FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE

March
9,
2010



Contact:
Laurie
Au

laurie@neilabercrombie.com

808‐589‐2237



NEIL
ABERCROMBIE
SAYS
MAYOR
RESIGNING


WOULD
PUT
RAIL
PROJECT
AT
RISK



Neil
Abercrombie
called
on
Mayor
Mufi
Hannemann
to
remain
as
mayor
in
the
public’s
best

interest
to
ensure
that
Honolulu’s
proposed
rail
project
gets
off
to
a
proper
start.



 
 

Abercrombie
today
accepted
an
endorsement
for
his
gubernatorial
race
from
the

International
Brotherhood
of
Electrical
Workers
Local
1186,
Local
1260
and
Local
1357,

which
represent
more
than
7,500
of
Hawaii’s
working
men
and
women,
many
of
whom

would
benefit
from
the
rail
project.



“I
have
always
supported
rail
transit,”
Abercrombie
said
at
the
IBEW
Local
1186
office
in

Kalihi.
“It
can
create
jobs
for
the
people
of
Hawaii,
but
my
support
is
rooted
in
the
way
it

can
strengthen
communities
and
improve
the
quality
of
life
for
many
generations
to
come.

It
is
in
the
public’s
best
interest
for
the
mayor
to
stay
in
his
current
office
for
this
critical

project
to
have
a
proper
start.”



As
Governor,
Abercrombie
said
he
will
continue
to
support
the
rail
project
and
will
work

with
the
city.
He
emphasized
that
the
next
Governor
of
Hawaii
will
not
be
the
one
to

implement
the
project.



“Honolulu’s
rail
transit
project
is
and
always
will
be
a
project
of
the
City
and
County
of

Honolulu
led
by
whoever
is
the
mayor,”
Abercrombie
said.
“There
is
much
uncertainty
that

now
appears
unlikely
to
be
resolved
before
Mayor
Hannemann
has
to
resign
if
he
wants
to

run
for
Governor.
If
he
does
resign
to
run
for
Governor
while
the
future
of
rail
hangs
in
the

balance,
the
rail
project
will
be
put
at
risk.”



Abercrombie
also
noted:



• The
rail
project
is
the
most
significant
and
expensive
project
in
the
history
of

Hawaii—costing
over
$5
billion
to
build
and
millions
annually
to
operate






 • Over
$500
million
of
taxpayer
dollars
have
already
been
collected
to
pay
for
the

project



• Mayor
Hannemann’s
potential
resignation
would
require
a
special
election
to

choose
a
new
mayor
who
may
not
have
the
ability
or
desire
to
see
this
project

through.
Four
new
Honolulu
City
Council
members
will
be
elected
this
year.




###