For The Second Day In A Row, Ige Under Fire For State Hospital Mismanagement
Star Advertiser Column Follows Yesterday's Editorial Criticizing Senator Ige For Fiscal Crisis
News Release from Hawaii Republican Party
HONOLULU (September 30, 2014) - One day after a Honolulu Star Advertiser editorial slammed Senator Ige and his legislative colleagues for the ongoing fiscal crisis at the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), another column is joining the criticism. Senator Ige and Governor Abercrombie's leadership and policies have only made the situation at HHSC worse, and now the medical patients most vulnerable in Hawaii are dealing with the consequences.
"Senator Ige and Governor Abercrombie's policies are clearly failing state hospitals and the most vulnerable medical patients that rely on them. Senator Ige only offers the same failed policies of the last four years and it is clear families in Hawaii can no longer afford that." --Hawaii Republican Party Communications Advisor Ted Kwong
BACKGROUND:
Star Advertiser Columnist Richard Borreca Wrote Tuesday That Senator Ige Had No Excuse For His Failed Leadership During A Debate Last Week. "Ige shot back that, he knew about the problem and has been on it since way back when he was Health Committee chairman. 'I did pass a measure that restructured the hospital system and the boards. It does have the opportunity for transition to public-private partnership. I got consensus and I moved it forward,' Ige said. Well, that was five years ago and even Ige had to admit that back then, no private partners wanted to play." (Richard Borreca, "The power of public unions is still a significant issue," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9/30/14)
- 'You were chair of the most powerful committee in the Legislature; if anyone wants to move a bill you can," said Aiona. 'You never moved this — why did you not see the urgency in this issue?' Ige came back saying, 'It is obvious that those around the table don't know how the Legislature really works.' Ige then launched into a tedious lecture on the committee system and rules about conference committees and the votes needed to pass bills out of committee." (Richard Borreca, "The power of public unions is still a significant issue," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9/30/14)
A Star Advertiser Editorial Monday Slammed Legislators, Including Senate Ways And Means Chairman David Ige. "Shamefully, legislators have known about this impending implosion for years, at least since late 2009, when a state-commissioned report outlined in dire detail the myriad, intractable problems with this broken public model. It estimated, for instance, that privatization of the workforce would save about $50 million annually." (Editorial, "Public hospitals need fixing ASAP," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9/29/14)
- "It behooves the next governor to take control of this unsustainable HHSC situation, and set the tone for long-term remedy; the issue rightly emerged during Thursday's gubernatorial forum on PBS." (Editorial, "Public hospitals need fixing ASAP," Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9/29/14)
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