'You can't spend money you don't have'

From Hawai’i Together, January 4, 2021

Barabara Marumoto, architect of the state's legal spending cap, continues to believe Hawaii needs better budgeting practices

Former state Rep Barbara Marumoto, whose idea for a state spending cap was adopted by the 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention, was the special guest this past Monday on Keli'i Akina's "Hawaii Together" program.
Marumoto discussed why as a delegate to that convention she introduced the spending cap measure, which is tied to personal income growth. 

"I think most people thought it (the spending cap) was a good idea, because it did pass, [though] not without a lot of trouble,” she said.

In recent times, the spending cap has been routinely ignored, and the state's highly indebted, precarious financial condition shows it. As for how the state might recover, Marumoto said, "The last thing I would like to see are tax increases." Instead, she said, state legislators should cut spending and improve Hawaii's business climate.

Marumoto, a Republican, served in the Legislature from 1978 to 2012. Upon her retirement, then-state Sen. Sam Slom, also a Republican, hailed her support for “small business issues, safety for children, patriotism, health concerns, tax reduction and fiscal reforms.”