Menor To Run For City Council
District 9 City Council candidate Ron Menor
Former state senator Ron Menor will run for the City Council District 9 seat (Mililani, Waikele, Waipahu, Village Park, Royal Kunia and Ewa Beach) currently held by Nestor Garcia, whose term ends this year.
Menor lost his Senate seat in 2008 shortly after pleading no contest to a charge of driving under the influence. He said he doesn’t believe the conviction will hinder his campaign and that the experience will help him be a better representative to the district.
“I acknowledged my involvement in the DUI and publicly apologized for it on a number of occasions,” he said. “I’ve paid a heavy price for that mistake. It was a hard lesson but one I took to heart and take very seriously. Because of that experience, I believe I’ve emerged a better person and one who will be more committed to the work of the City Council.
“I have a fundamental faith that the vast majority of voters are forgiving and understanding and are willing to give people who made mistakes a second chance.”
The 56-year-old attorney, who as a senator authored a law that capped gas prices at levels tied to prices in several markets on the continent, said that although energy policy is the state’s purview, the council is obliged to ensure the city is making the most of its energy use.
During his time in the senate, Menor chaired the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing Committee, and the Energy and Environment Committee.
“Rising gas prices are major concerns to the residents of our county and state because these price increases have a negative effect on our cost of living,” he said. “I view gas prices along with other cost-ofliving issues as concerns our government officials need to address in the future. As a city councilman, I will make sure our city government operates efficiently and holds the line on taxes and fees because our residents are hurting because of the high cost of living and the high prices they have to pay daily.”
A proponent of the controversial rail project, Menor said it integrates buses, bike paths and more walkways, and that the city can no longer afford to pass along the problem of traffic congestion to the next generation.
“My concern, and the concern of many of my fellow residents, is that past solutions by themselves, such as the bus system and managing the highways, have not worked and will not solve a problem that will only get larger.”
