Lingle considers
hiring freeze of
nonessential staff

Budget worries weigh
on the governor as she
meets legislators

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

Gov. Linda Lingle is considering a statewide hiring freeze while she goes over the state books to balance the budget.

Lingle met for two hours yesterday morning in her state Capitol office with Senate Democratic leaders and told them she is mulling a hiring freeze as a way to attack the state's budget problems.

Randy Roth, Lingle's senior policy adviser, said no decisions have been made, and there are no immediate plans to halt state hiring, but it "is being considered."

"There is an obvious challenge having to do with balancing the budget," Roth said.

"Until we have had time to fully analyze the budget and consider all the possible ways to balance it, it may make sense to keep options open by holding off on any hiring decisions for the time being," Roth said.

KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM Gov. Linda Lingle sat at her desk yesterday on her first full day in office. Lingle told Senate Democrats she remains committed to cutting taxes and sparing the hurricane relief fund.

Yesterday was the first full day for the Lingle administration and Roth said there is still a lot to pursue.

"We have had all of one day that we have had full access to the books of government, so until we have had a chance to digest the information it is a little hard to say what approach will be taken," Roth said.

Senators who met with Lingle include Bob Bunda, Senate president; Donna Kim, vice president; and Brian Taniguchi, Ways and Means Committee chairman; Cal Kawamoto, Democratic floor leader, and Shan Tsutsui, Democratic caucus leader.

Administration members who attended the meeting, the first official session of the Lingle administration, included Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona; Bob Awana, Lingle executive assistant; George Lindsey, Aiona's chief of staff; Roth; and Georgina Kawamura, acting budget director.

Kim called the meeting "open and refreshing."

Kim added she thought Lingle's hiring freeze suggestion had merit.

"I think it is an option that should be looked at," Kim said.

"She made it clear she would look at positions that were not essential. Perhaps a freeze is needed, but you have to look at each of the positions," Kim added.

Bunda came away from the meeting noting the difference between the Republican Lingle, and the former Gov. Ben Cayetano, a Democrat.

"We would meet with Gov. Cayetano, but he obviously had a different agenda than the Legislature, and his style was a lot different than Gov. Lingle's," Bunda said.

"I think Gov. Cayetano was a little more combative," Bunda said.

Taniguchi said Lingle told them she remains "steadfast" in her campaign pledges to cut taxes, not lay off any civil servants and to keep the hurricane relief fund intact.

"She asked for some help and we are going to try to share what information we have," Taniguchi said.

"We have certain differences on how we want to approach the budget, but I know we want to work together," Taniguchi added.

Lingle continued the mutual good feelings by praising Taniguchi. "We are really looking forward to working together, Sen. Taniguchi has a strong desire to work with us and obviously has been doing this longer than we have, so we think it would be a great help to have such an open position," Lingle said after the meeting.

There was a lot of humor in the meeting , Lingle said.

"I told them I really don't know the legislative process, so I don't want you guys running rings around me," Lingle said.

Yesterday afternoon, Lingle was working in her new office, which she described as "overfurnished."

She met with her transition team chief, Travis Thompson, and said she is close to naming directors for the departments of Agriculture and Health and a tourism adviser.

She has also received three nominations from her transition committee for the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

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State of Hawaii