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A tough-talking Hawaii mayor told residents to ‘get used to’ the state’s controversial new driver’s license after nearly 6,000 people demanded it be redesigned.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi brushed aside the backlash at a press conference Tuesday, insisting officials would not abandon the first major overhaul of the cards in 17 years.
‘Whatever those people were that didn’t like it, that’s just the way it is,’ Blangiardi said.
‘We’re not backing off. This is the card. Get used to it. Fall in love with it. Take it home. Look at it. Stare at it. Learn to like it.’
The extraordinary exchange was captured in footage broadcast by Hawaii News Now but was omitted from the version of the press conference uploaded to Blangiardi’s official YouTube channel.
The mayor’s recording included his prepared defense of the licenses and several questions from reporters, but not his instruction for critics to ‘get used to’ the design.
Blangiardi’s office did not immediately respond when asked why the remarks were missing from the official video.
The blunt response came after thousands of residents backed a petition arguing that the muted design failed to capture Hawaii’s celebrated beauty, culture and identity.
The revamped licenses and state identification cards feature a black-and-white photograph, a pale rainbow and an outline of the Hawaiian islands.
Breaking waves and the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, Hawaii’s famously long-named state fish, appear on the reverse.
But the new look was swiftly ridiculed online, where residents branded it ‘ugly’ and compared its faded rainbow with the vivid colors associated with the Aloha State.
HI-93 radio hosts Steezy and Puunui launched a Change.org petition on June 30 calling on officials to reconsider the design.
‘Many of us feel that the current design does not reflect our home’s rich beauty, culture, or identity,’ the petition said.
It called on the state to seek feedback from residents and involve local artists and cultural practitioners in creating an alternative.
The hosts stressed that they supported the extensive security upgrades and were objecting to the card’s appearance and the apparent lack of public involvement.
‘It’s not that we don’t support the new security features, it’s just working together to come up with something that we’re all going to have in our pockets for quite some time.’ they told Hawaii News Now .
Officials, however, maintained that the new design was driven by security rather than style.
The cards contain more than 50 safeguards designed to combat forgery, identity theft and tampering, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services.
They are made entirely from polycarbonate, with multiple layers of plastic fused into one solid structure without adhesives.
Customer Services Director Kim Hashiro said that made them ‘as durable as safety glasses.’
Personal information and black-and-white photographs are engraved into the plastic instead of being printed on its surface, making them almost impossible to replace without destroying the card.
The licenses also contain raised text, microtext, anti-counterfeit patterns, a translucent window and features that can be seen only under specialized lighting.
‘The most significant improvements are the security features,’ Hashiro said.
She explained that the protections added ‘another layer of security’ and made the cards ‘almost impossible to alter or duplicate.’
The new holographic elements are also compatible with the Transportation Security Administration’s ID verification systems, addressing previous complaints that some Hawaii cards could not be read properly at airport checkpoints.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda illustrated the need for a sturdier card by producing his own deteriorating license during Tuesday’s press conference.
‘If you compare it, our license and the new one, mine is already peeling,’ Alameda said.
‘It can be copied through a Xerox machine, and that’s really unsettling.’
The new cards have already entered circulation, although residents do not have to replace their current licenses immediately.
Existing cards will remain valid until their expiration dates, when holders will automatically receive the redesigned version.
Those who want one sooner can request an online duplicate for $7, provided their name, address and photograph have not changed, according to the Honolulu Department of Customer Services.
Despite the petition and online mockery, Blangiardi made clear that residents should not expect another redesign.
‘Take it home,’ he said. ‘Stare at it. Learn to like it.’
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