Posted on 06/30/2009 11:13:55 PM PDT by Lorianne
HONOLULU -- The Great Hawaii Furlough Battle, which for weeks has been debated only in figurative terms, will start to become more real this week as a judge ponders the legalities and state workers prepare to feel the pinch.
Gov. Linda Lingle has identified Wednesday, July 1, as the first day she can unilaterally order state workers to take three unpaid days off each month or lay off thousands of them in an effort to close most of a $729 million state budget hole.
But that will not come without a court fight. The first act is set for the very next day, when Circuit Judge Karl K. Sakamoto will entertain motions from three state employee unions to at least temporarily block Lingle from furloughing or firing their members.
Hanging in the balance is the scope of a governor's authority to manage the state work force and the limits of the state's collective bargaining rules.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
How the heck can Hawaii have a$729mil hole with all that resort traffic?
“How the heck can Hawaii have a$729mil hole with all that resort traffic?”
Because it has a tax-and-spend Liberal government and it regulates business right out of the state - sort of like Michigan, only Michigan does it with unions.
Same way California does.
Spend, spend, spend.
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