Carpenters Union: Suddenly Green?

Forward Progress, the Carpenters Union PAC headed by John White, has suddenly started putting big money out on neighbor island Council races behind their oh-so-green candidates.

Oddly enough, these candidates are all running against Sierra Club endorsed candidates with a record of supporting sensible planning and avoiding urban sprawl chewing up our farm land.

But, hey, these candidates all share one thing in common – they’re for solar energy!  In fact their oversized postcard mailers from Forward Progress are almost identical – touting these county candidates as big solar supporters.

Sadly, nothing can be done to get HECO/MECO lift the cap on rooftop PV at the County level.  So these bastions of greenness, these advocates for solar, these incredibly environmental candidates, will be helpless to change things.

Dang!  How did the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations miss these shining examples of environmentalism and endorse other candidates?

Especially since the Forward Progress says, “Vote for them because they’ll cut red tape“.

Uh oh.  “Cut red tape” is code for dismantle environmental protection and long range planning.  Good bye community plans!

Carpenters Union is pouring money into these local elections.  About 40,000 voters in Maui County voted in the last election.  If they sent these 4-color oversized postcards to every one of these confirmed voters, that would have cost them about $52,000 using this calculator.  Political mailings cost less so that may be on the high side unless they sent to all the registered voters.

On a serious note, I trust the Sierra Club‘s assessment of who will work for sensible planning and environmental protection much more than the Carpenters Union.

Carpenters union is supporting Maile Davis for Big Island County Council.  Sierra Club endorsed Richard Abbett

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Carpenters Union mailer claiming their candidate is so environmental. Click to see larger.

Here’s a photo of the mailer which is almost identical to Ka’ala Buenconsejo’s except for name and face.

Carpenters union is supporting Ka’ala Buenconsejo against incumbent Elle Cochran.  Elle is one of the lone voices on the Maui County Council who is standing up for sensible planning.  Elle Cochran is endorsed by the Sierra Club.

Forward Progress is also running radio ads for their candidates.  Again they talk about how the candidate loves the ‘aina and how they will protect it.

Has the Carpenters Union given up advocating for absolutely every development that comes along?  Somehow this seems unlikely.

 

Here’s the list of Carpenters Union media buys: So far they’ve spent $232,307 for their 4 Maui and Big Island County Council candidates (all of them SOOOO green) ALMOST A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!

For Kaala Buenconsejo (Ellec Cochran’s opponent on Maui)
07/16/2014 Media buy for Maui radio $1,102.91
07/21/2014 Media buy Maui radio $1,690.21
07/16/2014 Surveys, Polls & Voter Lists $21,000.00
07/21/2014 Media buy KPOA $1,690.21
07/21/2014 Media buy KJMD $1,095.65
07/21/2014 Media buy KLHI $1,193.56
07/21/2014 Media buy KONI $618.14
07/21/2014 Media buy for KRYL $700.92
07/21/2014 Pandora $1,679.99
07/15/2014 Mailers $22,941.80
07/15/2014 Mailers $13,160.88
TOTAL $66,775 !!!!!!

Maile David-Medeiros(Richard Abbott’s opponent)
7/21/2014 mailers $24,036.44
7/21/2014 mailers $2,441.26
TOTAL $26,478

For Ron Gonzales (Margaret Wiley’s opponent on the Big Island)
07/24/2014 Radio ads $5,704.40
07/24/2014 Radio ads $2,420.00
07/24/2014 Radio ads $1,415.00
07/24/2014 Radio ads $333.00
07/15/2014 Mailer $12,772.00
07/15/2014 Mailer $5,818.20
TOTAL $28,462

Maile David (Richard Abbott’s opponent on the Big Island)
7/21/2014 mailers $24,036.44
7/21/2014 mailers $2,441.26
TOTAL $26,478

https://nc.csc.hawaii.gov/NCFSPublic/ReportDetail.php

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