State Budget Director-designate Georgina Kawamura said her department has begun work on an alternative state budget plan if the Hawaii economy is severely affected by a U.S. war with Iraq next month. State drafts parallel
budget in case of warPrograms not "core responsibilities"
may be cut under the planBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comKawamura said the plan, which she will offer to Gov. Linda Lingle when she returns to Hawaii next week, will likely not include another round of across-the-board percentage cuts for state departments like the 5 percent departmental cuts imposed by the Lingle administration.
Instead, the reduced budget plan could include reorganization of certain agencies and elimination of programs "that may not fit into core responsibilities," Kawamura told the Senate Ways and Means Committee during her confirmation hearing yesterday.
"It's premature for me to actually talk about specifics, but we are, within our department, looking and creating some type of list," she said.
The panel received unanimous testimony in support of Kawamura's appointment and, after questioning, recommended her nomination be approved by the full Senate.
Kawamura served as Maui County's budget director during 1987-1998, under former Mayors Hannibal Tavares and Lingle. She earned national recognition for converting Maui's traditional line-item budget into a performance-based budget.
She said yesterday her vision for the department is to create and implement an annual spending plan that is fiscally sound and reflects the policies of both the executive and legislative branches.
Kawamura added she will establish community working groups this summer to get a public perspective on what they see is important to each department. Fiscally, she said, the state must build the economy so it can generate sufficient recurring revenues for recurring expenses.
"If we don't have enough dollars for all of our requests, we have to be sure that the decisions we make for spending are focused on our core responsibilities and that we can confidently communicate the benefits that will be achieved," she said.
Among those who supported her nomination is Neal Miyahira, former state budget director under Gov. Ben Cayetano, who is now a Budget Department division chief. Miyahira said Kawamura has been a quick study in learning the intricacies of state government and its finances, and has a "remarkable ability to absorb details" of the operating and capital improvement budgets.
David Shimabukuro, administrator of the Employees' Retirement System, said Kawamura asks the right questions before making decisions. More important, she knows what is in the best interest of retirees.
Maui County Council member Charmaine Tavares added, "We hated losing her on Maui, but she has a talent she can bring to state government."
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