[ad_1]
Despite the money problems related to COVID-19 in Hawaii, Governor David Ige said on Friday that “the last thing we want to do is raise taxes during an economic recession. The last thing we want to do is take time off or layoffs because we know that makes the downturn in our economy worse.
Ige’s appearance on Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Spotlight Hawaii web video program follows Senate Ways and Means Committee testimony on Monday by state budget and finance director Craig Hirai that Unspecified tax increases and “income increases” were under consideration to help close a forecast deficit of $ 1.4 billion.
On Friday, Ige hoped economic aid was on its way.
The Income Council said on Thursday that the economy is outperforming earlier, forecast gloomy and is expected to show signs of improvement in April, May and June and grow even more in FY 2022.
Ige told Spotlight Hawaii on Friday that President-elect Joe Biden’s new administration also raised hopes for direct financial assistance to states and counties that is not included in the latest federal COVID-19 assistance package.
“Without any additional federal help, we would clearly be looking to raise the unemployment rate with state and county officials,” Ige said.
Ige originally offered time off for thousands of state employees that were scheduled to start Jan.1, but have now been carried over to July, when the next fiscal year begins.
Despite signs of economic improvement, Ige said “the fiscal crisis is the biggest problem we need to address.”
Ige was asked a wide range of questions and suggested that the best way to respond to the evolving local, national and global COVID-19 situation is through his continuing series of emergency proclamations, which are more agile and flexible.
“If we had to legislate on a solution in each case, it would be very cumbersome and time-consuming,” Ige said.
House Speaker Scott Saiki told Spotlight Hawaii on Wednesday that he plans to introduce legislation that would create uniform COVID-19 travel rules statewide to reduce confusion for travelers. residents and tourists. Saiki also said he was likely to introduce legislation that would lower the penalty for not wearing a mask in public for an offense – punishable by up to $ 5,000 and one year in prison – at a citation or a violation.
The most recent spike in cases after Christmas was expected, Ige said, “but obviously concerning.”
“We want to make sure we’re not overwhelmed and that we don’t have to ration care or do those kinds of things that are really putting our community at risk,” he said.
The majority of cases arise through community spread which can be reduced by wearing masks, reducing travel and limiting interactions.
“They are definitely residents,” Ige said. “The number of visitor-related cases continues to represent a relatively small percentage of the cases we see.”
“People don’t feel comfortable or safe traveling right now,” he says. “And if people asked me what my recommendation is, I would say, ‘It’s not safe to travel unless you have to do it for work or something really important.’”
Asked about the potential of a statewide shutdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, Ige said, “I wouldn’t hesitate to issue a statewide restriction if we did. needed. ”
He and the county mayors remain in constant contact about COVID-19, but experiences vary among different counties.
“None of us really want to shut down,” he says. “We all try to avoid this.”
Asked about President Donald Trump’s incitement to a crowd that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to disrupt the electoral vote count, resulting in deaths, Ige said:
“It has been a very dark week for our nation. I was appalled to see the President of the United States calling on people to act with their own hands, ignore the law, storm Capitol and ignore the wishes of the voters. Overwhelming voters backed Joe Biden for president and Kamala Harris for vice president in free and fair elections. It was the voice of the people. Seeing the president urging his supporters to storm Capitol Hill and end the constitutionally required certification of results and declaration of winner is just a horrific attack on democracy.
Ige met Trump and said, “He seems to be very responsive. I worry about what he can and cannot do. … I think we should look at all options to make sure that the president does not do anything that can damage the international reputation of the country, but most importantly, does not put our citizens in danger. I think we are all concerned that he is not doing anything else that would be truly catastrophic for our country.
[ad_2]
Source link