News Release from Hawaii Republican Party     September 21, 2014

This past week Senator David Ige was forced to confront the results of his policies over the past four years alongside Governor Neil Abercrombie, and it wasn't pretty. As we get closer to Election Day, Republicans will continue to highlight the broken status quo that the Abercrombie-Ige policy agenda represents and the need for a new direction.

IN THE NEWS...

Civil Beat reported that David Ige will be on defense when it comes to the pocketbook issues Hawaii families care about. "Which is precisely why the RGA ad, and others that may follow, might actually persuade voters to go Aiona’s way. There is no single issue more important than Hawaii’s growing cost of living. Given that Democrats have controlled the state for nearly all of its existence, it is difficult for the party to separate itself from that harsh reality."

That much is clear after a Star Advertiser article reported on how Hawaii now has the second most unfair tax system. "Hawaii's middle class are the third-most overtaxed in the U.S., and the 20 percent of residents with the lowest incomes are the fourth-most overtaxed, making Hawaii's tax system second-worst in the nation, according to a study released Monday by the personal finance site WalletHub.com... Only Washington state's tax system is more unfair than Hawaii's, while the fairest tax systems are in Montana, Oregon, and South Carolina, the study found."

Ige will be forced to defend the effects of his policies and the Star Advertiser reported on how Republicans will continue to highlight the need for change. "The Republican Governors Association television spot this week linked Ige to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, as have several email blasts from the Hawaii Republican Party. On Friday, local Republicans will release an infographic meant to help make their case that Ige is really no different than the unpopular governor he upset in the primary."

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