From Hawaii GOP www.GOPHawaii.com

RELATED:  www.factcheckhi01.com

FACT CHECK: Colleen Hanabusa Ad Claims She Cut Waste, Saved Millions for Hawaii

MYTH: Hanabusa says, “We cut waste and moved all of this stuff online and saved us millions” and pledges to do the same in Congress

FACT: As of fiscal year ending in 2008, Hawaii’s outstanding state debt was more than $4 billion, an increase of 38.5 percent since Hanabusa was elected to the Hawaii State Senate.  Since being elected to the State Senate, state spending has increased 77.5 percent or by $8 billion.[i]

MYTH: She claims, “We passed campaign finance reform and cut legislative salaries too.”

FACT: Even with Hawaii facing an $869 million budget deficit over the next three years, in 2008, state Senate President Hanabusa defended a 36 percent pay raise for the Hawaii State Legislature.  Hanabusa said “legislators work very hard and deserve the raise.”  As of December 2009, Hawaii pays the highest salary for part-time legislators.[ii]

MYTH: She promises to hold “Wall Street and the special interests accountable for the mess they’ve made” and “take on special interests determined to stand in the way of President Obama.”

FACT: In 2009, Senator Colleen Hanabusa voted in favor of a card-check bill that would allow workers to be recognized as a union when a majority signed union cards, an alternative to secret ballot elections.[iii]  Since 1998, Senator Colleen Hanabusa has taken at least $104,700 in campaign funds from the labor industry.[iv]

For more fact check information for the special election for Hawaii’s 1st congressional district, visit www.factcheckhi01.com.  

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[i] “Schedule of Ratio of Net General Obligation Bonded Debt Per Capita,” Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2005, Hawaii Department of Accounting and General Services, http://hawaii.gov/dags/accounting-division/soh-2005dagscafr.pdf

[ii] Herbert Sample, “Speaker calls on lawmakers to forego pay hike,” The Associated Press, Oct. 23, 2008

[iii] H.B. 952, 2009 Regular Session, Hawaii State Legislature website, http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2009/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=952, May 5, 2009

[iv] Colleen Hanabusa, 1998-2010 Contributions by Economic Interest, National Institute on Money in State Politics, http://www.followthemoney.org, Accessed Feb. 25, 2010