Hang loose attitude harming our state?

In the past four days alone, I came across two striking examples of Hawai’i’s inefficiency –

1.    the Halawa Stream bridge project, which is now 5 ½ years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget, and

2.    the Waikiki security camera plan, which is almost 5 years in the works, without a single camera installed yet.

And these are definitely not isolated incidents; Hawai’i’s past and present are filled with other examples of our state’s inability to complete anything in a timely manner – like Oahu’s H-3 freeway and current rail project.

H-3 Freeway

The Interstate H-3 project took 37 years to complete, and its final cost was approximately $1.3 billion – making it one of the most expensive freeways in the United States, at about $80.1 million per mile! After the project was initiated in 1960, planning continued until the 1980s, when construction began, but the freeway was not opened until December 12, 1997.

Community protests by North Shore residents against urbanization set back the project. And opposition by environmental and cultural groups forced multiple reroutes of the freeway in order to avoid sacred native Hawaiian historical sites, causing additional major delays.

Sit-down protest, 1990's (Source)

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (Dec 3, 1997)

Halawa Stream Bridge

The Halawa Stream Bridge project was supposed to have been finished in 2005, but it remains incomplete as of today and is 44% over budget ($10.4 million, instead of $7.2 million). The renovation project was initiated in 2001 to replace sections of the bridge, which was built before World War II. The Hawai’i Department of Transportation (HDOT) had planned to complete the bridge by the end of 2005, but after delays, announced that it would be ready by September 2009, and now says it will be fully operational by this summer.

Inadequate records about underground conduits interrupted the project, as the HDOT figured out who owned the wires and cables under the bridge. Engineering challenges further delayed the renovation, and a redesign was needed.

Source: KITV.com via MSNBC

Waikiki Security Plan

The Waikiki security plan was proposed in 2005 and funded in 2006 by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), but the security cameras have yet to be installed. This relatively small ($175,000) project has already been handled by three different administrations – Harris, Hannemann, and now Carlisle – without any noticeable progress. Current Honolulu mayor, Peter Carlisle, said on Friday that the security cameras will be up in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings this November.

Issues with power, network connectivity, work done to put in poles, electricity, etc. have prolonged the planning stages, especially since the drawings on record did not match Waikiki’s actual layout.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser

Oahu Rail Project

The Oahu rail project finally broke ground on February 22^nd, after 45 years of discussion. Talk of the rail system was first brought up in 1966 by then-mayor Neal Blaisdell. Proposals were made in the 1980s and 1990s, but the project only received city, state, and federal support in the past few years. This 20-mile rail project is expected to cost approximately $5.5 billion and is scheduled to open in stages between 2015 and 2019.

The planning stages of Oahu’s rail project were fraught with cancellations and restarts, as the project was passed from one mayoral administration to the next; between 1966 and 2004, the project was terminated three times and (re)started four times. Lawsuits and protests by environmental groups and the losing bidders of the rail car contract have further delayed Hawai’i’s largest and most expensive public works project.

Artist Rendering, Source: Honolulu Advertiser (Feb 17, 2008)

While it is certainly true that many of Hawai’i’s major public works projects have been plagued by legal issues and protests relating to environmental and cultural concerns, I think there are other noteworthy contributing factors:

Inefficiently-spent money

Most of Hawai’i’s major public works projects are significantly funded by the federal government. The H-3 was 90% funded by the federal government, and the Halawa Stream Bridge was 80% funded by the federal government, despite excessively expensive delays. State governmental departments seem unconcerned about the financial impact of delays because they are not spending their own money and can simply ask for more funding from the federal government.

Hawai’i’s general lethargy

Hawai’i has always been known for its laid-back, slow atmosphere; a downside is that things just don’t get done here. This lethargy has been perpetuated for years, as many of those looking to live in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment simply move to bigger cities, like New York or Los Angeles. Thus, everyone left living in Hawai’i either likes/wants the relaxed pace of the islands or just comes to accept it – no one really tries to change it, and it has become one of Hawai’i’s defining characteristics.

Thirty-seven years to build a freeway, ten years to renovate a bridge, six years to install security cameras, and forty-five years to begin a rail project… How do we put an end to this inefficiency?

While there are certain issues that are almost impossible to change or prevent (there will always be some group protesting), we need to find a way to improve Hawai’i’s governmental efficiency. The following are a few possible long-term solutions for our state:

Set higher expectations for workers

Government workers must be held to higher standards to ensure that every project receives due diligence, competent experts, and proper documentation – a view shared by others. This can help to avoid issues such as the unexpected engineering challenges and inadequate/incorrect records encountered in the Halawa Stream Bridge renovation and Waikiki security project.

Increase demands on government

Hawai’i residents need to demand efficiency of all state projects – in planning, execution, and spending. Likewise, the federal government should tighten its control over its money and refuse to fund delays. While this may put our state at risk of not receiving enough funding to complete projects, I think it will be the wake-up call Hawai’i’s government needs. They must learn to work within their budget and stick to their timeline – and residents need to hold them to this – in order to end inefficient spending and delays.

Learn from well-run governments

Hawai’i’s government should learn from well-run cities in order to improve our state. I never realized how lacking Hawai’i was until I traveled to places like Singapore and Shanghai – cities that are constantly improving every time I visit. Others have recognized Singapore’s efficiency, and The Economist recently called on the West to learn from Singapore. In fact, China is already trying to copy Singapore. Hawai’i’s government can adopt some of Singapore’s strategies without sacrificing liberty, such as firing incompetent teachers or paying civil servants more to recruit talent from the private sector. One of the guiding principles of Singapore’s government is incorruptibility – “ensuring transparency and accountability, with systems and processes in place to account for every dollar received and spent” – something Hawai’i could definitely follow to address its problems of wasted money and general inefficiency.

Once Hawai’i begins to make changes, residents will realize that the government can (and should) run more efficiently to improve our state. Hawai’i can maintain its friendly, relaxed environment, while actually getting things done and putting an end to its crippling lethargy.

But is it too late?

Hawai’i’s rail project is already underway. Honolulu officials are counting on about $1.5 billion of the rail project to be funded by the federal government, but the remaining cost is coming from the 0.5% increase in Oahu’s General Excise Tax (GET). The state government expects that this 0.5% increase in Oahu’s GET will raise approximately $3 billion for the project. Based on our government’s less-than-stellar track record, I predict trouble ahead for Oahu residents and our taxpayer money. I will be shocked if the HDOT can avoid its infamous costly delays during this project.

And the state’s inefficiency may have even farther-reaching implications for our state – Hawai’i’s inertia may hurt our tourism-based economy before changes can be realized. Until now, Hawai’i has benefited from the steady stream of Japanese tourists. But with the recent earthquakes, it is hard to say when the Japanese will be vacationing in our islands again. Hawai’i needs to attract new tourist groups in order to keep our economy going – but it won’t be able to do so if visitors have an unpleasant experience here. People who visit Hawai’i expect paradise, and no one’s idea of paradise is rundown buildings, poor transportation, and never-ending construction. As a major metropolitan area, Oahu needs to ensure that its buildings are not deteriorating and that its cities are functional – for the sake of its residents and visitors.

It may be too late to save Oahu residents’ taxpayer money from the inefficiency of Hawai’i’s government during the ongoing rail project. But there is still hope for long-term improvements, if we can increase demands on workers, hold the government accountable, and learn from other well-run cities like Singapore. Hawai’i needs to act quickly before its inertia leads to more dire consequences and jeopardizes the tourism-based economy.