Most Hawaiians concerned about government spending and debt, survey says

Hawaii residents are not keen on high levels of state and county government spending and debt, according to a recent survey of nearly 1,000 Hawaii residents statewide.

The survey conducted Aug. 16 to Sept. 7 for the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii by one of Hawaii’s leading market research firms, Anthology. Highlights:

* On government spending, 70% of respondents agreed (33% “strongly” and 37% “somewhat”) with the statement “Hawaii’s state and county governments spend too much overall”;

* 68% agreed (30% “strongly” and 38% “somewhat") that “High levels of government spending hurt Hawaii’s economy”;

* A strong sentiment to rely more on the private sector in the delivery of public services was supported by most, with 74% of respondents agreeing (22% "strongly" and 52% “somewhat”) that "Local governments could save money if they contracted the private sector to deliver some public services";

* On government debt, 77% agreed (32% "strongly" and 45% "somewhat") that “Hawaii’s state and county governments have too much debt";

The poll also showed support for spending and debt for certain circumstances:

* 83% of the respondents agreed (30% "strongly" and 53% "somewhat") that “Spending on public infrastructure helps lay the foundation for a healthy economy”;

"The good news from the survey is that most Hawaii residents are concerned about government overspending and excessive debt," said Keli'i Akina, president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

"I am also pleased to see so many people in favor relying more on the private sector to deliver public services, which could help bring down costs and improve efficiency," Akina said.

For more results and information please visit grassrootinstitute.org/.