Lingle Talks Energy, Responsibility In AddressGovernor Says Funds Could Be Tight With ProjectionsPOSTED: 12:25 pm HST January 22,
2008 HONOLULU -- Gov. Linda Lingle delivered her State-of-the-State Address to a joint session of Hawaii's House and Senate on Tuesday.She laid out her plans and hopes for this legislative session. Read Lingle's 2008 address. With the departure of Warrior football head coach June Jones there has been a growing sentiment to fix the University of Hawaii's repair problems among lawmakers. Some have said they want to give the Manoa campus and the athletics department an infusion of funds for part of the projected $400 million backlog of repairs.Lingle hinted that such a move might be difficult to achieve with the drop in projected money by the Council on Revenues."So although the economy remains fairly strong, the bottom line is that since May of last year when the Legislature adopted the biennium budget, tax revenue estimates have declined by $353 million," Lingle said. "I commend legislators on your support for repair and maintenance of our schools, improvements to the highway system in rapidly growing parts of the state, as well as the modernization plans for our airports and harbors. We have some tough choices to make together in the weeks and months ahead, and I look forward to collaborating with you on reaching the best decisions."The governor said when it comes to energy, Hawaii must end being the most oil-dependent state. She proposed quickly finding a way to use renewable energy.She pointed to a state project recently announced to create solar-power arrays at 12 sites.She said a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy called the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative will provide technical assistance and federal funding.Lingle said she is creating an Energy Division within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to take advantage of the proposals for renewable energy being pitched to the state.The biggest surprise in her speech came toward the end when she proposed the state buy the more than 800 acres that make up the Turtle Bay Resort property.She said the resort provides much-needed jobs in the community and the golf courses are used for professional tournaments. Lingle said the resort area could be sold to help fund the purchase of the surrounding land."I believe this is a once-in-a-generation chance to preserve both a lifestyle for thousands of residents, and a part of Hawai‘i that millions the world over have come to love and identify as the real Hawai‘i," Lingle said.Read more about Lingle's proposal to buy Turtle Bay Resort.The governor made other proposals, including: Copyright 2008 by KITV.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |








