GOP: DEMS TAKE BUDGET HOSTAGE

The State House Republican Caucus has released the following statement:

"Today in the House Finance Committee, Democrats took the several popular budget programs hostage and sent Hawaii residents a ransom note. In essence, the Democrats declared that the people of Hawaii must allow the legislature to steal $100 million from the Hurricane Relief Fund or they will kill public libraries, kindergarten education, and computers in schools."

The Democrat's proposal takes $100 million dollars of money paid by homeowners for the Hurricane Relief Fund to balance the budget and pay for Hawaii's bloated government. Those monies would be "replaced" by $100 million of debt.

This maneuver is a con game of replacing cash with debt to pay for big government using other people's money. The House Republicans reject the Democrat's slight-of-hand and demand that the legislature increase the use of privatization, eliminate all vacant government positions, sell unneeded state assets such as the Hemmeter Building, and cut duplicative state programs before even thinking about stealing from the Hurricane Relief Fund.

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