BY RICHARD FALE – It seems inevitable that negative campaigning creeps into every election. I suppose our race is no different. On Friday, an email was sent out by the Defend Oahu Coalition smearing our campaign, my views and my character. It is really a shame that this group, instead of talking about their visions for our community and sharing what they are supportive of, chose to launch a last minute, dishonest attack on someone whom they deem an enemy.
I want to set the record straight on a few things:
- I am not supportive of current plans to expand Turtle Bay Resort. I recently met with members of Local 5 and expressed my concern about the current plans for expansion. I shared many of their views and values when it came to improving economic opportunities in Hawaii.
- Our campaign has used the slogan “Keep the Country for Country People,” as a reflection of the sentiments we have heard from so many in the community. Many residents I spoke with felt isolated and excluded from the “Keep the Country Country” movement because of a perceived unwillingness by the organization to find common ground amongst the community. I believe there is a need for economic opportunities in our community but that they must be balanced with preserving our environment and unique country lifestyle. This belief is shared by many of our neighbors.
- I served as a member and the chair of Koolauloa Neighborhood Board proudly and though meetings were at times tense, neither I nor the board members were ever censured.
As your representative, my priority is the best interest of our community. I will always have an open-door policy with any individual or group who wants to share their concerns. I want to work with the many organizations and interests within our community and help facilitate discussion and understanding amongst them. I will work with anyone, whether they supported our campaign or voted for me or not, to ensure our community thrives.
This is my promise to you. I hope you will keep this in mind as we head into Election Day on November 6th. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to meet so many of you and I hope to earn your vote and support and to become your State Representative.
Mahalo,
Here is the email in question:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you live and vote in House District 47 you have probably received an election mailer encouraging you to vote for Richard Fale to represent rural windward Oahu. The mailer, sent by the conservative Political Action Committee, Hawaii Solutions, claims that Mr. Fale supports efforts to "Keep the Country COUNTRY".Nothing could be further from the truth.
Richard Fale has been a consistent adv…ocate for the long-oposed expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort and "Envision La'ie”, a massive expansion of BYUH and the Polynesian Cultural Center that includes the urbanization of the area between Laie and Kahuku. This project, which primarily benefits entities of the LDS church and includes paving over of more than 300 acres of Malaekahana ag land, doubling the size of Brigham Young University's facilities and student-body, doubling the size of Polynesian Cultural Center, and building a new hotel four times as large as the recently demolished La'ie Country Inn.
As Ko'olauloa Neighborhood Chair, Mr. Fale was censured by the Neighborhood Board Commission for violating the state sunshine law when he refused to allow public testimony in opposition to "Envision La'ie". His obstruction of community participation in government has sidelined the city’s approval of the Koolauloa Sustainable Communities Plan in which the community purposefully did not include the "Envision La'ie" or Turtle Bay projects.
Mr. Fale has also said that he wants to "Keep the Country COUNTRY for country people". Our goal is to “Keep the Country COUNTRY – for EVERYBODY”.
Most egregiously, Mr. Fale’s use of the "Keep the Country COUNTRY" slogan is a desperate attempt to mislead voters into believing that he supports the preservation of open spaces and shorelines on Oahu for the enjoyment of all residents and visitors. He does not. The Defend O'ahu Coalition has worked tirelessly to build awareness for rural preservation – and we take issue with Hawaii Solutions and Richard Fale for maligning the slogan and thereby implying that we endorse his candidacy. We do not. Through his actions, Mr. Fale has shown that he does not value the country, he does not share the country values of Windward and North Shore Oahu and he should retract his mis-leading statements.
Defend O’ahu Coalition
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
We stand by our statement and repeat our request for Mr. Fale to stop politicizing the term "Keep the country country".
Here's a link that may shed more light on the issue of sunshine law violation and the ruling by the Neighborhood Board Commission https://hawaiiindependent.net/story/koolau-loa-nei…
"Keep the country for Country people" is how many people out here in Ko'olauloa feel. We want and need some growth – more housing, more jobs, more opportunities. We all love the country but too many local families have had to leave to the mainland. That's why my family's voting for Richard – Fale for the Hale!
How about that for all you Mr. Fale haters. The commuinty have voted
Comments are closed.