Finally, people are starting to speak out about union influence in local government (“Construction industry drives up local costs,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 17).

Every politician seeks the union endorsement for election, and it comes with a heavy cost. The lopsided 7-2 vote from our City Council on Councilmember Joey Manahan’s Bill 37, is a sad reminder of how payback works in Hawaii (“Council OKs bill mandating union labor for city projects valued at least $2M,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10).

As the architect of this farce, Manahan will be responsible for increasing the already outrageous construction costs for government, making sure union dues increase and corruption flourishes.

Look at any taxpayer-funded project and see if you can find one that is under budget or on time. Airport modernization, rail transit and the proposed Aloha Stadium and Blaisdell Center renovations are all aimed to keep unions busy and tax dollars flushing away.

Wailani Ho

Maunalani Heights

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