Honolulu City Council Members Seek $250K For Church (xpost from GD)

[KamaAina]

http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/04/councilmembers-seek-250k-for-church/

Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin and Councilman Joey Manahan want to spend $250,000 in taxpayer money to pay for the expansion of New Hope, an international evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple locations on Oahu.

Martin, who represents the North Shore, and Manahan, who represents Kalihi, added the $250,000 request to their latest proposed budget amendments.

“The Center for Hope will include a 4-story parking structure that will fit approximately 270 stalls, an expo center, a 400-seat auditorium, a dining cafe, a resource center, and new restrooms,” Manahan’s budget request explained. “The center will benefit its thousands of islandwide church members and provide various outreach programs.”...

The church paid $775,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming it shortchanged the state when it rented public school facilities on Oahu. The church subsequently ramped up its political activism.

For you Neighbor Islanders, New Hope is to O'ahu what Joel Osteen is to the mainland.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

1. How is this even a discussion? Church and state, duh.

[Downwinder]

2. What, no Commercial spaces?

How are we ever going to keep up with the Russians?

[msongs]

3. the "pastor"is extremely rich and flies back and forth to his estate in Oregon between church events

and he got his $$ from the church....sort of Harvest of the Pacific, as in harvesting cash

[KamaAina]

4. Update: Martin Backs Off Proposal To Fund Expansion Of New Hope Church

http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/04/martin-backs-off-proposal-to-fund-expansion-of-new-hope-church/

Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin has deleted his budget request for $250,000 to fund the expansion of an evangelical Christian megachurch in Sand Island on Oahu’s south shore.

Instead, the councilman representing the North Shore wants to use the money “to support a public/private consortium focused on developing a strategy to assist homeless, needy veterans, youths with special needs, and/or victims of domestic abuse.”...

Martin sent the budget amendment to Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi on Wednesday, writing that it was “an effort to clarify the intention” of his original proposal....

The councilman, who is considering a run for mayor this year, declined a request for an interview Wednesday.

More like “an effort to disguise the intention” of his original proposal replacing "church" with "public/private consortium".

And mayor? Cripes. I may yet end up missing Caldwell and even Mufi!

[ellisonz]

5. Ernie Martin is a crook.