Mayor Carlisle Deserves to be Re-elected

Two years ago, in a special election, Oahu voters ignored the Star-Advertiser endorsement and selected Peter Carlisle as Honolulu’s Mayor.  When he took the Oath of Office, he swore to uphold the law and the will of the people.

Mayor Carlisle continues to stand for law and order.  He is honest and fiscally responsible, two important qualities that resonated with voters which he utilized to transform City Hall.

As Honolulu Prosecutor, he targeted and stopped the pay-to-play culture that permeated local politics for decades. The other candidates cannot say that and continue to collect big donations from individuals who were penalized by the Campaign Spending Commission.

Under his leadership these past two years, an era of openness and transparency has been ushered into city government.  He got rid of “politics as usual” at City Hall by making it clear that employees need not fear for their jobs if they favored another candidate.  What mattered was the quality of their work and that they were dedicated public servants.

Mayor Carlisle has infused his Cabinet with energy and purpose, and he’s also led by example.  During the worst recession in a generation, he took a voluntary 15 percent pay cut.  The candidate you endorsed took a property tax cut for years and recently admitted that he stopped due to the fact he is running for mayor.

While other cities filed for bankruptcy, Mayor Carlisle and his team secured a AA+ bond rating and increased city services without new taxes.  He’s already saved approximately $100 million for the city’s retiree health benefit and rainy day funds.  He has also embraced technology to better service the public while saving taxpayer dollars.

Under the Carlisle administration, construction of the long-awaited rail system is underway; a third boiler at H-Power was brought online, keeping more trash out of our landfill while generating energy; more than 1,200 lane miles have been paved or are about to be repaired; a new private-public leasehold partnership will generate one- time revenue of $142 million and save tax payers $15 million per year; and the Pathways Project will provide transitional housing for homeless people with special needs.

These and many more projects were accomplished because Mayor Carlisle empowered city employees and affected change.  We believe in Mayor Carlisle because of his integrity and commitment to following the law.  We share his vision to make Honolulu a lean, clean and smart city.  Mayor Carlisle deserves to be re-elected.

Dave Carey, Outrigger Hotels

Max Sword, Outrigger Hotels

Bert T. Kobayashi, Attorney

Eddie Flores, Hawn Bar Be Q, L&L Drive In

Norlan Moriwaki, Mason’s Union

Art Tolentino, Sheetmetals Union

Cha Thompson, Tihati Productions/Businesswoman