Who are the Citizens for a Responsive Government? They do not have a website, so I guess they don't want us to know what they are doing or who is doing it.
According to the state Elections Commission, CRG has more than $100,000 in the bank and has spent about $53,000 on this election cycle. A good chunk of that money is to help my opponent beat me, and I don't appreciate it.
CRG has been sending out weekly fliers (at great expense) on behalf of my opponent in the race for the House seat for District 13.
CRG is a political action committee acting without the candidate's authorization. This is the kind of politics I abhor, and am committed to stay away from - a group on Oahu spending many thousands of dollars to influence the outcome of an election on Maui.
Ninety-nine percent of my campaign has been paid for by my friends here. Candidates should commit to raising money from their community or directly from their party. If they are unable to do that, maybe they should not be in office.
When PAC funding comes into play, it is hard to know what the motives behind the money are. Keeping the incumbent in office is obviously their goal, I just question their ethical right. But, then, when were politicians ethical? I'm glad I'm not a politician. We humans need to get past power politics. Let's make the necessary changes by voting.
Simon Russell
Haiku
