Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Grace for Waikiki: Ethics Commission Should Ban Sledgehammer Purchases by Legislators
By News Release @ 12:39 PM :: 6907 Views :: Ethics, Homelessness, Politicians

Brower Challenger Urges Ethics Commission to Ban Sledgehammers

News Release from Grace for Waikiki Campaign

Janet Grace, Republican challenger to HD22 State Representative Tom Brower, today called on the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, to ban the use of legislative office funds to purchase sledgehammers and other weapons or instruments that could be used to bring harm to property or individuals.

“Representative Brower abused the power of his position last year by using legislative office funds to purchase a sledgehammer which he subsequently used in raids to destroy shopping carts used by the homeless in Waikiki.

It was not until the media revealed that he used government money to buy the sledgehammer and charged it under “office supplies” that Brower admitted his deception and “purchased” his weapon back from the State of Hawaii (according to KHON2 News reporter Gina Mangieri in her May 12, 2014 report.)

Brower’s attacks raise an even larger issue: In the absence of clear rules prohibiting use of State funds for the purchase of weapons by legislators, the State of Hawaii has potential legal liability for damages to persons and property as the result of criminal acts committed by rogue legislators using items, like sledgehammers, purchased through their office accounts.

The Ethics Commission should act decisively today to reform existing regulations by delineating clearly what expenses can be covered by Legislative office funds. This is the only way to protect the citizens of Hawaii and stop the abuse of public trust by officials such as Representative Brower.”

---30---

Janet Grace is a home health care professional, a member of the Waikiki Neighborhood Board and a founder of two non-profit organizations serving homeless and disadvantaged youth.

The June 18, 2014 State Ethics Commission is Meeting at 10:00 a.m. in the American Savings Bank Tower, 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 970, will consider whether to issue ethics guidance to State legislators regarding the use of their annual legislative allowance. Information on written and in-person testimony can be found at: http://ethics.hawaii.gov/main/legallowance/

  *   *   *   *   *

Chairman Saiki Statement on Ethics Commission Hearings

News Release from Hawaii Republican Party June 18, 2014

HONOLULU – As the state Ethics Commission holds a hearing to discuss Hawaii legislators misusing annual legislative allowances, the State Chair of the Hawaii Republican Party, Pat Saiki released the following statement:

“Is this the point that we have come to – that our representatives, civil servants whom the people of Hawaii have invested their trust in, have to be told specifically how to not waste taxpayer dollars?

Our representatives are supposed to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. If they want to buy garlic salt, hand towels or area rugs then perhaps they should do what most people in Hawaii do – use their own hard earned dollars.

Most people in Hawaii are working two jobs just to make ends meet, while their representatives vote to increase their salaries and their ‘allowances’ for which taxpayers foot the $1 million bill.

In less than ten years time, they have more than doubled these allowances.”

Among the worst offenders was Representative Tom Brower, who used taxpayer dollars to purchase his infamous sledgehammer, which he later used to harass homeless people and destroy their belongings in Waikiki.

Donna Mercado Kim, now hoping to run against Republican Charles Djou in the first Congressional district, used her funds to buy state of the art iPad mini and Microsoft surface tablet, totaling nearly $3,000.

Republican Senator Sam Slom has not used any of these funds and returns the money to the state each year.

  *   *   *   *   * 

Related Stories:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii