Will State Lose $800M in Fed Funding Due to Governor Abercrombie?

News Release from Ige Campaign

Honolulu, HI   (June 5, 2014) — As early as August, Hawaii may lose nearly $800 million in federal Highway Trust Fund money earmarked for transportation projects. Since Abercrombie’s tenure as governor, hundreds of millions of dollars that should have been used to repair deteriorating highways and bridges have set untapped.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) held a public review meeting today at the State Capitol from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to get public input from citizens about their transportation concerns and the held up $800 million.

“It’s a shame that we’ve had this $800 million and we couldn’t put people back to work repairing and maintaining our roads because the governor’s Department of Transportation couldn’t get the job done,” said Senator David Ige. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ige added, “How many jobs could those projects have created in the last four years for the local construction industry?”

Hawaii receives an average of $150 million a year from the FHWA, which administers the Highway Trust Fund.  Even if Congress does pass a bill that keeps the fund solvent, Hawaii may still see its portion reallocated to other states that actually utilize the money they are given.

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With nearly 30 years in the state Legislature, candidate for Governor Senator David Ige has built a solid reputation as a thoughtful, honest and innovative legislator. He has been the chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for the past four years, helping to shape and balance the state’s budget. Senator Ige has led a total of 10 House and Senate committees, including Higher Education, Education and Technology, Health, Hawaiian Affairs, Economic Development, Commerce, and Consumer Protection and Information Technology. This year he was named one of the 13 “tech-savviest” state legislators in the nation by Government Technology. Senator Ige has been at the forefront of applying technology solutions and information technology in government and education. More information on Senator Ige and his candidacy are available at www.davidige.org.

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