Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Responsible Leadership

Speaker Say's letter to the editor was published yesterday in the Honolulu Advertiser:

GOVERNOR WANTS TO DELAY RESPONSIBILITY

"Responsible leadership" has been raised in a letter from the governor's office ("Criticism of Lingle plan is unjustified," April 2).

The House of Representatives has been very responsible in formulating its financial plan, which maintains a delicate balance between funding essential services and minimizing negative impacts on ordinary taxpayers and businesses.

Contrary to the governor's letter, the House has not passed a general excise tax rate increase. Why has she suggested otherwise?

Rather, the House has proposed a variety of revenue measures that are targeted and intended to minimize the negative impact on the general public and economic recovery. The measures include a temporary suspension of certain general excise tax exemptions which currently benefit relatively few businesses and persons, and the curtailment of the high technology tax credits which currently benefit relatively few high-income taxpayers. In general, the House package is "anti-special interest."

The governor's financial plan defers a substantial amount of state liabilities until after she leaves office. She proposes to defer $275 million in tax refunds that are due in this current fiscal year. She also proposes to continue delaying two months of Medicaid payments to health care providers, despite her emergency appropriation request for $40 million. Is this responsible leadership?

Rep. Calvin Say
Speaker, House of Representatives

1 comment:

Right Brain said...

Calvin,
I doubt there's anything about Linda Lingle that smells of responsible leadership anymore. She's on her way out and in the process of dismembering DHS with her apointee, Koller, whose never set foot into a Maui or B.I. office, has targeted children and the disadvantaged to further some weird agenda--when Rep. John Mizuno has a plan to save $ and keep all the 232 jobs and 50 DHS offices. She knows it will hurt the people, and obviously doesn't care. Good example for children--not to mention throwing a wrench into family and schools, teachers lives with the imbecilic "Furlough Fridays", making sure Hawaii stays at the bottom of the academic list nationwide. I say to her, Stop asking for apologies from those who see what you're up to, you're not a Queen, Linda, but a Public Servant, and employee of the people, and when you're hurting the people you don't tell your employer to apologize...You are out, Thank God.

Don't be a bunch of spineless meanly mouthed politicians as she kicks dirt in your faces with a trail of destruction behind her. Tell her there's the door, don't let it hit you on the way out.