Like the traveling public, we don’t like red tape. We want to see airport improvements finished faster and more efficiently. That is a reason why we support the airport corporation proposal, which would take the 15 state airports out of the hands of the state.

A recent Star-Advertiser editorial stated “bureaucrats can’t — or won’t — confront” issues and leaders can’t “cut through red tape and problems.” The writer does not have an understanding of the constraints involved in state construction projects. HDOT leadership is working on creative ways to cut through red tape every day. We never acknowledged the “agency’s inability to get much done,” as the editorial stated. There are plenty of recent positive accomplishments throughout HDOT including:

Reopening the Federal Inspection Services facility that allowed international flights from Japan to land in Kona; improvements to the Honolulu International Airport central concourse through a public-private partnership; the new Kahului Airport Access Road, which didn’t use public funding.

It is true that the Airports Division is constrained by the state system. The airport corporation proposal will help reduce the amount of red tape experienced today. It would allow projects to start sooner and adapt quicker because it would not have to follow the current lengthy procurement process and it would allow the board to meet year-round, instead of just when the Legislature is in session (January-May).

People often say that government should be run like a business. We agree; however, even the best private sector CEOs would have difficulty preventing delays given the state’s bidding process, regulations and statutes that must be followed. How would the private sector CEOs respond if they were told they couldn’t meet with their board for seven consecutive months? Do you think that would cause delays?

The current state governance model limits our ability to deliver first-class airports. Alarmingly airport management does not have control over the outcomes for which the state ultimately holds them accountable. All the critical drivers of success for airport projects are subject to external decisions and conflicting priorities, including budget approval and legislative oversight.

The column’s quip that taxpayers pay for government salaries is not accurate in this case. HDOT is self-sustaining and does not receive general funds, meaning HDOT does not receive income tax money, to operate. Instead HDOT generates its own revenue through user fees. In the Airports Division’s case, project costs, operating expenses and salaries comes from concessions and airline revenue. Primary sources of funding includes, landing fees, terminal rentals, parking revenue and passenger facility charges.

Despite generating its own revenue, the department is still dependent on legislative approval, which is challenging considering the turnover in lawmakers and changes in committee assignments.

The department was criticized for being unresponsive to the Star-Advertiser, stating, “the DOT ignored repeated calls for comment” regarding an article on the highway pavement condition survey. While the article’s reporter maintains making four attempts over two days, the HDOT public information officer (PIO) was aware of receiving just one office message.

For perspective, every airport in the country the size of Honolulu International Airport has a communications team with multiple people working at the one facility. Research even further and you would find airports the size of Kahului Airport also utilize communications teams. For example, the Milwaukee airport employs a communications director, marketing manager and a public relations manager for the one airport.

In Hawaii we have one PIO and an executive assistant dedicated to 15 airports, 10 commercial harbors and more than 2,500 lane miles of highways, which are separated by an ocean. It’s not an excuse, it’s just perspective.

HDOT believes in responsive communication and it does its best with the available resources, despite the unjustified criticism and the red tape.

Ford Fuchigami is director of Hawaii’s Department of Transportation.