When State Rep. Tom Brower, D-Waikiki, began bashing in the wheels of store shopping carts with a sledgehammer in November 2013 for news cameras, he stirred up a major controversy in the community and among his Democrat peers.
Brower said he was fighting Waikiki’s homeless problem by ridding the streets of abandon shopping carts left there by the homeless that had no identification from stores.
However, he may have actually put a dent in his chances for re-election.
For the first time since he was elected in 2006, the Hawaii State Teachers Association declined to endorse Brower and reportedly will remain neutral.
Brower’s Republican challenger, Janet Grace, said: “The HSTA’s decision to stay neutral in this race is another indication that Brower has lost the confidence of the groups and individuals who once supported him. His inability to provide positive solutions to the homeless situation in Waikiki is a major reason why people in our community are looking for new leadership.”