“Taxation without representation” is an apt description of Hawaii’s state government. Yes, we elect our politicians, but then we lose control over the decision-making process. It seems all we are good for is to pay taxes to fund one political boondoggle after another. We have no opportunity to initiate or guide public planning. A public-centered urban design process is nonexistent here.

Honolulu’s troubled rail project is but one example. Another is the development of ultra-luxury high rises in Kakaako. These were planned by politicians for politicians, not by citizens striving to improve Honolulu’s urban transportation or housing.

The current meltdown of the rail project is the result of decisions hatched by politics with the absence of urban planning that involves citizen participation. A glaring example of this is how politics drove selection of the rail route, as noted in a Feb. 28, 2007, Honolulu-Advertiser article, “Vote clears way for initial transit work”:

“(Councilman Todd) Apo had tried to steer the route back to (Mayor Mufi) Hannemann’s original proposal of going past the airport by tacking on promises that later links to Salt Lake and UH-Manoa would be top priorities.

“(Councilmen Charles) Djou, (Nestor) Garcia and (Rod) Tam joined him yesterday. But the vote fell short when (Councilman Gary) Okino, who had come up with the Salt Lake compromise last week, refused to abandon that route. Doing so would have stabbed (Councilman Romy) Cachola in the back, and someone else would then almost certainly have switched his or her vote to kill the route anyway, Okino said.”

The spat over how to develop the Aloha Stadium site is a current example of politicians fighting over a plan that citizens had nothing to do with.

A recent Star-Advertiser editorial (“Keep priorities right on stadium,” Our View, Oct 18) opened with “State agencies and their private partners are practically giddy about their plans to replace the decaying Aloha Stadium and its vast parking lot with something great — whatever that may be.” This observation illustrates that urban planning in Honolulu is guided by “giddy” politicians rather than by concerned and involved citizens. But we are expected to pay for whatever these capricious public authorities settle on, no matter how mercurial their decisions. This is indeed taxation without representation.

The voices of three former governors have been raised in opposition to the current stadium plan (“3 former Hawaii governors attempt to keep eyes and priorities focused on Halawa housing,” On Politics, Star-Advertiser, Oct. 31) — which is welcome input, but no substitute for citizen participation at the initial planning stages of the project.

In contrast to Honolulu, Portland, Ore., enjoys a convenient and functional transportation system, which, along with other aspects of urban design, was a product of citizen participation. A Portland “Comprehensive Plan” states that “It must be clear how people can influence the priorities, processes, and outcomes of projects. The City of Portland seeks social justice by expanding choice and opportunity for all community members, recognizing a special responsibility to identify and engage, as genuine partners, underserved and underrepresented communities in planning, investment, implementation, and enforcement processes … ”

How to accomplish this here? We can do it. I suggest we can take advantage of expert guidance such as from the University of Hawaii Department of Urban Planning to actively take control of our own future.