WASHINGTON — Some governors may be saying they won't take money from the recently enacted economic stimulus package, but Gov. Linda Lingle isn't among them.

"Hawai'i is set up to take maximum advantage of funds that help us achieve our long-range goals," Lingle said while attending the winter meeting of the National Governors Association here.

But Lingle, a Republican, also said the state won't apply for money related to programs that don't fit with its priorities.

"The good thing for us is that we seem to be in alignment with the new (Obama) administration," she said.

For example, the stimulus program benefits renewable energy and broadband services, which matches state initiatives already under way. Hawai'i also has a $4.2 billion highway modernization plan supported by both state legislative transportation committees, Lingle said.

"We're ahead of the curve ... and want to use these funds to help create jobs in our state, to help preserve our infrastructure and to help improve quality of life," Lingle said.

Some Republican governors are concerned about the intense oversight affecting spending under the $787 billion stimulus plan, and others question what will happen when the federal help ends.

"On the one hand they (federal officials) want the money out fast," Lingle said. "On the other, there is such a high level of oversight that is required, that you've got to be very cautious. You can't get it out too fast because you might violate some procurement law, or you might not have met the requirements."

Lingle said some governors also are disturbed by the massive size of the spending plan and the lack of clarity regarding which programs and projects will qualify for the federal money.

Since arriving in Washington, Lingle has met with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shawn Donovan, and other administration officials.

Lingle and Hawai'i National Guard Adjutant General Robert Lee urged Shinseki to increase the $300 the VA pays the state when a veteran is buried in a state or county cemetery because no federal cemetery is available.

"For at least a decade, they have given us $300 for a burial," Lingle said. "It costs about $1,000 per burial, and the state has been absorbing that."

She and Lee also asked Shinseki about VA restrictions on benefits based on how many years pass before a veteran claims mental illness as a result of military service.

"Now, the limit is five years, but anyone who works in this field knows it doesn't always pop up that quickly," Lingle said. "We asked him to look at not having ... an artificial limit on our veterans getting help with mental health issues."