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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, March 12, 2003

Lingle upbeat as she marks 100 days in office

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

In her first 100 days in office, Gov. Linda Lingle believes she's made headway toward her three main goals — shoring up the economy, restoring trust in government and overhauling the state's education system.

"I think we're doing really well at the 100-day mark," Gov. Linda Lingle said.

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But the budget, she said, "remains probably the single biggest challenge."

Lingle, who was sworn in on Dec. 2, is inviting members of the Legislature, her Cabinet and the media to Washington Place today to mark her 100th day in office.

"I think we're doing really well at the 100-day mark," Lingle told reporters yesterday. "One area we'll have to push hard in the remaining weeks (of the Legislature) is education."

Her reform bills on procurement, campaign finance and election remain alive as do her economic initiatives. But her plans to change the public school system, most notably her proposal to eliminate the statewide Board of Education in favor of seven elected boards, have failed to make it out of the House Education Committee.

She will testify before the Senate Education Committee this afternoon, in an attempt to revive her school board plan.

The governor said her biggest accomplishment to date has been assembling her Cabinet. "That's really critical in the long haul," she said. "We put a lot of effort into it, we involved a lot of people in the search committees and I think it shows in the caliber of people. Their treatment in the Senate has been almost across the board outstanding."

On the budget issue, Lingle said she had lunch yesterday with Senate Ways and Means Chairman Brian Taniguchi, D-10th (Manoa, McCully), whose proposal for a half-percent increase in the state's general excise tax has moved out of the Senate. While she maintains a good rapport with Taniguchi, she said, "I don't expect there will be a tax increase at the end of the session."

She predicted that the House would not support it and "it won't even get to reach me. It's not something, I think, that's good for the economy at this time."

Lingle said she is buoyed by information that revenue numbers for the first three months of the year are up.

The largest unsettled part of the budget involves the pay of government employees, she said. "We've made it clear from the beginning that we don't see any recurring revenue available for increases at this time, but I believe there are other things that we can talk about that are important to the different unions and we'll continue to talk with them," she said. Lingle said she would rather hold the line on pay hikes than lay off employees.

At 100 days, "I just get up every day so excited about the possibilities. So does everyone on our team," Lingle said.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.