The Star-Bulletin's June 12 front-page story, "TheBus funds hijacked," contained misinformation, and the headline was misleading and inflammatory. Kuakini project
will aid traffic flow for
wider communityStory on how funds were obtained was unfair
According to Webster's Dictionary the word hijack means to "steal by stopping a vehicle on the highway" or to "subject to extortion or swindling." The story failed to substantiate the attention-getting title.
(The story said some $4 million from the federal government that was supposed to go for buses and bus facilities will end up paying for a private parking garage under construction at Kuakini Medical Center. The grant, from the Federal Transit Administration, was pushed through Congress with the aid of Sen. Daniel Inouye, the story said.)
Kuakini's request for federal funding was submitted in 1993. We have no information that funds for TheBus or any other city project were diverted to support this project.
If and when Kuakini receives the appropriated funds, they will be used to partially offset a portion of our ongoing building projects totaling $19 million.
Several years ago, in order to receive approval for these construction projects, Kuakini was mandated by the city to provide sufficient parking for the medical center complex, widen Kuakini Street to accommodate traffic requirements, and replace parking stalls eliminated by the street widening.
Consequently, Kuakini gave a 3-foot-wide strip of its property to the city, agreed to widen the street and install traffic lights, and accelerated its plans to construct a second parking facility.
Kuakini's employees have had to double-park their cars in the existing garage for the past four years and have used off-campus parking sites to provide priority parking for patients and visitors.
The improvements will result in improved parking for our patients, visitors and 1,300 employees. The improvements will also provide a safer traffic environment for the eight schools, over 10 apartment buildings and several business establishments in the area, including the clients of Lanakila Rehabilitation Center and Hoopono Center for the Blind, whose requests to install traffic lights during the past years have not been approved.
The street-widening project alone will cost more than $2 million. The second parking structure will cost $6 million.
The article misstates how and why the funds were obtained. The truth of the matter is that Kuakini:
Openly requested the federal funding and is not aware of funding for TheBus or any other project being diverted.
Kuakini employees have made difficult decisions and taken courageous steps to pursue what we believe in -- that the community deserves quality health care at the lowest cost possible.
It is through their efforts that the medical center's operations are financially sound. It is irresponsible for the media to imply fiscal and organizational instability based on the sole act of requesting federal funds.
Ultimately, Kuakini views its project as a partnership with the community and the state: improving the transportation on Kuakini Street, working with the city to achieve its long-range plans for upgrading the street and improving traffic through the flow in and around the Nuuanu area, and supporting the state by providing construction jobs.
In the final analysis, we at Kuakini are extremely pleased that Congress was favorable toward directing funds for the needs of Hawaii, its people and Kuakini's employees.
Gary K. Kajiwara is president and CEO
of Kuakini Health System.