EWA, HAWAII – Tom Berg, Oahu’s “Tea Party” candidate, won the Honolulu City Council seat left vacant when Honolulu City Council Chair Todd Apo resigned to accept a position with Disney’s Aulani Resort in Leeward Oahu.
Berg, who is a prolific video producer, will represent District 1, which includes Ewa, Kapolei and the Leeward Coast.
He received 2,308 votes, or 18.5 percent of the 12,534 votes cast. There are 53,753 registered voters in the district.
Berg ran for the state House twice, and has worked for three lawmakers including Sen. Wil Espero, Rep. Rita Cabanilla and Rep. Kymberly Pine, R-Ewa.
Here is a letter he wrote to voters before the election:
Aloha! With over 11 years working full-time at the State Capitol for legislators Sen. Espero, Rep. Cabanilla and Rep. Pine, I was able to engage with the city on every twist and turn. Many of the complaints I received at the Capitol to bring action and find cause for remedy stem from city related issues. I have championed resolve for residents on their concerns during Councilman DeSoto, Gabbard and Apo’s term over the years.
Out of the 14 candidates, my volunteer service is unmatched. Please see the link detailing my dedication to our community. No other candidate has a record of giving back to our district and volunteering to the degree I have. That alone does not qualify me to be your Councilman, but coupled with my experience in the trenches of government for more than a decade without rest, without a break in service, does quantify my candidacy as being the most diverse and well balanced choice on the ballot to serve you.
When I moved into the district in 1997, I noticed that public hearings and what takes place at both City Hall and the State Capitol was not being covered satisfactorily and the public often left out of the deals made. That is why I invested in video equipment to volunteer for our community and help educate and disseminate information otherwise ignored or overlooked.
I started in 1997 filming Ewa by Gentry Community Association meetings, the Barbers Point Redevelopment Commission meetings, and even the Ewa Neighborhood Board meetings when they ran out of money to pay others to film- I did it all for free and on my own time.
My relationships in all aspects of government permitted me to bring my cameras into venues for our sake, for our betterment. I made over 250 youtubes on government in just two years working for Rep. Kym Pine and made your window into government much larger than ever before. Please check out the links on this website to learn of my service and ability to carry on the need for a more open government.
One example of my passion to shake things up was to challenge and expose the land purchase deal that expanded the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant by 48 acres for $26 million without a public hearing, without coming before the Ewa Neighborhood Board, without community input from the nearby residents impacted.
It is time to put away the cameras and take charge in front of the lens. I am that person. I have the background to fight the fight so we all can achieve that win-win scenario and attain due process in everything we tackle together. With Berg in office, you can count on being notified of all those twists and turns and your input acted upon.
For more detailed information about me, my record of service, and my proposals, please visit the website: www.BergForHouse.com