Hawaii lawmaker assaulted at homeless camp

[Judi Lynn]

Last edited Tue Jun 30, 2015, 09:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Associated Press

Hawaii lawmaker assaulted at homeless camp

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ and RACHEL D'ORO, Associated Press | June 30, 2015 | Updated: June 30, 2015 4:31pm

HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii state lawmaker who used a sledgehammer to smash shopping carts used by the homeless in 2013 is recovering after being assaulted at a homeless camp.

An official says Rep. Tom Brower was taken to a hospital after the incident in Kakaako on Monday afternoon. House majority spokeswoman Carolyn Tanaka says Brower was later released. Tanaka says she doesn't know the nature of Brower's injuries or how they occurred.

Brower, who represents Waikiki and Ala Moana, has had encounters with homeless people before.

In 2013, he used a sledgehammer to smash about 30 shopping carts used by homeless people in Waikiki.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Hawaii-lawmaker-assaulted-at-homeless-camp-6358897.php

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[mountain grammy]

1. I love Hawaii. I mean every nook and cranny I've visited

and I'll never see enough. I'd love to live there. It's hard to think someone who grows up in that paradise can be such a hater. Who is this creep and how can the good citizens of his district (one of my favorite parts of Honolulu) vote for him?

[maxsolomon]

2. I'm not defending him. I imagine it is because they don't like the homeless, either.

There really are quite a few homeless in Waikiki. I mean, not like downtown Seattle or anything, but I could see a pro-tourism pol making hay off it.

I remember reading a while back that some places (Nevada for one) had offered the homeless one-way tickets, and many chose Honolulu. Hawaii is now paying for return flights.

[mountain grammy]

7. Conservative states like Utah are finding solutions

and housing the homeless. Colorado has committed lots of money, but not moving nearly as fast as Utah. The answer is housing not shipping people out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/04/17/the-surprisingly-simple-way-utah-solved-chronic-homelessness-and-saved-millions/

[maxsolomon]

10. I'm really tired of having Utah's shining example brought up every time homelessness is disucssed.

it was a VERY limited program addressing long-term homelessness - it got about 500 folks off the street. several other cities have similar programs to house chronic alcoholics. I don't think most folks understand that it's not an easily replicable model.

public housing (or vouchers) doesn't grow on trees. funding at the state and federal level is next to impossible, and in a market like Oahu, there are 1000's already in line for affordable housing.

when your resources are limited, sending SOME of the homeless back to where they came from (the mainland) is not irrational.

smashing their carts is.

[They_Live]

3. I think it would be amusing

if all the companies who actually owned those shopping carts brought charges against him for destruction of property. Dickweed.

[passiveporcupine]

9. Yeah, that got me

He's destroying property that does not belong to the homeless. I guess anything goes when trying to make a point.

What an ass.

[geek tragedy]

4. asshole looks for trouble, finds it nt

[DirtyHippyBastard]

5. The poor are not your enemy. God told me so. eom

[SoapBox]

6. Hmmm...he's a Democrat too.

[Judi Lynn]

8. He has the same low values you'd look for in a Republican! So sad. n/t