Pono Chong has sent countless flyers to our mailboxes paid for by special interests such as electric utilities, gas companies and well-known developers in an effort to disguise his real record. These are just a few of the votes he is trying to hide from us:

 

 

 

Myth:
Pono Chong claims to have fought against tax increases.



Fact:
Pono Chong led the charge and voted to tax pensions for retirees (SB 570). 

He also voted to increase taxes on:
. . . to name just a few.

 

Myth:
Pono Chong claims to have helped end Furlough Fridays in our public schools.
Fact:
Pono Chong refused to support efforts to stop Furlough Fridays from happening.

When more than half the members of the Legislature signed on to set aside money to prevent Furlough Fridays from ever beginning, Pono Chong refused. Seven months and 17 Furlough Fridays later, the legislature finally acted to end Furlough Fridays - after students and teachers had already suffered through the school year.

 

Myth:
Pono Chong claims to protect our environment and oppose greater development in Windward Oahu.
Fact:
Pono Chong voted repeatedly to undermine our environment and allow greater development in Windward Oahu.

Pono Chong voted to allow the state to freely kill endangered species and destroy ancient Hawaiian remains to build highway bridges (SB 3010 SD2). He supported getting rid of zoning and height limits so as to allow for unbridled development near bus and rail stations (SB 2927 HD1). He voted to develop agricultural land by allowing vacation rentals and hotels on farmland (SB 2341 SD2).  He even voted to allow private developers to take over our public beaches, parks, and schools.

 

Myth:
Pono Chong claims to support our local economy.
Fact:
Pono Chong tried to kill one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy - our clean energy industry. 

Approximately 20% of construction jobs last year -- during one of the worst recessions in Hawaii’s history -- were in the solar industry. And yet, instead of working with the Abercrombie administration and the solar industry to create common-sense solutions, he aggressively pushed a proposal to gut the incentives driving the solar industry in a way that a leading economist says would have destroyed our local clean energy businesses.

 

These are the facts. You be the judge.

It’s time to set the record straight and take a look at the real facts.

Pono Chong has a record of voting against initiatives that advance Hawaii’s educational system, protect our environment, and grow our economy.

A historic coalition of Sierra Club members, working families from HGEA, and faculty from UHPA wants you to know what Pono Chong's record means to our community. We want voters to make informed decisions by setting the record straight.

 

Paid for by the Sierra Club Hawaii PAC, without approval and authority of any candidate in District 48.