Aloha and welcome to the weekend,

I’m sure many of you saw the troubling news regarding a recent Congressional Budget Office report that reflected the sour state of our economy, underscoring the need to quickly right this ship of our nation. In a CBO report released Thursday, the CBO stated that after three years with unemployment topping 8 percent, the U.S. has seen the longest period of high unemployment since the Great Depression.

I’ve seen it myself, and Governor Lingle daily remarks to me about traveling throughout our state and seeing island residents hurting because of lack of jobs and lack of possibilities. There’s this sense among folks here in Hawaii that there is no one in Washington who recognizes this stark reality they face daily.

I tell you flat out that Gov. Lingle is just the person to help change that culture in Washington, where partisan gridlock is derailing any chance we have at real, lasting recovery. She recognizes we need to restore in businesses – the job creators – some confidence in the future so that they can plan accordingly.

Regulatory uncertainty kills jobs. If a business doesn’t know what’s going to happen, or how many thousands of new pages in new rules and regulations it will have to follow or comply with, then they’re not going to invest — in spending or in hiring new people.

If you haven’t yet, please take a look at this video on this important issue: http://youtu.be/DyN_Jd1It9Q . Gov. Lingle’s multifaceted plan includes ensuring government is smart about new rules and regulations, and that it operates in a way that allows businesses to plan for the future and flourish, and that means a better economy and jobs for people here at home in Hawaii. It’s why she’s all about putting “people first.”

Enjoy your weekend.

Best,
Bob Lee (Major General ret.)
Campaign Manager
Linda Lingle Senate Committee