Posted on: Thursday, February 28, 2002
Council debating tighter limits on gifts to officials
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
A bill that would tighten city ethics guidelines and ban city officials from accepting gifts worth more than $300 is moving forward again at the City Council.
Councilman Duke Bainum introduced the bill in September, but it was not scheduled for a hearing until this week.
Currently officials must disclose when gifts received from a single source valued at more than $200. They are barred from accepting gifts that can "reasonably" be inferred to influence decision making or reward official action. But there is no limit on the total value of gifts received.
Bainum said he thought the proposals would help create a more open and honest government. "I think the perception is that gifts do influence politicians," he said.
Council policy chairman John Henry Felix held a hearing on the measure yesterday. Community advocates from the League of Women Voters and Kokua Council supported the measure.
The former council policy chairman, Romy Cachola, expressed concerns about the gift limit. He proposed banning gifts, but received no support.
Councilwoman Ann Koba-yashi said she would be reluctant to support a move that would outlaw the friendly gesture of aloha often expressed through exchanging gifts. "Gift-giving is such a tradition in Hawai'i. and I don't know of anyone who would be bought by accepting a lei or a box of cookies."
Felix approved the bill with some changes, moving it forward for more debate.
City Council ethics policies became an issue last year after former Councilman Andy Mirikitani was convicted of federal charges of felony public corruption in connection with bonuses he gave two employees in exchange for kickbacks.
Councilwoman Rene Mansho has admitted to violations of state campaign spending and city ethics regulations related to misuse of campaign money and city employees' time.
The measure also would give the city Ethics Commission authority to transfer confidential documents to another government agency if criminal violations were suspected. And it would extend to six months, from 90 days, the period in which the city could void a contract awarded as a result of a breach of ethics.
