Letter: Legislators need to plan for basic maintenance

Finally, someone who identifies the shortcomings of Hawaii’s budget priorities and future spending (“Take longer view of Hawaii infrastructure,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 13).

Hawaii has long taken the short view in building projects, paying for new construction but then ignoring even basic maintenance.

Think sewers, water mains, Aloha Stadium, schools, even the Capitol building, where legislators who won’t pay for maintenance have allowed their building to fall into disrepair. Then, when lack of maintenance has destroyed the functioning of the building, the legislators demand millions of dollars to make immediate repairs.

Now think rail. The city is building a $9 billion rail system but has not yet announced how much it will need for annual operation and maintenance of the system or where the money will come from.

Keli‘i Akina is giving us some insight we should accept and require our politicians to take action on. Will we listen or will we just sit back and let it all fall apart, as usual?

Garry P. Smith

Ewa Beach

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