Representative Kymberly Pine on Crime CIP cuts to the budget by the Democrats in HB2500 the State budget for operating and CIP appropriations FY 2009. Here is an excerpt from Capitol TV.
• We also talked about CIP choices on House Draft 1 of the budget. Things have changed a little since then. Instead of funding $1,723,000 for Synthetic field turf for Leilehua High School's stadium, we increase that to $3,346,000 (M. Oshiro, district). We still fund $930,000 for Synthetic field turf for Mililani High School's stadium (M. Lee, district), but instead of funding $710,000 for artificial turf for Castle High School's football field (K. Ito), we fund $950,000 for an artificial surface for Moanalua High School (G. Wakai, dustrict)
• Throughout the CIP portion of this budget, I also find many CIP dedicated as grants-in-aid to various organizations. While no doubt worthwhile, these were not priority items in HB 2500. The combined amounts from these CIP and the aforementioned synthetic turf appropriations would be more than enough to pay for priority items from the Department of Education that were left off Conference Draft 1 of this budget.
Eliminate funding for the renovation of McKinley High School's building 857, which is #19 on DOE's priority list. ($4 million)
Eliminate funding for Kapaa Elementary School's library, which is #24 on DOE's priority list. ($6.8 million)
Eliminate funding for Konawaena's Middle-Locker/Shower Building, which is #28 on DOE's priority list. ($9.956 million)
Eliminate planning and design funds for Kapolei II Elementary School, an area which is the fastest growing in our state, and is #26 on DOE's priority listing. (Har) ($3.983 million)
• Just as disturbing, however, is the lack of funding to help potential and actual victims of crime. We will be talking later about a bill to impose electronic monitoring on perpetrators of domestic violence. The funding for this program was stripped out of this budget and the bill. There was legislation to call for increased collection of DNA from convicted and arrested felons, a proven tool in catching recidivists and freeing the innocent, more popularly known as Katie's Law. No funding was forthcoming for that reform. There was legislation to help facilitate the sharing of information of dangerous youth offenders between the Judiciary and the Department of Education, part of the Karen's Law package. No funding was forthcoming for that measure either.
• What does this lack of funding say about our commitment to keeping the public safe? I am afraid that what is being said is not very comforting to those who are, and may become, victims of crime. At the same time, we will be talking about a measure to bring prisoners back from the mainland, and we have already addressed resolutions that talk about early release.
• That message, that we appear to care more about the criminal than the victim, is a message, is an impression, that is one that I simply cannot wholeheartedly support.
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Representative Kymberly Pine Addresses Campbell High Studentby mvanhess340 views
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