I want to respond to misstatements made by John White (“Politicians also don’t plan for future crises,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 8), regarding our city government. The City and County of Honolulu has a double A plus bond rating, one of the best a city can receive. We are in a strong position in terms of managing our finances.

For the past seven years, this administration focused on infrastructure as our top priority. We are rebuilding our sewer system at $5.2 billion; this has resulted in sewer spills dropping dramatically. We have spent more than $700 million repaving over 2,000 lane miles of long-neglected city streets. We are completing our first-ever 20-mile driverless rail system to be run on electricity that will be generated by renewable energy in the future. So, we are focusing on long-term infrastructure projects that will benefit future generations long beyond my term in office, including fighting the climate crisis with urgency.

Kirk Caldwell

Mayor, City and County of Honolulu

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