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At the Legislature, all roads lead to the money committees — House Finance and Senate Ways and Means — chaired by Rep. Sylvia Luke and Sen. Jill Tokuda, respectively.
But if you come hat in hand, brace yourself. Gov. David Ige’s budget director, Wesley Machida, learned that lesson the hard way when he presented Ige’s budget to the powerful lawmakers.
Luke called Ige’s budget “borderline schizophrenic.” Tokuda was equally dismissive: “Are you providing us with a real budget?”
Luke also chastised Machida for the negative performance of the public employees pension fund. Maybe some people should be fired, she mused.
The Legislature opens on Jan. 18. You’ve been warned.
Storm clouds ahead for OHA, beneficiaries
Anyone who thought there had been rough seas at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs up to this point had better batten down the hatches.
With Rowena Akana now chairing the board of trustees, the boat’s already rocking. The new leadership, which has criticized OHA’s “top-heavy” staff roster, is looking into the possibility of buying out the contract of the chief executive, Kamana‘opono Crabbe. For his part, Crabbe has said he will not “go gentle into that good night.”
Let the drama begin. Gains for the beneficiaries? We’ll have to see.
