Gov. Ben Cayetano said yesterday a report by state House Republicans showing $668.1 million in waste and mismanagement in the Democratic Cayetano-Hirono administration over the past several years is "rubbish." Governor dismisses
fiscal waste assessmentBy Bruce Dunford
Associated Press
"I don't know of any person with any kind of credibility in this state that believes that report, because basically what they have done is put together a huge number of misleading statistics that track maybe 40 years or so," Cayetano said.
"It's an incredible exhibition of dishonesty in my view, and as far as I'm concerned, it's rubbish."
In releasing the report on Monday, the GOP said it shows that with better management of its money, the state can pay for new programs, let taxpayers keep more of their own money and still balance the state budget without tax increases.
Cayetano accused the Republicans of releasing their report two weeks before the Nov. 5 general election as a political move to influence voters.
"Why in the hell didn't they come out with this during the (legislative) session, when we were putting the budget together and when we were struggling to find money to fund social programs?" he said.
"Does anyone believe that we would allow $600 million to just be frittered away when we need every dime we can get for social programs and just to balance the budget?" Cayetano said. "It is rubbish."
The Republicans said Monday that researchers were frustrated by state administrators as they sought to get information.
"A complete analysis of state spending awaits fuller cooperation from department staff and a greater willingness to open financial records to the public," GOP leaders said.
Senate Vice President Colleen Hanabusa said it was ironic that much of the GOP's report cited waste and mismanagement in programs related to the Felix consent decree, which mandates special-education services for children with behavioral problems.
The management and financial problems in the Felix programs were discovered by a joint House-Senate investigative committee created by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, she said.
