Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Saturday, March 1, 2014
Letter: Waikiki Rep Brower Threatening to Smash More Shopping Carts?
By Andrew Walden @ 7:56 PM :: 6014 Views :: Homelessness, Politicians

by Andrew Walden

Videotaped smashing homeless people’s shopping carts while wearing gloves and an Armani Exchange cap last Fall, Rep Tom Brower told the Star-Advertiser November 18, 2013:    

"Recently I went into Ala Moana Park where there were shopping carts near people, and I took them from them," Brower said. "No one really questioned me. Some people thought I was the repo man. When you are walking down the sidewalk with a sledgehammer, people get out of your way."

The result was a worldwide media firestorm of negative publicity for Waikiki.  Brower was identified as a violent, scary, vigilante who was making the problem worse.   Community leaders and local attorneys called for his arrest. 

Did Brower learn anything from this? 

Apparently not, judging from a February 7, 2014 letter to one of his Waikiki constituents.  In it, Brower mentions “carts” ten times, and suggests his attacks were part of an effort to "create a better society."  Here are some highlights:

I will do everything I am physically capable of within the law.

Worrying about negative publicity paralyses many elected officials from doing what needs to be done.

Dealing with challenges creates a better society.  Sometimes the power for change is not entirely within the Legislature—its out on the streets.  Solutions to some of our community issues need to be jump-started by bold, grassroots action.

Since working to clear shopping carts, certain parts of Waikiki and Ala Moana are noticeably cleaner…but without continued monitoring, things can revert back.

Brower then launches into a pitch for homeless safe zones—a discredited ‘tent city’ idea which has failed to gain support in Hawaii in the four years Brower has been pushing it and has proven disastrous in Seattle and other communities where it has been tried.  Finally, he warns:

As we head into the 2014 session, please know that I will be exploring both legislative and non-legislative ways to continue addressing the issue of homelessness and abandoned shopping carts….

This is very similar to excuses Brower gave HNN when interviewed last November:

“"I got tired of telling people I'm trying to pass laws. I want to do something practical that will really clean up the streets."

Read Rep Brower’s letter >>> HERE. (identifying material redacted)

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT