Friday, March 29, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Hirono launches Campaign by misleading public on education reform, clean energy
By Selected News Articles @ 1:53 AM :: 7062 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics

by Barry Fukunaga

It is unfortunate that Congresswoman Mazie Hirono has launched her Senatorial Campaign by misleading the public and mischaracterizing former Governor Linda Lingle’s record on energy independence and education reform, and her relationship with President Obama.

Hirono’s deliberate distortion of Governor Lingle’s record is particularly reprehensible given the Representative’s lack of any record of achievement or vision for Hawaii or America’s future in these two key areas.

From the very beginning of her tenure as governor, Linda Lingle championed efforts to reform public education including modernizing the governance structure, revamping poor performing schools, instituting merit pay for teachers, and increasing the rigor of standardized achievement tests. She was also at the forefront of STEM programs, especially robotics programs statewide.

The Governor’s Administration played a pivotal role in developing the Race to the Top public education program that was awarded $75 million in Federal funds and won praise from President Obama’s Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. She aggressively pushed for college and career ready diploma standards in our high schools, an effort that mirrors the standards being recommended at the federal level.

Governor Lingle supports the President and any other public official, regardless of their party affiliation, when they propose good ideas. But unlike Hirono’s lockstep Party loyalty, the Governor is also willing to let the public know when she disagrees with policies she believes are not in Hawaii’s or America’s best interest.

After decades of inaction on energy, during which Representative Hirono was a state legislator and then a two-term Lt. Governor, Governor Lingle’s Administration launched Hawaii firmly on the path toward energy independence.

Hirono either purposely failed to acknowledge Governor Lingle’s landmark, community-based effort known as the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI), or she has been away from Hawaii so long she is out of touch with the progress that has been made in this critical area. President Obama’s Dept. of Energy has lauded the HCEI as a model for other states.

Voters need to ask themselves what has Mazie Hirono done in more than 25 years in various State and federal government positions, and why did she start her campaign by attacking someone else’s record instead of talking about her own.

Perhaps it is because she just doesn’t have much to show for so many years in public office. Her “Johnny come lately” focus on jobs and the economy belies a record of little in the way of tangible achievements.

Whatever the match-up may be in the U.S. Senate race, I hope voters will look at the facts, not at the rhetoric generated by candidates with few achievements of their own.

---30---

Barry Fukunaga is the Former Chief of Staff to Governor Linda Lingle

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