Whatever you think of the man or his comb-over, Donald Trump represents the best thing to happen to Waikiki in the wake of the city being forced to dump 48 million gallons of sewage into the Ala Wai Canal.

That sewage debacle contaminated and closed Waikiki beaches and left us with more than a healthy dose of bad publicity. Indeed, The New York Times weighed in with their editorial titled: "Bleah Hawaii."

The infrastructure failure and resulting damage to our beaches and coastline was a blow to our image as a tourist mecca. It was also tempting to yell out The Donald's favorite pet phrase to someone at Honolulu Hale: "You're fired."

If it were only that simple.

Now, the arrival of the Trump International Hotel and Tower as part of the new Waikiki Beach Walk might be just the right antidote at the right time.

At the very least, the positive national publicity is something Waikiki could use right about now.

Trump's new Waikiki project will be the prized assignment for his newest protege, who will be selected in the season finale of his popular reality show, "The Apprentice."

But Trump will do even more for Waikiki's image and the state's economy if he delivers on his promise to create "the most luxurious development in one of the most recognized resort destinations in the world today."

Let's hope he succeeds.