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ViewpointNovember 23, 1992 The League of Women Voters has been accused by some members of this community of having sullied its nonpartisan reputation by its actions in opposition to certain issues and that we should be an unbiased and nonpolitical organization. They are misinformed about the purpose of the League of Women Voters. Nonpartisanship in the League means we do not support or oppose political parties or candidates for public office. We do, however, educate for citizenship, and we also advocate for positions the members have adopted and selected for priority action. We take stands on many public issues in the general areas of government, social policy, natural resources and international relations. The League makes no apologies for working with organizations and individuals who agree with our positions. We oppose raising building heights downtown from 350 feet to 400 and 450 feet. We refute the argument that raising heights will give more ground level open space. Every 50 feet of building height will only give an insignificant 2% more ground level open space if built from the ground up without garages or commercial space. We oppose the "Resort Mixed Use" district in Waikiki and elsewhere. The mixture of uses it permits is tantamount to having no control of the compatibility of land uses. League members will continue to study, adopt positions, and fight for issues we believe in. Citizens of Republican, Democratic, or no party persuasion at all are welcome to join us and to participate in the planning, study and member agreement processes that lead to our position and advocacy. The process has served well for 72 years. December 28, 1992 Under Councilmember Rene Mansho's leadership of its transportation committee, the City Council has established a transportation and traffic management task force. With broad representation from State and City agencies, transportation experts, community organizations, and the general public, the task force had its first meeting on December 22 to discuss its objectives. The Council's resolution setting up the task force provides that the city bus system shall be the primary mass transit service available to the public in the near future, and that the task force shall give major considerations to expansion of the city bus fleet including busways and bus lanes, to improve bus performance, operation and speeds. If instructed by the committee chair, rail transit may also be considered. The driving of an automobile by a single occupant during the peak periods shall be discouraged. No new major highway facilities, other than those already identified in the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization's HALL 2005 program, shall be commended. The resolution instructs the task force to deal not only with highways and transit, but also with many other elements of a comprehensive transportation planning program, including transportation systems management, transportation demand management, land use planning, public facility relocation, and new technology such as intelligent vehicle systems. We think such a task force can be an invaluable tool in the development and implementation of a comprehensive transportation plan for Oahu, and commend Councilmember Rene Mansho and the City Council for instituting it.
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