HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-15 Letter to Dee Morikawa and Della Au Belatti re SB 530, SD 2, relating to Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman ProgramHarry Kim
Mayor
Wil Okabe
Managing Director
Barbara J. Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
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March 15, 2017
Representative Dee Morikawa, Chair
Committee on Human Services
Hawai'i State Capitol
Honolulu, HI 96813
Representative Della Au Belatti, Chair
Committee on Health
Hawaii State Capitol
Honolulu, HI 96813
Dear Chairs Morikawa, Au Belatti, and members.-
RE:
embers:
RE: SB 530 SD 2
Making An Appropriation for the Office of the Long -Term Care
Ombudsman Program
Please accept this testimony in support of the intent and purpose of S13530,
dealing with the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
It seems clear that Oahu has been grossly underserved, and the neighbor
islands totally neglected, by virtue of inadequate funding of this program. It is not
entirely clear that Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii would achieve parity under this bill, but at
least the intent is to achieve some decent level of services throughout the State, and
there are organizations (Legal Aid Society comes to mind) that operate statewide and,
with some funding, could start to fill the gap.
Please approve SB 530 with a reasonable allocation of resources and an early
effective date.
Respectfully submitted,
4arry Kim
Mayor
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.