BY BOB KESSLER — Aloha to all – In 2006 you supported Let Honolulu Vote in a petition drive to change the Honolulu City Charter. The GET increase had just gone into effect and Let Honolulu Vote, with your help, attempted to petition the C&C of Honolulu on that issue.
We were not successful, largely because the City Charter establishes a very high threshold for petition signatures – 15 percent of the votes cast in the last mayoral election. This threshold is among the highest in the nation. It virtually immunizes Honolulu’s government against citizen petitions.
Now the City wants to raise that threshold even higher. The ballot for the upcoming election contains a question about whether or not that threshold should be raised to 15 percent of all registered voters. This is a much higher threshold that would guarantee the failure of citizen petitions, further protecting City government against the wishes of it’s own citizens.
At a time when government accountability is very much an issue, this is a blatant attempt to reduce Honolulu government accountability. I urge you to vote NO on this proposal.
Bob Kessler is the former co-Chair of Let Honolulu Vote. He may be reached at 702-363-3307