Is it asking too much for our political leaders to put politics aside and instead exercise some genuine statesmanship to bring resolution to the public sector contract negotiations?

Members of the public (and many public employees) are growing weary with the slow pace of negotiations. The continuing uncertainty only makes the difficult economic situation worse and does not serve the long-term interests of our state.

I believe it is time for our government and union leaders to move beyond personal conflicts and traditional loyalties and instead try to work collaboratively to negotiate a settlement that will get us through this challenging period. While we hope that an economic recovery is around the corner, the reality is that it could take quite some time for Hawai'i's economy to recover.

Our dependence on tourism may mean that we will lag the Mainland recovery, so it is even more important that we try to resolve these issues to the mutual benefit of all.