Governor’s team explains Hawaii’s Top Fiscal Problems: Medicaid, Jobs and Unfunded Employee Benefit Funds to Senate Ways and Means committee – and offers solutions
By Laura Brown, 3/19/2010 9:41:59 AM

Gov. Linda Lingle — in what she described as “the most important meeting of the legislative session” – testified with members of her administration Thursday before the Senate Ways & Means Committee to explain the state’s revised financial plan and offer solutions to boost private sector job creation.

The governor says it was critical, in the name of “transparency”, that her administration explain the state’s dire financial situation and what must be done to fulfill her constitutional duty, which is to present a balanced budget that also stimulates the economy.

Hawaii’s citizens are suffering. State employees, who have been furloughed several days a year, have had salary cuts. The public has seen cuts in government services. And most concerning for the governor, public school children are not able to go to school 17 days a year because of teacher furloughs or no school days. Taxpayers are also concerned about the prospect of higher taxes and fees in a number of areas to pay for a state budget that has ballooned to $10 billion – 60 percent of which is spent on labor costs.

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