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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Council wants to lift $200 gift limit

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

A year after the City Council tightened its ethics standards by setting a limit on gifts to city officials, the majority of council members want to lift the $200 cap.

Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi said she wants to see the city's gift policy moved back in line with the state law, which requires officials to file a disclosure statement for all gifts over $200.

Under the city law, gifts of more than $200 from any one source cannot be accepted.

According to Kobayashi, that can cause problems when council members are invited to fund-raising dinners where the tickets cost more than $200 a seat, or when visitors from Asia bring gifts.

"It's just too cumbersome and embarrassing to ask how much something is," she said.

Bill 33, which removes the cap and reinstates the disclosure policy, will be heard for the first time this morning before the full council. Seven of nine members signed the bill; Councilman Charles

Djou, who did not, said he was not opposed to the bill but would reserve judgment until he heard testimony.

Council Chairman Gary Okino is the only member opposed to the bill.

"I have to agree with some of their points. It does constrain some of our ability to attend some functions that we should be attending. But I guess my concern is that there's no limit on the amount of gifts you can receive," Okino said. "There needs to be an upper limit."

Former City Councilman Duke Bainum introduced the $200 cap last year after the felony conviction of Councilman Andy Mirikitani for theft, bribery and extortion and the investigation of Councilwoman Rene Mansho, which led to a felony theft conviction. Bainum said the cap demonstrated that city officials are committed to honesty and integrity in government.

"I understand that gift-giving is part of our unique culture, and I certainly don't begrudge any person that right, but it must be done within commonsense limits," he said in written testimony urging the council to leave the limit intact.

"Accepting a $3,000 golfing junket to Las Vegas or getting exclusive honorary memberships to the most exclusive country clubs on O'ahu does not serve the public well, and in fact raises suspicions that city officials can be auctioned off to the highest bidder."

Okino said he had no documentation that lifting the cap would lead to abuses, but it would open the door, and could taint the public's perception of the council. However, "The disclosure requirement should discourage people from accepting too-big gifts," he noted.

In other council business, the council today will hear Resolution 03-106, which gives voters the right to decide whether to increase City Council districts from nine to 21 in 2012. "I just want to provoke discussion on it," said Djou, who introduced the resolution.

The way government is structured, city council members should be handling the smallest "rubber meets the road" issues, Djou said. But in Honolulu, the council districts are larger than the state legislative districts.

"I think that council members are ... supposed to be the ones who are closest to the people, the most grass-roots," he said, noting that his district stretches from Ward Avenue to Makapu'u Point.

Djou believes that aim could be accomplished without raising the legislative budget or cutting council members' staffs and salaries.

Okino and Kobayashi both said they believed the costs of expanding the council to 21 districts would be too great.

"I cannot see how they would increase the effectiveness of the council," Okino added.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.