GOP candidate for governor
willing to use hurricane
fund to aid budget

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

John Carroll, a Republican candidate for governor, says he would be willing to dip into the state Hurricane Relief Fund to help balance the state's budget, especially if the money would go to help pay teacher's salaries.

Carroll was speaking yesterday at a forum sponsored by the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the union for UH professors, at Kuykendall Hall.

He said that while other Republicans have said not to use the hurricane funds for helping balance the state budget, he would be willing to use the money if it went to teachers or "to help repair our schools."

"Given the state of the economy and the problems with the recession and education, it would be legitimate to use the fund," Carroll said.

But he added he was "dead set against" using any money to fund the state retirement system to help balance the budget.

The state administration last week suggested that it may have to balance the budget in the future by deferring payments to the state retirement system.

Carroll, a former airline pilot, attorney and state legislator, is running in the GOP primary against Linda Lingle, the former mayor of Maui. Lingle has consistently scored highest in public opinion surveys among all the candidates running for governor.

Carroll, however, says he thinks he has a good chance against Lingle, saying he is "not a professional politician."

"You need a background in the military and business," said Carroll, who is a former fighter pilot and joint staff judge advocate for the state National Guard.