Abercrombie to release social services funding
Gov. Linda Lingle has held up the spending, citing financial woes
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 16, 2010
Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie told state Senate Democrats yesterday that he plans to release $23.7 million from the state's rainy day fund to help more than three-dozen social-service programs.
State lawmakers approved the use of the money this year to stabilize programs such as Kupuna Care, which assists the elderly so they do not have to live in care homes, and Healthy Start, which provides advice to new mothers to reduce the risk of child abuse.
Gov. Linda Lingle has declined to release the money because of the state's uncertain finances.
"It was clearly the intent of the Legislature that those funds be utilized in this emergency," Abercrombie said after a private meeting with Senate Democrats at the state Capitol. "And I fully intend to cooperate with the Legislature. I think that's where the change comes in. It's not a matter of the executive and the Legislature dueling with one another. It's a matter of each meeting their responsibilities on behalf of the public interest."
Abercrombie also told the senators he would prefer to appoint members to the state Board of Education, subject to Senate confirmation, rather than have nominees first screened by a selection advisory council.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment this month to move from an elected to an appointed school board. But Lingle vetoed the implementing legislation, so lawmakers will have to draft a new bill next session and will likely use the advisory council framework as a starting point.
Senate President Shan Tsutsui (D, Kahului) said senators made no commitments on the school board or other issues. "Hopefully, we can start on building things and working in a more collaborative fashion," he said.
Sen. Clayton Hee (D, Kaneohe-Kahuku), who served with Abercrombie in the Senate two decades ago, said Abercrombie is intimately familiar with the legislative branch of government and the way it functions.
"He doesn't intend to interfere with that," he said. "He wants to work with the Legislature. He wants to preempt any issues that may arise."
Abercrombie said he would meet with House Democrats after they have their leadership in place.
Replies
Department of Human Services ie: Public Welfare, Universal Health Care (Medicaid), Child & Adult Protected Services are all underfunded. Just last week I called a the Medquest Office in Kona to find out what their caseload is like now: 1600 per worker. 20 years ago when they opened their own offices the caseloads were 100-150 for more elderly care and orphaned or destitute families. Now since the bad economy and unemployed/underemployed cases it has risen to include families who were once working families of 1-2 adults employed full, full+half or 2full time jobs.
Department of Labor - Unemployment/Employment could use help as well, not as much as DHS but help indeed. If you are on internet it is easy to file for these benefits and look for jobs. But most public welare clients who majority have or is facing foreclosure of their homes due to the economy may not be able to afford internet services.
We need to take care of these areas because it is helping those who need help. Jobs now are lowering their rate of pay so many decline to take the jobs if they are on unemployment because they are better cared for by the system. More energy into employment incentives for small business to hire new employees who are displaced at a valued rate of pay for morale.
For the 50 years that Hawaii has been a State, it has enjoyed Surplus most of the 50 years. Remember just about 3 years ago or so Hawaii has like a 275 Million Dollars Surplus. All of the Surplus revenues never went back to the people. They went into the State Special Funds for Raining Days. Well Da Sky is Falling................
With the Hawaii State Legislature being most Democrats Abercrombie should have No Problem doing what he needs to do.
People also needs to get involved and demand Actions.
Doing Business on the Phone or Internet is sometimes a Lost Hope.
I like looking at the Office Worker, Eye Ball to Eye Ball.
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomai
Long Live The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomai