Hawaii gains national exposure

Governor Linda Lingle and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann both communicated with President-Elect Barack Obama this week, giving Hawaii some much-needed national "face-time".

In a letter to Governor Lingle, President-Elect Obama asked for advice on state-specific issues, and emphasized that he was "looking forward to working with Republican Governors on practical solutions".

After appearing in a press conference in Washington, D.C. with other mayors representing the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor Mufi Hannemann met with an Obama staffer in Chicago to discuss a proposed economic stimulus package that would benefit infrastructure projects in Honolulu. The report includes 17 projects in Honolulu worth a total of more than $87 million, and follows an earlier report that includes 28 Honolulu projects worth $456 million.