Rail critic intends to challenge for mayor

Tag : engineer hat


"Honolulu needs a change in politics," said Panos D. Prevedouros, a47-year-old tenured professor and president of the Hawai'i HighwayUsers Alliance.

Hannemann "is focused on a single, massive, unaffordable project,and that has taken a lot of energy and focus away from importantinfrastructure issues," said Prevedouros, surrounded by more than adozen supporters in front of Honolulu Hale yesterday. Prevedourossaid waste management, sewage treatment, tourism and road repairare the issues he will run on.

"Anyone is free to run," Hannemann said. "If you're going to jumpinto the arena with the big boys, you better know about publicsafety, the economy, tourism. We have stuck to our promises and wehave delivered on our promises."

Hannemann has raised more than $2.5 million in campaign funds sofar while his opponents have raised little or nothing.

Prevedouros said the contest was not a "money campaign" but apeople's campaign. ANTI-RAIL BACKERS

Prevedouros is backed by retired businessman Cliff Slater,Charley's Taxi President Dale Evans, state Sen. Sam Slom, R-8th(Kahala, Hawai'i Kai) and other organizers of the anti-rail effort.Slater said he will help fund Prevedouros' campaign and willencourage his friends and other anti-rail followers to contribute.

Surrounded by people wearing white "Panos for Mayor, Let's FixOahu" T-shirts featuring a yellow caution sign and a hard hat,Prevedouros said the city cannot afford rail transit. He touted hiscivil and traffic engineering experience as proof that he canattend to O'ahu's aging infrastructure and congested roadways.

"O'ahu needs fixing, a lot of fixing," Prevedouros said. "We havehuge infrastructure issues. There is a lot of fixing to do, andthat is what I can do as a civil engineer."

Eight candidates have signaled their intent to run for mayor,including Hannemann. Three  James R. Brewer, Daniel H. Cunninghamand Donovan D. Kambel  have formally filed.

Candidates have until July 22 to file to run for office. The stateprimary election is scheduled for Sept. 20 and the general electionwill be Nov. 4.

Prevedouros said that recent advertisements by Hannemann in both ofHonolulu's daily newspapers targeted him and other members of thegroup Stop Rail Now and motivated him to run.

"The ads really upset me," he said.

Prevedouros said he is in the process of applying for an un-paidleave of absence from his 18-year UH career.

In addition to his position at UH, Prevedouros specializes intransportation engineering and has consulted for firms includingThe IBI Group Inc. and The R.M. Towill Corp., according to hisresume.

He was born in Patras, Greece, in 1961, and is expecting a baby boywith his fiancee. They rent a house near Triangle Park in Kahala. 'talk straight'

Speaking after a news conference announcing the creation of theHonolulu Forever Young awards honoring working professionals over65, Hannemann said this is a democracy where anyone can run andurged Prevedouros to "talk straight" about his anti-rail stance.

"This is all about stopping rail. I'm looking forward to this race,and I plan to use my double-A game," Hannemann said. "That ad wasvery factual. They (the anti-rail supporters) have always beenplanning to run somebody."

He said the majority of O'ahu residents, state legislators and thestate's congressional delegation support the rail plan. He alsomaintained that "ultra-conservative, libertarian-leaningorganizations on the Mainland" are coaching the anti-railsupporters.

Hannemann said Prevedouros' claims that he has been inattentive toinfrastructure are "preposterous."

Hannemann supporters said since the mayor took office, the city hasspent more than $1 billion on sewer infrastructure and pledgedanother $1.5 billion over the next six years. His administrationhas spent more than $125 million on road repairs, filling more than176,000 potholes and resurfacing 111 lane miles in the process,they said.

Rail opponents are trying to collect enough signatures to put theissue on the November ballot. The city says they need at least44,525 signatures. As of Sunday, the Stop Rail Now group said, ithad collected about 30,000 signatures.