Nearly half of likely voters say Hawaii is moving in wrong direction

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Do you think Hawaii is moving in the right direction?

Most of your neighbors don't think so.

A newly-released poll shows that just 37 percent of Hawaii residents are optimistic about Hawaii's trajectory. Some 47 percent feel Hawaii has gotten "pretty seriously off track."

The poll was commissioned by Pacific Resource Partnership, a labor management organization that represents the Hawaii Carpenters Union and its unionized contractors.

PRP's poll is representative of Hawaii's electorate, and included 800 likely voters. The margin of error is 3.46 percent.

The survey also sought voter feedback on a range of issues, including Oahu's beleaguered rail project and illegal vacation rentals.

And the question over Hawaii's direction is aimed at taking the temperature of voters at a time when the state is grappling with a homelessness crisis, a rising cost of living, and significant concerns over major projects with big price tags, including Oahu's rail line.

On Oahu, half of likely voters said Hawaii had gotten off track, while 34 percent said the state was moving in the right direction.

On the Neighbor Islands, the gap was significantly smaller.

Some 42 percent were optimistic, while 41 percent said the state was moving in the wrong direction. Seventeen percent said they didn't know.

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