Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 2, 1 February 2010 — SEEKING SOLUTION [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SEEKING SOLUTION

By Liza Simon Public Affairs Specialist After a year of cuts in puhlie sector jobs and a reduction in puhlie services to fill a $2. 1 hillion state budget shortfall, wamings of more tough times ahead filled the opening day speeches of the 2010 state Legislature. In his speech, House Speaker Calvin Say (D-St. Louis Heights, Pālolo Valley) said more projected job losses combined with a drop in personal ineome, a decline in state revenue collections and another looming state budget deficit of $1.2 hillion through 2011 make it necessary for lawmakers to "sacrifice and subordinate ourselves . . . to achieve meaningful legislation." Say also said the puhlie must prioritize between paying more taxes and fees or receiving less puhlie services and facilities. Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D-Nānākuli, Mākaha) noted that this year's customary opening day ceremonies at the Capitol were cancelled in light of the ongoing eeonomie crisis. Hanabusa finished her prepared remarks in less than three minutes and declared, "Let's get to work." Those listening to the lawmakers' hleak pronouncements included many who have concerns about any further dismantling of core services that provide for the state's neediest populations, including a disproportionately large number of Hawaiians. Former state Sen. Alex Santiago said that last year's reductions to child abuse prevention, mental heahh, elder care and other programs will eventually cost taxpayers more, because "if left untreated, social problems escalate" and require more puhlie assistance to fix. "If we try to cut our way out of the deficit, we are just kicking the ean down the road to a worsening budget problem," said Santiago, now with the human services advocacy group Phocused, whose 50 member organizations serve a

mostly Native Hawaiian clientele. Santiago said lawmakers should stop slicing budget appropriations for state departments and look for additional revenue fromthe state's rainy day fund. He also wants legislators to clarify whieh state services are considered essential, before further moving to cut more puhlie services andjobs. While Say called on advocacy groups to "be aware of the need for halanee among competing interests during these extraordinary times," several people at the Capitol for the Jan. 20 opening cited the perils of doing more with less. "We are not here to fight with other agencies but to help lawmakers understand that any further reductions would endanger heahh and safety," said Deborah Arendale from the Maui County Division of Elderly Affairs. On the mostly Hawaiian island of Moloka'i, Arendale said, traditional 'ohana care for kūpuna is vanishing as younger people leave the island to look for work or take on muhiple jobs to make ends meet. "So we are here to educate lawmakers that we are not asking for an increase in funding, but we need to maintain the current level of services, such as assistance whh chores or three baths per week per eaeh elder. This is nothing extravagant." Hanabusa's appeal to her Democratic majority colleagues to put aside partisan differences and "to engage" with Republican Gov. Linda Lingle was echoed by minority leaders in both houses. This is in contrast to several Democratic lawmakers who at the start of this year criticized the governor for ordering across-the-board cuts in most state departments. GOP leaders Sen. SamSlom(R-Hawai'i Kai, 'Āina Haina) and Rep. Lynn Finnegan (R-'Aiea, Hālawa) emphasized that they would prefer to halanee the budget by promoting business development as a means to increase tax revenue collections instead of hiking taxes. State Department of Heahh Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino, whose heathcare budget for

low-ineome adults last year was slashed by $42 million, said that a revised Council of Revenue projections due in March may lead to more cuts. "This is going to be a difficult year for everyone," she said. But she said the heahh department this year is sticking to a "lean legislative package, looking to strengthen department efficiencies, and gaining federal funds" to maintain puhlie heahh infrastructure. Fukino also said she believed that Hawaiian traditions of sharing and self-reliance eome in handy in hard times. "Dependence on government has made us forget those inherent strengths that we need to find again," said Fukino, the first Native Hawaiian to head the department. Laura īhielen, chairwoman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said her department's core functions, including the protection of natural and Hawaiian cultural resources, are being maintained despite budget cuts, through partnerships outside of government. DLNR's plan to raise revenue for capital improvements through fee hikes and sources other than taxes failed to pass in the 2009 Legislature. Both Say and Hanabusa made an effort to inject some optimism in their opening day remarks by highlighting Hawaiian values, whieh they said are potential building blocks for eeonomie recovery. Top tourism official Mike McCartney agreed. "Our job in the tourism industry is to grow the state's eeonomy and this means we respect the values of the host culture," he said. "In marketing terms, this gives us the competitive advantage. No other plaee has the aloha spirit." The Hawai'i Tourism Authority has implemented the administration's orders for furloughs and budget cuts but is committed to funding five Native Hawaiian cultural events, including the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, he said, noting that visitor arrivals in Hawai'i are slightly up in recent months relative to other travel destinations. ■

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State House Speaker Calvin Say addresses the Legislature at a toned-down opening day. The Jan. 20 proceedings broke with the tradition of entertainment and pomp to reflect the eeonomie times. - Photo: Liza Simon