BOE CHAIR TOGUCHI’S STATEMENT ON RELEASE OF HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDS 

HONOLULU – Hawaii State Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi (one of the inventors of furlough Fridays) issued the following statement today following Governor Neil Abercrombie’s release of $67 million from the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund to support public education:

“I commend Governor Abercrombie for releasing much-needed public education funds immediately after taking office. These are the very same funds that the Board of Education had requested from the Legislature and then-Governor Lingle as early as June 2009 to prevent school furloughs from ever happening in the first place.

“Governor Abercrombie’s swift action ensures educators and students will be in school teaching and learning. It also sends a strong message that public education must be our No. 1 priority if we are serious about restoring social and economic prosperity by investing in Hawaii’s graduates – our future leaders and workers.”

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SA: Governor releases money allocated to end teacher furloughs, pay for social services

Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced today that he would release $67 million from the state's hurricane relief fund to cover the cost of ending teacher furloughs and more than $23 million from the state's rainy day fund to help social service programs.

REALITY: Hawaii DoE: Cost of waste, fraud, and corruption between $191M and $431M per year

Operative Philosophy: Abercrombie: “No new audits--people not interested in how to balance the budget”

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Abercrombie’s Inaugural Message

Below is Gov. Neil Abercrombie's inaugural message, which was released this morning. The message is not the text of the speech Abercrombie gave at his inauguration at Iolani Palace.

This morning the sun rose in paradise, bringing a new day. What becomes of this day is in our hands—as stewards of our land and water, providers for our families, and citizens of our beloved Hawai'i.

On this day in Hawai'i we begin our work on building a sustainable prosperity that can be enjoyed today and for generations to come, we will make investments in the capabilities of our people, and we will build strong communities based on our core values of compassion and unity.

Our first task is accelerating our recovery by restoring and creating good jobs, capitalizing on new opportunities, working smarter and more creatively, and building partnerships to optimize results. We can no longer spend precious time and energy fighting to gain a political edge. Instead we must focus all our efforts on Hawai'i's future and our respective roles in it.  Each one of us has important work to do—as laborers and managers, business owners and innovators, public and private sector leaders, educators and caregivers.

We will face challenges, but we will not let these become excuses. Rather our driving message will be, "Make it happen!"  We will let our actions speak as we move forward toward our common goals.  In the end, if we actually do what we say we will do—consistently aligned with our deepest sense of what is right—then we will restore confidence in our government and in ourselves. The measure of our success will be a welcome restoration of pride and honor in our Hawai'i. We will know that we have lived in accordance with our most treasured values.

Before we begin this work today, let us take a moment to reflect on those who came before us, who overcame nature's challenges, economic struggle, and war and discrimination to provide us with the opportunities we have today. 

Their stories provide us this revelation: if we are to succeed in our new day, we must make a solemn commitment to one another. We cannot let personal differences overwhelm our pursuit of the public good. We cannot let cynicism and doubt eclipse our focus on what is possible. We must forgive each other for our mistakes and shortcomings. We must reach out to each other with encouragement and kind regard. And we must do our best, every day, to act with aloha in our hearts.

I have repeatedly said that this election was not about me or any other individual. This is about us and our desire to regain control of our destiny as island people.  It is about a recommitment to the golden rule that reigns over Hawai'i—that we live aloha everyday so we can survive and thrive, working together for the good of all.

Yes these are challenging times, but together we are a resourceful and resilient people. When we work as one, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. When all paddle together, the shore will surely be reached.

Let us walk with purpose—humbly, courageously, united and forward into this new day.

Imua Hawai'i!