With the passing of its first 100 days in office yesterday, Gov. Lingle’s administration zoomed in on what it considers its top 10 accomplishments thus far:
*Reducing the cost of doing business. Reduced securities licensing fees, saving that industry approximately $1 million per year. Also reduced online registration fees by 25 percent, and up to 50 percent for businesses who file frequently online. Total savings to Hawaii businesses will be approximately $500,000 per year.
*Promoting Hawaii’s Culture. Established within DBEDT a Culture & The Arts Division to harness the economic potential of Hawaii’s unique and diverse cultures.
*Restored the Tetsuo Harano name to the H-3 Tunnels. Gov. Lingle restored the Tetsuo Harano name to the H-3 tunnels. More than 7,000 Hawaii residents signed a petition demanding that Mr. Harano’s name and honor be restored as originally intended by a concurrent resolution of the 1994 State Legislature.
*Correcting past inefficiencies and abuses. Gov. Lingle signed a memorandum of agreement between the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designed to improve the management and operations at HCDCH. These action items will ensure the proper spending and handling of the $25 million in federal funds HCDCH receives each year to provide public and assisted housing for Hawaii residents.
*Open the government procurement process. Revised the “non-bid” selection process, by requiring that all professional services bids (architects, engineers and consultants) be ranked by a selection committee before presentation to the comptroller. This eliminates the appearance of favoritism or selection on a basis other than merit by the comptroller.
*Ensuring financial accountability. Initiated repeals of selected special funds that have outlived their purpose, or have no justifiable purpose.
*Immediate prescription medication assistance for needy residents. The governor secured $3 million in private funding to create Prescription Care Hawaii. This innovative public-private partnership will bring immediate relief to at least 20,000 needy patients in its first year.
*Cleaning Lake Wilson. Governor Lingle has made eradicating salvinia molesta from Lake Wilson and other state waterways a priority. A collaborative state, city, and military effort is making significant progress in resolving a problem that started over a year ago.
*Payment to Native Hawaiians. As part of the effort to fulfill the state’s obligations to Native Hawaiians, Gov. Lingle worked with lawmakers and Native Hawaiian leaders to pay $12.3 million in ceded land payments to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
*Federal funding to fight drug abuse. Gov. Lingle brought home $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help fight the “ice” problem on the Big Island.
For more information, contact Russell Pang, chief of media relations, Office of the Governor, at 808-586-0034.