City Council Betrays Waikiki

Officials Ignore Residents' Plea for Help

News Release from Grace for Waikiki

The City Council’s vote to shelve the three bills comprising the ‘Sit/Lie’ initiative was a vote in favor of the predatory panhandlers and transients in Waikiki who use our beaches, parks and sidewalks as their living room and toilet.

The Council can’t seem to distinguish between the families and mentally ill who are legitimately needy and the vagrants whose anti-social behavior is destroying the quality of life in our community for residents and visitors alike.

The Council should immediately reverse its decision and swiftly enact laws that will allow social workers and law enforcement professionals to do the job of making our public spaces safer and cleaner.

By failing to act, the City Council is sending the message that the interests of panhandlers and substance abusers are more important than the concerns of the visitor industry and the 32,000 citizens who make their home in Waikiki.

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Janet Grace is a home health care professional, a member of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board and a founder of two non-profit organizations serving homeless and disadvantaged youth.