Hawaii Republican Party Statement On New DGA TV Ad

Ad Rhetoric Ignores Reality Hawaii Families Face From The Abercrombie-Ige Policy Agenda

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party

HONOLULU (September 22, 2014) - The Hawaii Republican Party released the following statement in reaction to the new television advertisement released Monday from Hawaii Forward, a group affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association (DGA).

"If Democrats consider a worsening fiscal outlook, the second most overtaxed middle class and the dubious distinction as the worst place to make a living as reasons to support the Abercrombie-Ige policy agenda, then it is clear they are out of touch with the day-to-day struggles of Hawaii families," said Blake Parsons, Hawaii Republican Party Executive Director. "After four years of Governor Abercrombie and Senator Ige's policies, it's time we elect leaders like Duke Aiona who offer common-sense alternatives to the broken status quo."

BACKGROUND:

HAWAII FISCAL FORECAST GETTING WORSE

The Hawaii Council On Revenues Now Forecasts The State Will Have $100 Million Less In Tax Revenues Because Of A Slowing Economy. "The state will have more than $100 million less than expected to fund government programs and pay public workers over the next year, based on the Hawaii Council on Revenues’ latest forecast. The seven members had projected 5.5 percent growth for fiscal 2015, which started July 1, but they downgraded their general fund revenue forecast to 3.5 percent after a lengthy discussion Thursday. The governor’s office and Legislature rely on the estimates to prepare the state’s overall $12 billion operating budget." (Nathan Eagle, "Hawaii Takes a $100 Million-Plus Hit as Council Downgrades Revenue Forecast," Honolulu Civil Beat, 9/4/14)

• "In Hawaii, the lower economic forecast from the Council on Revenues means a potential funding crunch for the state government. The council, a collection of economists from state, private sector and academe, whose forecast is the official basis of the must-be-balanced state budget, changed its growth forecast from 5.5 to 3.5 percent. That works out to roughly $100 million that state officials thought they'd get but probably won't. One month does not a trend make, and a forecast isn't reality, merely an educated guess of what reality will be later on. But there have been a number of economic indicators this year to suggest anemic growth, including slow hiring and weak consumer spending." (Howard Dicus, "Slow economic growth for Hawaii, slow hiring pace for nation," HawaiiNewsNow, 9/5/14)

• "The council’s trend of downgrading its forecast started a year ago. The council lowered its forecast in September 2013, then again at its meetings in January, March and May when the growth rate dipped below zero to negative 0.4 percent." (Nathan Eagle, "Hawaii Takes a $100 Million-Plus Hit as Council Downgrades Revenue Forecast," Honolulu Civil Beat, 9/4/14)

HAWAII MIDDLE CLASS AMONG THE MOST OVERTAXED

A New Study Shows Hawaii Has The Second Worst Tax System Overall And The Third Most Overtaxed Middle Class. "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 over-taxed, making Hawaii's tax system second-worst in the U.S." (Erika Engle, "Hawaii's tax system the second-worst in U.S.," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9/15/14)

Governor Neil Abercrombie And Senator David Ige Have Passed Over $833 Million Of Tax Increases Since 2011. (Jorge Martin and Max Velthoven, "Tax Increases Enacted by Democrat Governors Since 2011,"Americans for Tax Reform, 5/9/14)

HAWAII COST OF LIVING RANKS THE WORST

A MoneyRates.com Report Ranked Hawaii As The Worst Place To Make A Living In 2014. “At the other end of the spectrum–and a different corner of the map–Hawaii ranks as the worst place to make a living in 2014, due to a cost of living that stands at 157% the national average and a poor work environment score.” (Kathryn Dill, “The Best And Worst States To Make A Living In 2014,” Forbes, 6/9/14)

USA Today’s Wall St. Cheat Sheet Ranks Hawaii As The Most Expensive State In 2014. “Paradise is expensive. To live comfortably in Hawaii, you'd need a salary of over $122,000, as of late. Dinner and a movie in Honolulu will cost you around $75, which is a little high. Your grocery bill may be on the higher end in this area as well, with the price of bread and eggs averaging over $4 each. The median home value in Hawaii is $518,800 and the median list price is a little higher at $525,000 ($420 per square foot). If you decide to rent, you're looking payment of just under $2,000 per month, and that's if you pay the median price. To keep the utilities running in a small apartment in Honolulu, you're facing a cost of around $285 per month.” (Erika Rawes, “7 most expensive states to live in the U.S.,” USA Today, 9/13/14)

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