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  • The Harris Legacy

    Harris touts decade of endeavors
    Leila Fujimori, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, December 17, 2004
    In his speech last night, Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris highlighted what he considers his accomplishments during his 10 years as mayor of Honolulu. They include:
    • Waikiki improvements: Kuhio Avenue, Ala Wai Promenade, Kapiolani Bandstand projects, and Sunset on the Beach and Brunch on the Beach
    • Hanauma Bay visitors center
    • Sports tourism: Waipio Soccer Complex, Central Oahu Regional Park
    • Expansion of city parks by 4,000 acres
    • Knowledge-based industries: Asia-Pacific Urban Technology Institute, Asia-Pacific Environmental Summit
    • Kapolei development
    • Vision design teams
    • Bus Rapid Transit
    • Recycling
    • Waste-water treatment upgrades
    • Alternative and renewable energy initiatives: alternative fuels for city vehicles, use of alternative energy for city buildings and smart buses
    • Fiscal sustainability
    • Safer city: increase in Police and Fire Department manpower and stations

  • #2
    Re: The Harris Legacy

    Originally posted by pzarquon
    Waikiki improvements: Kuhio Avenue, Ala Wai
    (Needed? wanted? dubious acheivement )
    Sunset on the Beach and Brunch on the Beach
    (Needed? wanted? dubious acheivement )
    Hanauma Bay visitors center
    (Needed? wanted? dubious acheivement )

    Vision design teams
    (huh!?)
    Bus Rapid Transit
    (nothing rapid about it. )
    Recycling
    (this should have been expedited. It wasn't)

    My question: why was any of THIS allowed on his watch?!

    $146,000. for a paving truck that has not paved an inch of road here, now this truck gathers grafitti in a yard.

    pali rumble strips
    cost;
    $3,600 to install them

    $6000.00 to reduce the height of them after complaints that should have been anticipated.

    and then, an expenditure of almost $4,000. to remove them leaving a visual blight on the road. after still more complaints, that again should have been anticipated.
    But Rod Haraga, State transportation director sez it is justified because they the intent of the rumble strips was to reduce speed. "We did that".
    the ends justify the means, no matter how absurd or costly.

    almost $600,000. for the Nuuanu neighborhood signs.
    And they say nothing more nor less than:
    it's worth it. It is a 'traffic calming device"


    and how much of our tax dollars spent on the abominable Hawaii Kai neighborhood sign that promptly started to crumble and break apart shortly after being installed, and remins in an ugly state of disrepair, a clear sign that those who put it up and allowed this travesty to exist at all, are basically bending over and mooning the public...

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Harris Legacy

      My favorite fiasco was the project several years ago (but during Jeremy's dynasty) to widen Kalanianaole Highway. Lovely job, except OOPS they forgot the ADA requirements so there were no handicapped ramps and in many places they put fire hydrants smack in the middle of the sidewalks so wheelchairs couldn't get by. OOPS.
      Wonder what it cost to fix those little oversights?
      .
      .

      That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The Harris Legacy

        Barf......

        (had to be ten characters this dictatorial software told me).

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The Harris Legacy

          The Star-Bulletin is using Harris for its latest wholly unscientific online "Q" poll. It asks: "Now that Mayor Jeremy Harris is about to leave office, how would you rate his performance as mayor?" The results skew negative, with "Poor" getting the most votes, and "Excellent" getting the least.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Harris Legacy

            And what's all this about Jeremy having written a book at the City's expense touting his accomplishments? We're not talking about a little pamphlet either, we're talking about a twenty-dollar book. This smacks of desperate legacy-seeking.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Harris Legacy

              Originally posted by Glen Miyashiro
              And what's all this about Jeremy having written a book at the City's expense touting his accomplishments? We're not talking about a little pamphlet either, we're talking about a twenty-dollar book. This smacks of desperate legacy-seeking.
              Heh. Wanna bet it doesn't end up on the best seller list but instead will be found in the "remainder" pile at Barnes and Noble? Who would want to spend $20 on a self-serving account of one of the worst City Administrators Honolulu has ever had? Maybe if he paid people $20 to read it ...You can be grateful that he's not planning to erect some monument or library someplace to house all his papers.

              Miulang
              "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The Harris Legacy

                And Jeremy Harris makes sure he gets a chance to flip the bird at Hawaii's people, one last time.
                Read the always entertaining and very intelligent Lee Cataluna in today's advertiser:

                http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/current/ln/lee

                wherein she points out the details of how:
                this 75k expenditure, that we taxpayers paid for is another fraud.

                The city sez it will pay for itself.
                But the first run of 5k books would have to net 15 bux per book to realize this kind of R.O.I..
                take the 20. cover price; deduct usual 40% for retail store.
                deduct the minimal 18 % for distributor.
                The 20. book costs 12 dollars each, to produce locally.
                (Does this still look good to anyone out there?
                Then you are wanted as a local government employee!)

                This all is false economics. But then again. THAT is and always was how the local government is run.


                I am all for giving local businesses the first crack at producing something, but when it turns into a fiasco like this and then they STILL try to pull the wool over our eyes, I say enuffzenuff.
                They should have gone with a Hong Kong printer, who would create a retail ready publication such as this for $2.50, per unit, landed.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The Harris Legacy

                  projection:
                  the seedy... I mean city will use more of our tax dollars to pay an overpriced local advertising agency a hefty sum to advertise this terrible tome, after it lays dormant for a few months in the local outlets. THEN, after soooo much money has been spent, they will pull these vomitous volumes out of the 1 dollar remainder bins, (sign sez; "we'll PAY you a dollar to take one!") and then, justify its expenditure by showing how fabulous a road pot hole filler this pulp fiction proves itself to be.
                  There.
                  The Jeremy "Harrass me" Harris book on his legacy filling all our local potholes, a clear and present danger of his legacy.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The Harris Legacy

                    Love the way the people who made the decision to use City funds are recanting the notion that the book "will pay for itself".

                    This was a vanity publication and those would never pay for themselves. Hell, there are even "vanity publishers" who love suckers to want to self-publish books and throw their money away. Not a very wise use of city funds, though. Did the City have to pay for it because all "legitimate" publishers took one look at the manuscript and slammed the door on Harris and his agent's face?

                    Miulang

                    P.S. Harris' premise about all the "good" he did for you citizens of the City and County of Honolulu kind of reminds me of what the Bush Administration thinks it's doing for our country....both Harris and the Bush Administration are living in a parallel reality to the rest of us.
                    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Harris Legacy

                      Originally posted by Miulang
                      P.S. Harris' premise about all the "good" he did for you citizens of the City and County of Honolulu kind of reminds me of what the Bush Administration thinks it's doing for our country....both Harris and the Bush Administration are living in a parallel reality to the rest of us.

                      all of politics is a snake pit. a den of thieves.
                      remember that old saw;
                      "he who expects nuthin', ain't goin be deceived..."

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The Harris Legacy

                        noontime today at bestsellers downtown. Harris will be visible and in public, a ready target for anyone wanting to fire away at him with questions as to why he would so blatantly rip us off like this and THEN expect us to pay 20 clams for this dreck.

                        and expect to appreciate to any degree the signature of a thief.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The Harris Legacy

                          Hi, to everyone in the threads,
                          Long time no see.
                          I was busy doing my trades of craft fairs and jewelry shows for this X'mas season.
                          Just want to wish you all
                          A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
                          As I was reading some of the notes. I suddenly realized most of the notes were very negative. There are only few more days to a new year 2005.
                          May I suggest to the admin. to start a new column of "What we can do for this City & County of Honolulu under Mufi?" Instead of drilling at the past negatively, can we look forward, be positive, use our talented mind to make a difference in the Mufi years, ~~~coming soon to your neighborhoods!~~~
                          Love, Lillian Hong

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The Harris Legacy

                            Lilian, good to see you again!

                            if you want to start a "What Should Mufi Do?" thread, feel free to do so. Meanwhile, frankly, there's still a lot left to be said about "The Harris Legacy," and it's perfectly natural that a lot of the conversation to date is negative. I've yet to meet someone who gives the man an 'approval rating' better than C-minus.

                            My own report card on Harris' decade in City Hall is also full of Ds, Fs, and mostly, Is for "Incomplete."

                            This whole book business is just the icing on a most distasteful cake. Maybe they can grind them up and fill a few potholes... or just truck 'em over to the garbage-to-energy plant and power Honolulu City Lights for a few extra days.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The Harris Legacy

                              My grade for the Harris administration is a resounnding "F" and "GR" or "good riddance" once January rolls around. Ten years of this continuing fiasco has been too much. Our pocketbooks continue to ache very badly.
                              I'm still here. Are you?

                              Comment

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