GOVERNOR LASHES OUT AT LAWMAKERS

Claims They 'Lost Focus'

With less than a year left in office and facing ongoing state
financial shortfalls, Gov. Linda Lingle went on the offensive
Thursday, calling out state legislators for losing focus of Hawaii's
real problems.

"They have focused on establishing marijuana stores," Lingle said.
"They have focused on fois gras. They focus on things like gambling."

The governor told members of the Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce,
Rotary clubs and other community members the Legislature's focus
should have been on creating jobs. That legislators considered those
measures was disappointing, she said. She described other measures --
including one that would require the governor to release any funds
appropriated by the Legislature -- as bad legislation.

California law requires the state's governor to release all money
appropriated, Lingle said.

"It would make us the same kind of fiscal basket case as California,"
she added.

If such a law were in place this year, Lingle claimed, it would have
added $600 million to the state's deficit.

The outgoing governor said county mayors were allying themselves with
labor unions last year when she asked for support in seeking some kind
of work furloughs. That stance, and hints from the mayors that their
county budgets were not in the same dire straits as the state budget,
led her to consider taking away counties' shares of the Transient
Accommodations Tax.

Those same labor unions that the mayors were protecting last year are
pushing for state legislators to approve a 1 percentage point increase
in the general excise tax, which is a 25 percent increase of the tax,
Lingle said.

"Ninety cents on the dollar (of tax revenue) goes to labor unions,"
she said. "They will get the majority of it. It's really a bad idea at
the wrong time."

The Board of Education did not escape Lingle's criticism, nor did the
teachers' union. The board, which should be representing parents and
state taxpayers, bowed to the will of the union when the budget cuts
began, resulting in school furloughs, the governor said.

Because the board has not acted independently of the union and because
several board-appointed superintendents have not been able to reverse
the trend of failing state schools, Lingle reiterated her desire to
make the schools superintendent a governor-appointed job.

"I believe every superintendent wants to do a good job, and yet
nothing changes," she said. "When we had the whole school year, no
furlough, our students still fell behind."

Lingle said her appointments -- including Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Commission Chairman Micah Kane, Department of Human Services Director
Lillian Koller and Department of Transportation Director Brennon
Morioka -- have completed projects and accomplished much during her
tenure. A governor-appointed superintendent would not be appointed
until after Lingle left office, but removing the responsibility from
the Board of Education would add accountability to the process, she
claimed.