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Mayors bring isles' issues to D.C.

By B.J. Reyes

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 14, 2009

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Hawaii's presence at next week's inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama will be bolstered by the attendance of all four county mayors.

But the mayors are not traveling to the nation's capital just for inauguration week events.

It will be a working trip, too, as all four plan to attend the winter meetings of the U.S. Conference of Mayors starting Saturday.

Hawaii's four-member delegation is led by Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is a member of the group's advisory board and chairman of its standing committee on tourism, arts, parks, entertainment and sports.

Hannemann said mayors plan to take part in various sessions and also meet with members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, particularly U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, incoming chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

"We stand united with mayors across the nation to ensure that we're willing to do our part, especially with the economy being the way it is," Hannemann said yesterday at a news conference with all four mayors.

With Congress discussing an economic stimulus package that Obama already has listed as a top priority, mayors say they will fight to ensure Hawaii gets its share of any federal dollars for roads, sewers, highways and jobs.

Lawmakers have emphasized the importance of having "ready-to-go" projects that could immediately boost the nation's economy.

"Our voices can be amplified by working together," said Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi, adding that Inouye's new chairmanship "gives us a hope and reason to be optimistic that we can and we will be able to secure our fair share of resources."

But the trip will not be all work.

The mayors plan to attend the swearing-in ceremony for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday, as well as a couple of the Hawaii-themed inaugural balls being held that week.

Those balls include the Hawaii for Obama Inaugural Gala on Sunday night and the Home States Ball for Illinois and Hawaii on Tuesday night, which Obama is expected to attend.

"We're ready as a team to be there and witness this awesome event," Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said.

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares said she is not looking forward to the cold weather, expected to be below freezing, or the crush of people, estimated at 2 million to 4 million, but is excited nonetheless about witnessing the historic moment.

"A president born in Hawaii and a black president - this is history-making," Tavares said. "It's going to go down in history as one of the outstanding highlights, I think, of the history of the United States."

Hawaii's presence at next week's inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama will be bolstered by the attendance of all four county mayors.

But the mayors are not traveling to the nation's capital just for inauguration week events.

It will be a working trip, too, as all four plan to attend the winter meetings of the U.S. Conference of Mayors starting Saturday.

Hawaii's four-member delegation is led by Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is a member of the group's advisory board and chairman of its standing committee on tourism, arts, parks, entertainment and sports.

Hannemann said mayors plan to take part in various sessions and also meet with members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, particularly U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, incoming chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

"We stand united with mayors across the nation to ensure that we're willing to do our part, especially with the economy being the way it is," Hannemann said yesterday at a news conference with all four mayors.

With Congress discussing an economic stimulus package that Obama already has listed as a top priority, mayors say they will fight to ensure Hawaii gets its share of any federal dollars for roads, sewers, highways and jobs.

Lawmakers have emphasized the importance of having "ready-to-go" projects that could immediately boost the nation's economy.

"Our voices can be amplified by working together," said Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi, adding that Inouye's new chairmanship "gives us a hope and reason to be optimistic that we can and we will be able to secure our fair share of resources."

But the trip will not be all work.

The mayors plan to attend the swearing-in ceremony for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday, as well as a couple of the Hawaii-themed inaugural balls being held that week.

Those balls include the Hawaii for Obama Inaugural Gala on Sunday night and the Home States Ball for Illinois and Hawaii on Tuesday night, which Obama is expected to attend.

"We're ready as a team to be there and witness this awesome event," Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said.

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares said she is not looking forward to the cold weather, expected to be below freezing, or the crush of people, estimated at 2 million to 4 million, but is excited nonetheless about witnessing the historic moment.

"A president born in Hawaii and a black president - this is history-making," Tavares said. "It's going to go down in history as one of the outstanding highlights, I think, of the history of the United States."

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA \ CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Big Isle Mayor Billy Kenoi, left, Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. spoke at the state Capitol yesterday about their working trip to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration.