City letters about budget questioned

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer

The city administration has stepped up its budget battle with the City Council, with officials phoning members of the community, speaking out at neighborhood meetings and even mass-mailing letters complaining about proposed council cuts.

The letters have sparked protest by members of the community and the City Council, who question whether it's an appropriate use of taxpayer money to mail out such a letter. For example, Randall Fujiki, city director of planning and permitting, sent a letter to people who have gone to community vision team meetings.

Fujiki's letter says, "It is now time to let the council members know that you want to save your community's budget from the chopping block." It also says the budget cuts proposed by the council "threaten to undermine the progress that has been made."

Hawai'i Kai community advocate Bob Fowler questions whether the letter is proper because it takes a position and argues the administration's policy over the council's. "This is an advocacy letter which says get out and help us spend your money."

Fowler said the pitch seems to go beyond the neutral informative letter that government usually sends. "If the mayor wants to use it as part of his election campaign, that's his business," Fowler said.

City Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi estimated she received more than 100 calls yesterday from people questioning the city's spending money to produce and send the letters. "They're really upset," she said.

Kobayashi agrees with the critics: "I really don't think it's a good use of the money, especially during these times."

City Managing Director Ben Lee said he sees the letters and calls as effective ways to communicate with taxpayers — no different than sending vision team community updates or pushing for public transit or neighborhood improvement projects.

"I think it's a fair use of dollars," Lee said. "It's their budget as well."

Lee said if the city ran ads on television or in the newspaper, that spending would spur criticism, too. Lee said he did not know how many letters went out or how much they cost.

Downtown Neighborhood Board Chairwoman Lynne Matusow didn't get upset until she received her third letter within a week from the administration. "I think this is overkill."

"They've spent at least $1.02 plus six sheets of paper on me alone," Matusow said. She said she's irritated to see money frittered away on letters when basic city services may be trimmed because of tight budgets.

"My concern is I don't want to see cuts to police and fire."

Councilman Gary Okino noted that the letters accuse a "key council member" of pushing a 25 percent cut to construction projects and 50 percent cut to the vision teams. Okino has said he would consider the 25 percent cuts but a majority of the council has rejected the idea.

Okino said he strongly supports the vision program but believes that the city must slow spending on construction projects. "I just think it's very prudent that everybody cut back or we're going to suffer in the future."

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.