Anderson was selected as one of the two co-chairs overseeing the cabinet selection because he is a businessman, he helped oversee a transition team for former Mayor Frank Fasi and Anderson and Fasi put together "one of the best" cabinets in the past, Hannemann says.
Advice from former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi, who served as mayor for more than two decades, will also be solicited by Hannemann. The first assignment for Fasi is heading up the inaugural events as honorary chair. "I would be crazy not to tap into his ideas," Hannemann says.
An employee also will be assigned to focus on getting federal and private grants to strengthen the city on various levels. For example, applying for Homeland Security monies to build the protection forces in Hawaii. That will help to ensure the city is more fiscally sound and has a bigger revenue stream.
Other priorities:
EVALUATE GOVERNMENT REVENUE, EXPENDITURES
- Stop all raiding of the city special funds, including the Hanauma Bay Preservation fund and the sewer repair and maintenance fund.
- Contract with a private firm to perform an operational audit of all city departments to assess waste -- what is working and what is not -- with the goal of having this completed in 60 days. "I want to end the guessing game at city hall," Hannemann says.
- Delay any major outlay of public funds while the audit is being completed;
- Focus city resources on basic city services such as fixing roads and sewers, finding alternative technologies for waste so the city can keep its pledge to close the Waimanalo Gulch landfill by 2008;
- Assess all taxes and fees to determine whether they are too high and should be lowered;
- Revamp economic development department in the city, with a strong focus on soliciting federal grants that can be made available to non-profits and faith-based groups, who can make a bigger difference in the community with more resources. That ultimately will create less reliance on taxpayer dollars, Hannemann says.
- Assess all construction projects on the basis of basic philosophy: "do we need it, can we afford it and can we maintain it?"
- Ask Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris not to initiate any new construction projects that Hannemann’s administration is not in support of.
- Stop attempting to restore the pool portion of the Natatorium in Waikiki, and rather restore the arch and create a beach where the salt pool, which is deteriorating, now stands.
CREATE A DIVERSE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN
- Get rid of the Bus Rapid Transit System -- the system is costly, takes away traffic lanes and worsens traffic, competes with local businesses at the taxpayer expense. Move BRT buses, which hold a larger capacity of passengers, to the outer regions of Oahu where the local residents can ride them.
- Streamline the synchronization of traffic lights;
- Work with the state to consolidate traffic management, construction and maintenance so there is a more streamlined process;
- Coordinate long-term improvements with the state Department of Transportation;
- Create a traffic taskforce to look at trouble spots and determine possible solutions;
- Work with the business community, rather than compete with them on the backs of the taxpayers;
- Look into redoing portions of Kuhio Avenue and the Ala Wai Boulevard -- two of three main thoroughfares in Waikiki -- according to recommendations from the emergency response personnel and bus drivers.
- Get a ferry system going and connect city buses to the ferries;
- Reverse traffic flow on busy streets during peak traffic times;
- Stagger work hours of city employees;
- Hannemann says he is serious about constructing a rapid transit system on Oahu but says the project could exceed $2.5 billion, and he does not know where the money will come from at this time, especially considering the federal government many not pay more than $500 million of that total cost. There also are maintenance costs. He says he will first focus on short-term solutions to traffic and see what kind of progress can be made with those before committing billions of dollars to the rail.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO NEW SEGMENTS OF THE PUBLIC
- Typically the mayors in Hawaii do not get involved with public education, but Hannemann says he wants to change that. He says he wants his administration to help improve Hawaii’s public school programs, and already has met with School Superintendent Pat Hamamoto about some of his ideas that will not need a charter change to implement. For example, the city can work with public schools to diversify summer fun programs and strengthen after school programs. He says the city also can be much more proactive in dealing with drug problems. "If we are not educating and training our kids, all of this [will be] for nothing," he says.
- Hannemann also wants to work with the University of Hawaii administration to create a more college town atmosphere at the U.H. Manoa campus. "We can help with landscaping, planting trees and creating a better entrance way into Manoa."
- City employees and the community will be encouraged to share their ideas on what would make the city better;
- Form a coalition for farmers and continue to work with Oahu’s farmers to ensure their needs are met so there is a better balance between agricultural land and development.
REDUCE CRIME; PREVENT TERRORISTS ATTACKS
- Give the emergency response forces, such as police, fire and ambulance, the tools and resources needed to make Honolulu safe. "Safety has always been my number one priority," Hannemann says.
- Work with federal and state law enforcement to prevent terrorism attacks in Hawaii;
- Establish more community policing forces with local residents helping to keep their communities safe;
CLEAN UP CORRUPTION, HALT WASTE, FAVORITISM IN GOVERNMENT
- Create a whistleblowing mechanism so city employees who know of government waste, abuse or fraud can report that abuse without fear of retaliation.
- Closely review all internal audits conducted by the city auditor and outside auditors and then request follow-up audits to ensure recommendations were taken and improvements were made. "I am not just interested in the "got-ya" phase. There has to be strong follow up so there is not another audit done with the same results.
- Make a clean sweep and ensure there are no hints of favoritism in contracting, permitting, zoning and the issuing of concession rights. "If there are any hints of favoritism, that will be changed immediately," Hannemann says. He maintains there will be no ties to contracting, zoning, permitting and procuring concessions and campaign donations to his campaign fund, as has been alleged by state and city law enforcement about the current city administration.
Hannemann has many plans to make Honolulu a safer and cleaner place to live, and reach out to the community in new ways for the city administration. He says he hopes the community will continue to be involved as they were during the election.
"I appreciate the fact that so many people came out to vote -- 67 percent is an awesome number. Now I hope they will continue to be involved and help my administration come up with the best ideas and solutions."
To ensure he reaches out more to the community, Hannemann plans to have a second office in Oahu’s second city -- Kapolei -- and go there weekly.
After two hours in an interview with Hawaii Reporter, interrupted many times by passersby, Hannemann left Kenny’s Coffee Shop, stopping once again at every table on the way out. It is clear Hannemann, who asks questions of most people he talked to, is serious about his commitment to getting input from the community.
"The public is the eyes and ears in the community," Hannemann says. "I cannot be everywhere so I am relying on them to be part of my team."
Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor and president of Hawaii Reporter, via email at mailto:Malia@hawaiireporter.com
