With less than three weeks until the election, Mayor Mufi Hannemann and City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi faced off yesterday over issues ranging from transportation to the fate of the Waimanalo Gulch landfill.

Speaking at an "Eye on Hawaii" forum sponsored by The Honolulu Advertiser at the Plaza Club, the candidates sparred over whether Kobayashi's recently released $2.5 billion EzWay transit plan will qualify for funding under the increased general excise tax or federal sources.

After brief opening statements, the candidates took questions from the audience.

The majority of the questions focused on Hannemann's proposed $3.7 billion rail transit project and Kobayashi's mix of managed lanes and specialized bus routes.

Business leaders and local residents asked the extent to which each project would receive federal funding.

Hannemann said he has received numerous guarantees from the state's congressional delegation that federal funds will be available once the city starts moving forward and breaks ground on the rail transit project.

Kobayashi criticized the Hannemann plan as too expensive and said the fact that her plan utilizes fixed guideways for the bus systems would qualify it for federal funding and state surcharge funds.

Hannemann argued that language in the legislation approving the general excise tax increase prevents the city from using the money for highways or to support existing transit technology such as the bus.

On Tuesday, Kobayashi detailed a $2.5 billion plan to reduce traffic congestion by building express lanes for an expanded fleet of buses and for private vehicles with three or more occupants.

Kobayashi's plan, developed as a mix of her transportation plan and that of former mayoral candidate and University of Hawai'i civil engineering professor Panos D. Prevedouros, calls for 40 miles of new or modified highways and roads, including a 15-mile elevated fixed guideway with three reversible lanes.

The elevated guideway would provide three reversible lanes starting at the H-1/H-2 merge and ending Downtown for use exclusively by buses, private vehicles with three or more occupants, and fuel-efficient cars even if they carry only the driver. There would be no tolls.

TRANSIT OPTIONS

The EzWay would be built over Kamehameha and Nimitz highways and include a tunnel and at least two underpasses.

"It's a very comprehensive plan, it takes care of the drivers and it really frees up the congestion on H-1," Kobayashi said. "It's also a very great economic stimulus package. All the jobs will be local. We have really great, qualified companies here who can build the highway. You don't have to have an elaborate train system."

Hannemann blasted the plan, calling it nothing more than a slogan thrown together at the 11th hour.

He said her plan lacks the required environmental impact statements and alternative analysis, and does not qualify for funding on the federal or state level.

"As CEOs you don't entertain a $3 billion proposal after three weeks. We've been working on our plan for three years. If we lose this opportunity we don't know when the next one will come," said Hannemann. "Not only is Ms. Kobayashi's plan problematic but the prospect for transit funds is practically nil; the federal highway fund is shrinking. In our plan that provides numerous viable options, we're not saying just ride the car or the bus, it's the train, it's the bus, it's the boat, it's transit-oriented development. Expanding buses is not the way to go."

The candidates were also asked by a member of the Kobayashi campaign whether they could commit to stay in office for four years.

Hannemann asked the questioner who he worked for and nodded and smiled after learning he was employed by the Kobayashi campaign.

"I'm open, honest and transparent. I know what it is and I know what I'm running for. If there are opportunities that may arise in 2010 I would at least like to consider them. I may say no and stay the course," said Hannemann. "If you think I'm doing a good job, the people of Ho-nolulu will let it be known."

Kobayashi said she would commit to a full four-year term.

"I'm not using this as a stepping stone to higher office. I'm not building a legacy," said Kobayashi. "Yes, I commit to four years."

LANDFILL PROBLEMS

Herb M. Lee, executive director of the Pacific American Foundation, asked both candidates about the need to maintain the landfill and how best to handle the waste generated by O'ahu residents.

"Do you think we'll ever be able to live without the landfill?" asked Lee.

Kobayashi said promises were made by the administration of Mayor Jeremy Harris to close the Waimanalo Gulch landfill and accused Hannemann's administration of ignoring an ordinance requiring the creation of a 25-year solid waste management master plan.

"That landfill problem has been around a long time and I know that promises were made. There are other technologies that we can use. We do not have to keep dumping 30 tons of ash into our landfill each day," said Kobayashi.

Hannemann pointed out of the last three landfill votes, including one earlier this year, Kobayashi voted to keep the gulch open. He said Disney executives who will discuss a large resort project in Ko Olina today have never raised the landfill's proximity to the project as a concern.

Hannemann said he is working to expand the city's waste-to-energy conversion capacity, ship trash to the Mainland and implement islandwide curbside recycling.

"After much due diligence we learned we had to keep it there. A new landfill site would be close to where people live in Nanakuli. Yes in the short term we're going to need a landfill," said Hannemann. "We are in a better place today than when I came into office."

The forum became testy at times.

ACCUSATIONS MADE

City information officer Johnny Brannon, who said he was attending the forum on his own time, challenged Kobayashi on the landfill issue.

Kobayashi said in 2004 she wanted to put the landfill on a 23-acre city site next to the city's H-Power facility.

Brannon, a former City Hall reporter for The Advertiser, said he covered the landfill vote in 2004 and recalls Kobayashi proposing the alternate landfill site at the last minute as a means to avoid making a critical decision.

"How can you stand there with a straight face and lie?" said Brannon, speaking during the forum.

Kobayashi asked Brannon to back his assertion with proof. She said she made the proposal based on a promise from the city administration. The administration promised if she voted to keep the Waimanalo Gulch landfill open, the city would work toward expanding waste-to-energy conversion and eventually close the landfill.

"I did not lie and say I voted against the expansion of Waimanalo Gulch. I was given a promise that if I voted for it, in two years we would look somewhere else, but that promise was not kept," said Kobayashi. "If you're going to call me a liar please give me the proof."

Both candidates agreed that a Constitutional Convention would be a waste of time and taxpayer money and that the city's homeless problem is a community issue that needs to be addressed by the state, county and social service organizations.

Asked by a member of the audience why voters should trust either candidate, Kobayashi and Hannemann went back to their stump speeches.

"I've never made a promise I cannot keep. I've never gone back on my word," said Kobayashi. "This is the first election I've been in where an opponent has thrown things at me saying things I've said are not true."

Hannemann touted his record as a businessman and as mayor as the reasons he deserves to return to Honolulu Hale.

"It's all about who is ready from day one to be mayor of one of the largest cities in America," said Hannemann. "Who has the ability to bring people together from Hawai'i Kai to Wai'anae? I contend it's me and my very hard-working team. This is not time for on-the-job training."