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The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) was formed in 1998. In 1997, 7 million visitors came to Hawaii. If the HTA did not exist, millions of visitors would still be coming to Hawaii. The HTA is similar to nongovernmental organizations that are used to funnel taxpayer funds to various interest groups. We do not need more tourists and we don’t need the HTA. Defund it, and use the money for a more worthwhile purpose.
The first and last thing visitors to our islands see is our airport, which has been consistently ranked as one of the worst airports in the country. It should be the centerpiece of our state. It has been poorly managed for decades. It’s time to stop the excuses and fix it. We don’t need the HTA; we need a Hawaii Airport Authority to give us a world-class airport that all Hawaii can be proud of.
Bert Oshiro
Hawaii Kai
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