Letter: Council chair thumbs nose at public interest
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Honolulu City Council members posed for a picture on Jan. 3, when they took their oaths of offi ce. From left, Calvin Say, Tyler Dos Santos- Tam, Andria Tupola, Esther Kia‘aina,, Val Okimoto, Tommy Waters, Radiant Cordero, Matt Weyer and Augie Tulba.
Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters is thumbing his nose at voters and is putting personal financial gain and political survival above public sentiment and public interest.
He is refusing to schedule hearings on proposals to reject a 64% raise for Council members, effectively blocking the public’s right to know where their elected officials stand on the outrageous raise. Moreover, he seems to have other Council members singing the same tune.
I have had several Council members tell me that they cannot urge Waters to refer the proposals to committee because that would be a violation of the Sunshine Law. I agree that it would be a violation if they were to meet behind closed doors to discuss the matter. But there is nothing preventing the Council members from holding a press conference or posting on social media that they believe a hearing is in the best interest of the public.
Council members need to remember that they were elected to serve the people and represent the collective will of the voting public. They were not elected to thumb their noses at public opinion in favor of personal and political gain.
Maya Nouchi
Aiea
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