The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has released selected video highlights from the recent press conference in which Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto discussed the pending budget cuts recently requested by Governor Linda Lingle. Grassroot TV makes the suggestion that fake workers’ comp claims found in the 2007 DOE audit be investigated as a first step towards putting its fiscal house in order.

Due to tax revenue shortfalls, all state agencies have been asked to prepare ten percent, 15 percent and 20 percent budget cut proposals for their 2009-2011 discretionary budgets. Superintendent Hamamoto gave a live television address and then held a press conference, which Grassroot TV correspondent Tom McAuliffe attended. In her talk Hamamoto proposed $31.5 million in budget cuts, less than half of the $69 million in cuts that may be required.

"It's a start but still a fraction of the agency's total annual budget of $2.4 billion," said McAuliffe, who also serves as the Communications Director at the Institute. “Furthermore, it's puzzling as to why the DOE doesn't address the $66.9 million in workers’ comp claims that did not have "sufficient evidence" to justify the claim, as addressed in the 2007 audit. This is almost equal to the entire amount of budget cuts required," he said. "If true, how can this sort of fleecing of the Hawaii taxpayer be allowed and why is it not being aggressively pursued as one of the first steps in reigning in the budget?"

"Unfortunately, the Department of Education is not a beacon of financial transparency. We call on the DOE to put its entire financial 'checkbook' online so that Hawaii's citizens can see how their money is being spent, and can help to suggest other ways in which the Department can cut spending without jeopardizing our children’s education," added Grassroot Institute President Jamie Story.

View the new video at Grassroot TV: http://www.youtube.com/user/GrassrootHawaii

-GIR-