Hawaii's 186 Special Funds
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii president Jamie Story wrote in a mass email yesterday, " ... we canceled school — and many other state functions — on 17 Fridays last year because the state of Hawaii had a $1.2 billion deficit ... and now we find we had more than $1.4 billion extra sitting in special fund accounts at various state agencies?
"· There is $582 million in a transportation special fund;
· $119 million in various special funds for the University of Hawaii;
· $111 million for the Department of Health; and
· $48 million for tourism and economic development.
"Auditors have recommended eliminating many of these funds because they are for tasks already completed or goals no longer pursued."
Grassroot's website report on the special funds begins, "Hawaii’s taxpayers might be shocked to discover that while numerous voices in and out of the local political establishment are calling for an increase in the General Excise Tax to cover any future budget shortfalls in education or other state services, upwards of $1.4 billion dollars in unspent excess funds may be sitting in special funds, several of which were tagged by the auditor almost a decade ago for repeal."
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