HIRONO TAKES CREDIT FOR INNOVATION OF OTHERS IN NEW AD

News Release from www.Lingle2012.com

HONOLULU - Mazie Hirono is claiming the success of Hawaii's Pre-Plus early learning program as her own accomplishment in her newest television ad, a resume padding attempt which is not born out by the facts. 

"Hirono's new ad claims that she 'created' Hawaii's Pre-Plus early learning program, which is simply not the case. This is a common tactic for Hirono to tout the great efforts of so many others as her own signature accomplishment,” said Bob Lee, Campaign Manager for Governor Lingle.

The new television ad claims, “Mazie Hirono created Hawaii’s Pre-Plus Program so children from working class families can attend high quality pre-schools.”

"Despite Hirono's attempts to re-write history, the Pre-Plus early learning program was initially developed in 2001 when State and private agencies such as the Good Beginnings Alliance, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, Head Start and the legislature's Keiki Caucus began working collaboratively. Much later, in February 2002, the Lieutenant Governor's office assumed oversight of the project until the Cayetano Administration left office just 10 months later,” Bob Lee added. [1]

Following Governor Lingle's inauguration in December 2002, management of the Pre-Plus program was transferred to the Department of Human Services, who under the Lingle Administration successfully secured over $10 million in funding to build preschools on elementary school campuses throughout the State.

"At best, it’s disingenuous for Hirono to claim she ‘created’ the Pre-Plus program, even if she only had 10 months of oversight after the program was already established, at worst it’s yet another example of Hirono intentionally misleading the people of Hawaii to prop up her own empty record of accomplishments in any office she served.

“Unfortunately for the people of Hawaii, this type of resume-padding behavior is business as usual for Hirono, who is well versed in taking credit for the achievements of others. Even her former boss, Democrat and current candidate for Honolulu Mayor noticed, saying in his memoir that he created the Pre-Plus program and tasked Hirono to run it, but ‘by 2002 little had been accomplished’ under her leadership. [2]

"Like so many of her so-called signature accomplishments, the program's successes were actually the result of the leadership and collaboration of others - including members of the Lingle Administration," Bob Lee added.

Visit the following link to read Governor Lingle's education policy, and view her past accomplishments: http://www.lingle2012.com/education-hawaii/

Sources:

[1] Pre-Plus History, Department of Human Services (available at: http://hawaii.gov/dhs/Pre-Plus).

[2] Ben, a memoir from street kid to governor, Benjamin Cayetano, Watermark Publishing (538-39) (2009) (“I had tried to do the same for Hirono by asking her to take the lead on . . . establish[ing] preschools (“Pre-Plus”) in the public schools. Sadly, by late 2002 little had been accomplished.”). (LINK)

# # # #