Panos HQ Speech

Panos Prevedouros on why he is running for Mayor of Honolulu:

I love Oahu and its people. This is my home. I simply cannot stand by and see the city on a path that leads to disaster. This city needs an engineer to fix its infrastructure problems in the right way, for the right amount of money and make progress and plan for the future. I am that engineer and my expertise in infrastructure qualifies me to be Mayor of Honolulu.

What have politicians done so far?

Politicians break their promises on the landfill issue. They mislead the public to spend billions on the congestion issue. They posture and gamble on the sewage treatment issue. They burden us with the largest tax increase in Hawaii’s history. Oahu is ready to turn the page on politicians who say much, do little, and paint a bleak picture for Oahu’s future. Oahu deserves a leader that can be trusted to tell the truth, keep his promises, and make real progress on Traffic, Trash and Taxes.

What is the future I see for Honolulu?

One of the reasons I have decided to make the great personal sacrifice for both myself and my family is because I, like you am greatly concerned about Oahu’s future. We all know that continuing today’s path will lead us to higher taxes, worsening traffic, and mounting trash. But it does not have to be this way. There is simply no reason why the greatest land on the earth should not house the greatest city on earth.

Thanks to our Aloha Spirit, we are the world’s model for racial integration. We also have some of the highest use of computers, cell phones, mass transit, and carpooling. But this is only the beginning. I firmly believe that Honolulu is the city of the future.

As mayor of Honolulu, I will leverage my extensive contacts of the best engineering minds in the world to deliver world-class solutions for our Traffic and Trash problems. Under my leadership, Honolulu will become the world leader with the most efficient transportation system and the most sustainable trash and sewage treatment. A city powered by clean, cheap, renewable energy. A transportation system that gets you where you want to go. Beautiful, clean beaches that are open every day. And a trash management system that respects the island, the ocean and the people.

We need to let go of the old way of thinking. There is world-class innovation occurring all around the world that can be brought to Honolulu. We need to let go of the old ways of doing things, where special interests dominate the agenda, where political aspirations override the right decisions.

I’m asking you to join me and close the chapter on the “same old, same old” way of doing things. It’s time that Oahu takes its rightful place as the world leader demonstrating how man and machine can live in harmony with nature and beautiful surroundings.

How will I run the city?

Because I am not a politician, you can expect that I will not run the city the way my predecessors have. The old way was to dream up grand projects at great expense that provide little benefit; my administration will gain community consensus on what problem we are really trying to solve and then make sure we use the most cost-effective solution in the world to solve it. The old way was to give large contracts to organizations that blindly follow orders to deliver projects Honolulu doesn’t need. My administration will foster global competition amongst the world’s greatest companies to bring the solutions to Honolulu that solve real problems for the lowest cost. The old way was to call a town meeting for the purposes of propagandizing city projects that people didn’t want. My administration will ask the citizens to do the talking and we will do the listening. The old way was to put off solving the tough problems and blame everyone else when things broke down.

I stand before you now stating that as Mayor of Honolulu I will identify the root cause of the problem, find the best fix for it, fix it, and if it fails I will the accept responsibility for the failure.

The old way was to use the Mayor’s position as a stepping stone to higher political office. My sole purpose of running for Mayor is to fix Oahu’s serious infrastructure problems as only experienced engineers can. I will not sacrifice my term as Mayor of this great city to get a political promotion.

Finally, and most importantly: the old way was to bully an atmosphere of intimidation, retribution, and character assassination.

My strongest promise of all is that no resident of Oahu will ever live in fear of publicly speaking their mind. My administration will discuss issues based on the merits of their ideas and never, ever disparage the good people who have given their precious time and effort to make Honolulu a better place. Oahu voters can vote for four more years of tax-and-spend politics, or can vote to build the right infrastructure that will save us billions. Oahu voters can vote for more excuses and broken promises or can vote for a Mayor that will always tell the truth and then work with the community to deliver the best solution to the problem.

Oahu voters can vote for more of the same insider politics that will do everything they can to silence people’s voices and their right to vote on important issues, or Oahu voters can elect a candidate that has been inspired by and belongs solely to the people of Oahu.

And finally, Oahu voters can choose to vote for heavier traffic congestion and a heavy rail system that won’t help you one bit or Oahu voters can vote for me and I promise that my very first official act as mayor will be to end this rail project.

What am I asking you to do?

The next few months will not be easy. We are going up against a very well-funded, well-known organization that will stop at nothing to cling to power and push this rail system through at any cost. But I believe we have something far more valuable than millions of dollars in our war chest. We have a bright vision for the future of Oahu. We have a better way to solve our traffic, trash, and tax problems. But even our vision and solutions pale in comparison to our real asset and that asset is the people.

If you want what I want for Honolulu, I need you to volunteer your time and expertise to help our campaign. I need you to contribute to my campaign. I need to you to join our team! Oahu has a bright future only if you believe it does. And if you do, then I ask for your vote and your help.

Mahalo!

Panos Prevedouros