REPORT FROM SAM AIONA’S CAMPAIGN FOR HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL – Former state representative and small business owner, Sam Aiona, announced this morning that he will seek the Honolulu City Council seat for District 6.
Aiona has been considering the run since Tulsi Gabbard’s victory in Congressional District 2 Primary and her resignation from the Honolulu City Council.
Aiona said, “After speaking with family and friends I have decided to seek the office based on two important factors.
“First, of all the major candidates running in the special election, none of them are speaking for the vast majority of voters who oppose the city’s planned rail project. Voters are sending a clear message to city officials that they do not want the project and I believe the voters from Makiki to Kalihi deserve an opportunity to voice their opinion at the ballot box. I would rather lower people’s car registration and sewer fees, fix their sidewalks and restore funding to our bus system than spend over $5 billion on a train that will arguably not relieve traffic.
“The second reason is because people are so frustrated with the political shenanigans that stop government from working for the people. Candidates say they are bipartisan and are there to represent the people, but I know many are really out for themselves.
“People want politicians to stop arguing simply because they belong to a certain party and start discussing issues. Opposition to the rail project is a perfect example of people coming together based on an issue and not their party affiliation. And all those people deserve to have their voices heard.
“As a former legislator and chairman of the Republican Party I am the first to admit that I was active in party bickering. Fortunately, I’m older and hopefully wiser now and have listened to people say ‘enough is enough’. I agree. I’m running because I want to change this power-grabbing mentality and be a different kind of leader than we have had in the past.
Only my actions will prove my worth and if the voters in Makiki, Pauoa, Liliha, Nuuanu, Downtown and Kalihi give me a chance, they will see a non-traditional leader interested in getting things done for Honolulu.”
Aiona served in the State House from 1996-1998 and then served as Party Chair from 2005-2007. He recently served as Executive Director of the State Office of Community Service from 2003-2010, where he worked with numerous non profits throughout the state. He is a small business owner and a member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Missing Children Center of Hawaii, Chair of the Board of Directors of HOPE Services, Inc. (Catholic Diocese Homeless Corporation) and former Member of the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. He has served on numerous other community organizations over the last 20 years.
Aiona is married to Cherrie Kanemitsu Aiona and they have two young daughters ages 7 and 5.
The latest figures I got is that the Rail will be able to transport 28000 passengers per hour. These people are brilliant. We on the Waianae Coast are so relieved. We can evacuate the entire Waianae Coast including the city of Kapolei in a little over an hour. This is amazing and probably wortth the billions and billions of dollars that are planned.
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