State must seek federal money wisely
It's no surprise that the federal government — especially the military —plays a large and critical role in keeping Hawai'i's economy afloat.
A new study released this month by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism confirms this:
In terms of income and jobs creation, the federal government is second only to tourism as the state's largest industry.
While these levels don't match the size of the federal footprint 20 or 30 years ago, they have remained relatively steady in the past few years. And with tourism declining sharply in the worldwide economic collapse, this kind of stability is surely welcome and necessary.
Of course, with the federal government facing breathtaking deficits of its own, an economy dependent on federal largess can't be taken for granted. Stimulus funds aside, pressure to cut federal spending will continue to be intense.
That makes it imperative that state and local officials, working in concert with our congressional delegation, lobby for federal dollars aggressively — but also cogently, with full transparency, for projects that can be defended. No bridges to nowhere, please.
