Hawaii Council of Mayors Statement on Passing of Sen. Inouye

Image courtesy County of Maui.

By Maui Now Staff

***Below is the text of a statement released by Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, who serves as the Chairman for the Hawai`i Council of Mayors.  The letter pays tribute to the late US Senator Daniel Inouye and acknowledges his long service to the people of Hawai`i.

“Aloha–

This was the last word spoken by Hawaii’s Senior Senator, Daniel Inouye who recently passed away. The late Daniel Inouye lived by the spirit and the true meaning of ‘Aloha’, exhibited in his actions and vision for the people of Hawai`i.

Senator Inouye served the people of Hawai`i for an unprecedented 50 years, a feat which probably will never be equaled in the future. Hawai`i has been blessed with the benefits of Senator Inouye’s wisdom, forethought and vision. The legacy that he will leave behind will live for generations. He loved serving the people of Hawai`i and continued to serve until his death.

Senator Inouye was Hawaii’s Protector, Provider and Patriot.

As a Protector for the people of Hawai`i, he was the leading force behind keeping all of our military bases open, which play an important role in the United States Defense program.

As a Protector, he was the driving force for the appropriations of Federal monies to fund important projects that made our State the best place to live in. The funding was for infrastructure improvements; funding to protect our land, ocean and natural resources that are very important to Hawai`i. Protecting our culture and educating our children was important to him along with the health and wellness of the people of Hawai`i.

As a Provider, Senator Inouye understood the needs of the people and was able to provide jobs and opportunities for our citizens in all counties in various fields such as sustainability, alternative energy and technology. He worked closely with the county-level officials and touched more lives than any other public official. He had the vision to have Hawai`i move forward and he dedicated himself and fought for the people to have this vision fulfilled.

Senator Inouye was a true patriot. Not only did he understand what being patriotic meant, but he had first hand experience of the sacrifices our servicemen and women had to endure to protect our rights as citizens of our glorious state and country. He would always remind us about the importance of patriotism through his actions in his daily life and while serving in public office. He was always honest. He was always fair.

To show his appreciation to those who have served and who are currently serving our country, Senator Inouye would always make it a point to visit our military personnel when he was home. While in Hawai`i, he visits his comrades of the 442nd Combat unit.

On behalf of Mayor Peter Carlisle of the City and County of Honolulu, Mayor Bernard Carvalho of the County of Kaua`i and Mayor Billy Kenoi of the County of Hawai`i, we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Senator Daniel Inouye, his staff, friends and supporters. Through his dedication of service and undivided attention to the citizens of Hawai`i, his legacy will be remembered for generations to come. We thank him for what he has done to make Hawai`i the best place to live. He was a true native son, a practitioner of the Aloha spirit and he will be deeply missed by all.”

Aloha and Mahalo.

With Deepest Sympathy,

ALAN M. ARAKAWA

Mayor, County of Maui

Chairman, Hawai`i Conference of Mayors