AG Asked To Check AC Bids
A state legislator worries if聽there is “a conspiracy to defraud taxpayers” by artificially inflating bids for the air conditioning of Hawaii classrooms.
State Rep. Matthew LoPresti, a Democrat who represents the Ewa area on Oahu, wants Hawaii’s attorney general to investigate “if there is a conspiracy to defraud taxpayers by artificially inflating bids for profit at the expense of school children 鈥 who will suffer through yet another unbearably hot summer in stifling classrooms.”
That comes from a press release issued Thursday by the state House.
As Civil Beat聽reported this week,听plans to spend $100 million to cool off 1,000 classrooms have been delayed due to high bids from contractors to install air conditioning.
鈥淲e cannot just wait for another round of bids and hope they are reasonable,鈥 said LoPresti. 鈥淐lassrooms in my district and across the state will soon be too hot for students to learn and teachers to teach. We must find a way to get this project moving forward.”
The cooling of classrooms is a priority of Gov. David Ige and the Department of Education 鈥 not to mention students, teachers and administrators sweltering in many facilities statewide.
