State of Hawaii Archives: on Local Issues

David Ige: Good hospitals must be distributed throughout the islands

We have some wonderful private hospitals, but not everyone has access to them. That's why our public hospitals play such an important role in Hawaii--a greater one than in most other states. That's especially true on our neighbor islands where they're often the only provider of acute care.

Public-private partnerships offer great potential, but only if they are shaped in the right way. But no matter our direction, changing how we operate our hospitals to meet changing needs will be key to any long-term solution.

Neil Abercrombie: Preserve open spaces at Turtle Bay

I am requesting general obligation bonds to obtain a conservation easement of more than 600 acres at the site. This guarantees these lands will remain open and free of development, and open to Public Access in perpetuity.

Similarly, I am requesting general obligation funds to enable the state to work with a renewable energy company to purchase agricultural and conservation lands currently owned by the Dole Company--nearly 20,000 acres of open space on the North Shore of Oahu. We need to make this investment to secure these lands so that they do not become a temptation for development and urbanization.

Neil Abercrombie: Allow & encourage education in Hawaiian language

Today, we have an opportunity to organize a Hawaiian language university-within-a-university as a next step. Language is a key element in ensuring that the Hawaiian culture remains strong and perseveres into the future for the benefit of all. When our young children master language, they master themselves. When they master themselves, they can achieve anything. For our youngest children, my office has been working with private and public agencies to develop a leadership position in the Governor's office for early education; to coordinate efforts across departments and in the private sector as we lay the groundwork for the future establishment of a Department of Early Childhood.

Neil Abercrombie: Allow & encourage education in Hawaiian language

Today, we have an opportunity to organize a Hawaiian language university-within-a-university as a next step. Language is a key element in ensuring that the Hawaiian culture remains strong and perseveres into the future for the benefit of all. When our young children master language, they master themselves. When they master themselves, they can achieve anything. For our youngest children, my office has been working with private and public agencies to develop a leadership position in the Governor's office for early education; to coordinate efforts across departments and in the private sector as we lay the groundwork for the future establishment of a Department of Early Childhood.