In last night’s Mayoral debate, Ben Cayetano was being taunted by his two pro-rail opponents who were arguing that he can’t kill rail because, among other things:
- The people already voted for it.
- The feds are implementing the fiscal plan.
- The money is already being spent.
- The roadway is already being built.
- HART has been established and it has legal control of it.
- It would violate the City Charter to try to kill it legislatively or by executive order.
Ben said, by way of response, “I’ll kill it just like I killed faculty housing at the corner of Kapiolani & Pensacola.”
UHPA spent years of effort, a lot of treasury, and much political capital, to get the legislature to pass legislation to permit two affordable housing high rises for faculty, and for other modestly incomed community members, to be built on what remains, nearly 20 years later, a vacant lot.
We defeated all comers who opposed this. The plan was all set to proceed, but as Governor, Ben transferred the property to the DOE from UH by executive order, killing the project and dooming another several generations of faculty to overly expensive and/or substandard housing.
So when you go vote, and when you talk to others about whom to vote for, keep what Ben said in that debate in mind. He killed faculty housing for the sole reason that he could, so he did.
Rail may be different–but Ben is the same. If he gets elected, he will come after public employees.