On March 4, the legislative Human Services Committees held an informational briefing to address concerns regarding the Department of Human Services reorganization plan to eliminate 232 positions and close public assistance offices statewide.

Committee Chairs Rep. John Mizuno and Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, Rep. Della Au Belatti, Rep. James Tokioka, Rep. Gene Ward, Rep. Tom Brower and Sen. Josh Green heard testimonies from numerous individuals opposing the DHS plans that would remove eligibility workers and automate the processing of benefit applications and renewals with the creation of an Eligibility Processing Operations Division (EPOD).

In addition to many DHS employees, testimony was given by: HGEA Deputy Executive Director Nora Nomura; HGEA Field Services Officer Sanford Chun; Cecilia Perry of AFSCME; Alex Santiago of PHOCUSED Hawaii, an umbrella organization of human services nonprofits; and other concerned citizens.

DHS employees from Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island who used vacation leave to be at the briefing testified how closures of the eligibility offices would negatively impact over 300,000 people in Hawaii who utilize and need vital services. They all shared their work experiences, giving emotional testimonies and recounting case stories of applicants, many of whom do not speak English, are elderly and disabled, suffer from a mental illness or are victims of domestic violence. All had the same message: that under the proposed plan there will no longer be "human" in Human Services. As one employee stated, "You cant replace human with technology."

Rick Damerville, a deputy prosecutor from Hawaii County, also testified and called the proposal "a dumb idea," saying the DHS employees provide a frontline defense to stop welfare fraud and that the state will likely see more cases of fraud as a result of the cuts.

The legislators were very appreciative of the testimonies. Rep. Mizuno, who said he was shocked by the DHS proposal, was on Maui last week for another informational briefing regarding the planned cuts.

Click here to listen: "DHS Cost Cutting Plan Raises Ire," Hawaii Public Radio, March 4, 2010.

Video footage of the hearing will be available soon please check back later.

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Additional videos of DHS public hearings:

Kauai DHS employees and clients respond to DHS proposed cuts:
http://www.hgea.org/News/2998.aspx