Council reconsidering bond funds as salary

The Honolulu City Council is reconsidering a proposal budget that allows for capital bond funds to be used to pay salaries.

Yet in spite of the obvious irresponsibility associated with spending debt money on recurring expenditures, we must face the fact that certain sacrifices must be made.

Choosing not to approve this particular proposal would cause a $5 million addition to the already huge $130 million budget shortfall.

The city simply does not have the resources to pay these salaries without dipping into bond money. The reality is that this money doesn't exist. While it is, arguably, a risk to use these funds for this purpose, the city has no choice.

It would b nice, indeed, not to have to use this particular tactic to grapple with the $130 million debt the city has gotten itself into. However, the city has no other recourse -- it's either bond money now or ore money later.