You are partly correct, but it's not the "people", it's the bureaucracy. Lingle indeed headed the Executive Branch for a few years, but had only grudging support from the union-controlled legislature.

"This is how public operations stagnate under state officials without the fortitude or leadership to cut through red tape and problems; instead, efforts go into devising complex work-arounds."

And the primary purpose of these "work-arounds" is to insulate those actually in charge from the consequences of poor decisions and weak management.