When Linda Lingle first took office in 2002, Hawaii was in great need of the "New Beginning" she promised. The Lingle administration’s leadership and steady hand has ensured our state did not find itself in the precarious situation that many states across the nation have experienced. Let’s spend a moment remembering how it used to be, before Gov. Lingle.

Hawaii had suffered years of recession, remaining almost exclusively dependent on tourism and government spending as the state’s economic engine. Decades of wasteful fiscal management at the state level saddled Hawaii residents with one of the nation’s highest tax burdens. "Pay to play" was the norm in Hawaii state government, with government contracts going to the largest campaign supporters. Hawaii Democrats were content with a corrupt judicial selection process and behind-closed-doors legislative meetings, ensuring the public was shut out of decisions which would directly affect their quality of life.

Gov. Lingle’s "New Beginning" was exactly what our state needed.

Within one year of her historic election, she had the state’s economy up and running, creating a $750 million surplus in 2006. The Lingle administration transformed state procurement procedures to ensure openness and accountability, with important changes like developing an online system in which interested bidders can become part of the state procurement process. The administration also eliminated the "pay to play" arrangements that allowed contractors who made political contribution to bid on state jobs.

Gov. Lingle appointed five of the six Intermediate Court of Appeals judges and numerous Circuit Court judges, as well as Hawaii’s Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald and Associate Justice James E. Duffy.

The Lingle administration facilitated the growth of Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) in our schools. The administration initiated Hawaii’s robotics education effort which has inspired our youth and galvanized efforts to focus on the important fields of science and engineering to compare student academic performance.

In eight years, the Lingle administration aided as many native Hawaiians in realizing their dream of home ownership as those in the previous 80 years through the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). DHHL is almost a fully self-sufficient department — translation: no state general funds after 2003. These examples of forward-thinking leadership epitomize the Lingle administration.

Her administration championed the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative which points the way to Hawaii’s clean energy future of 70 percent clean energy by 2030. Clean energy investors from around the globe are selecting Hawaii as the launch site for their cutting edge programs, laying the ground work for a strong, diversified economy long into Hawaii’s future.

Gov. Lingle’s keen focus on international relationships, especially with our neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region, has produced rapid results which are driving Hawaii’s economic recovery through increased visitor counts from Korea and China. She understands that relationships matter and she has worked for eight years to build lasting relationships that will continue to benefit Hawaii. This is invaluable to a state like ours working to stay afloat amid a recession.

Contrary to claims that the administration did not work effectively with the Democrat-controlled Legislature, approximately 42 percent of administration bills were enacted into law — 48 percent in 2010. This compares to a 45 percent success rate for bills in the Senate majority packages in the same 2002-2010 period. Legislative Democrats were apparently so pleased with the governor’s leadership that in 2010 that they did not offer any majority package.

Gov. Lingle began the important process of transforming Hawaii into a two-party democracy where voters have a choice in the voting booth.

In each example listed of the legacy left by Gov. Linda Lingle, it is important to note the long-term view of leadership that this team rightfully employed. The focus was not merely on scoring immediate political points, but instead laid the groundwork for a bright future for our state. As we continue to move Hawaii forward, our great state will continue to see the fruits of this visionary governor’s labor.