HONOLULU, July 12, 2012 – Continuing a pattern of ridiculous, slanderous and baseless attacks, the already discredited Pacific Resource Partnership has begun airing television ads alleging that while in office, Governor Cayetano “gave tax cuts to the rich.” Yet here are the REAL facts:
- The tax cuts were made in 1998 to reduce the top state personal income rates from 10% to 8.25% and was the single biggest personal income tax cut in the entire nation.
- If a couple filing jointly had an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $40,000 they were taxed at the top rate of 10%; if a person filing individually had an AGI of $20,000 he or she was taxed at 10%; these groups were not rich people but in fact predominantly the working class.
- Governor Cayetano’s efforts to revise the tax structure to put this group of taxpayers in lower tax brackets was rejected by the Legislature due to the immense pressure from public worker unions opposed to reform.
As Cayetano said in last night’s televised debate, labor unions and big money have dominated this town for a very long time. Pacific Resource Partnership has no credibility to discuss tax policy; it is turning into front for anonymous special interests who covet monies earned by the hardworking people.
The 2012 Election for Honolulu Mayor is rapidly becoming the most important election of this century in Hawaii, maybe the most important in the history of statehood. In his closing statement during the last Mayoral Debate on KITV, Governor Cayetano eloquently stated what this is all about. All of us would be well served if we reviewed his statements (go to the KITV Website, the entire debate is online, check part ’5′.
So, why are all these special interest groups spending so much money/effort to villify Ben Cayetano? And I repeat, all these groups, included but not limited to the Caldwell Campaign, Carlisle Campaign, PRP, Imua Rail, Operating Engineers, Move Oahu Forward, are inter-connected and coordinated. This is the play: The old-fashioned ‘good-cop/bad-cop’ routine, blasted as loud as possible, using a wide variety of lies, distortions, half truths, and character assasination. Add to that a coordinated “talk-stink” whispering campaign using push-polling and other dirty tricks. Bottom line, they want to confuse and discourage voters to depress voter turnout. Worse yet, they want people to fear Ben Cayetano through any means possible. They are behaving just like Nixon’s plumbers on steroids; Watergaters with money, media, and the Internet.
Voters have a right to feel truly insulted by the opposition; particularly with it’s missionary like self-righteous spokespersons, superior tone, and sneaky deceptions. The opposition is fueled by an insatiable demand for power and money…our money. They want to control Hawaii, period.
The choice is simple yet momentous. Do the People control our government, or will Hawaii be ruled by a cabal of monied interests and power brokers? Is the PRP concerned about your life or their collective pocketbooks? The PRP and other members of the opposition feel they deserve our hard earned money, that the People’s Money is their money.
We, as citizens and taxpayers know that the People’s Money is our money and our money is the People’s Money. Now, more than ever, let us re-commit to the most visionary idea that our government is of, for, and by the People. That is why, in the face of oppressive, concentrated, and deceitful opposition, we must deliver every vote possible for Ben Cayetano for Mayor, and for Hawaii.
Sir de Heer: I re-read your eloquent remarks. Ben Cayetano’s election will discolor union Marxism…his being fearless will create terrorism for cronyism. This election is about more than rail, it is about ethics.