Hawaii Governor has harsh words for state Democrats

Video by David Corrigan, voice of Tim Bryan

Governor Linda Lingle was in Hilo this week, and she had harsh words for the state legislature, whom she says has lost sight of the goal to create jobs this session.

The keynote address, made to the local business community during a Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, gave the governor an opportunity to speak about a number of controversies that have mired the state in political wrangling recently.

Foremost on everyone’s mind: the governor’s position on negotiations to end the Hawaii school system’s infamous “Furlough Fridays”. The governor blamed the elected Board of Education for some of the problems.

A few days after making these comments, the state legislature voted to approve a $67 million plan to restore the school days. The governor must give her OK on the measure.

While in Hilo, the governor also spoke about recent headlines concerning state employee layoffs at the
Department of Human Services. Big Island Video News has covered a number of meetings in Hilo on the issue recently, where upset social workers said the state’s plan to consolidate the department would be a disaster.

However, the state legislature has blocked the planned consolidation, instead proposing to create a central processing center only on Oahu. The Governor is expected to veto the new version of the plan, although such a veto may be overridden.

The Republican governor was tight lipped about her future plans, aside from saying she will likely continue to live on Oahu.

After her speech, the governor stayed to congratulate the Big Island winners of the 2010 Small Business Administration Awards.

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