HANNEMANN ANYTHING BUT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE

HONOLULU-- Chairman Jonah Ka'auwai had the following statement in regards to yesterday's KHON2's story on Mayor Mufi Hannemann's questionable mainland fundraisers:

"Mayor Mufi Hannemann's recent political fundraiser hosted by a major rail consultant raises serious ethical concerns.  The consideration of city contracts should not be based on who you know, but how you do business.

"The Honolulu Mayor has used taxpayer dollars to advocate for the reckless rail transit project, he raked in more than $200,000 from donors linked to government contractors in the last six months of 2009, and now he's raising big money from consultants seeking rail contracts.  While he's whacking the rail transit piñata for all the goodies he can get, he's raising property taxes and increasing fees on just about every other service the city provides.  Is this the kind of leadership Hawaii deserves?

"Hannemann is using his special interest money to tout fiscal responsibility and leadership in gubernatorial radio ads at a time when his actions are anything but fiscally responsible."

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RELATED: Abercrombie surrogates question Hannemann's Pittsburgh fundraiser

Also: Good News: A small elite no longer runs Hawaii -- Bad News: Mufi thinks he can

And: Neil Abercrombie 2009: A year of corruption