Editorials
Wednesday, November 20, 1996
Cayetano’s proposal
to prime state’s pump
GOVERNOR Cayetano's proposal to spend $1 billion on public works over two years - nearly three times the amount spent in recent years - to prime the pump of the state economy makes sense. These are not make-work projects. They are improvements that would have had to be made anyway. All the governor wants to do is to speed up the work, in order to put more people to work and more money into the barely growing island economy.
This would not require a tax increase because the money would be borrowed. The only question - and it is a big one - is whether the state can afford to meet the additional payments on the bonds that would be floated, particularly whether the state's credit rating would be jeopardized.
As Senate President Norman Mizuguchi commented, "We will want to ensure that the state has sufficient general revenues to retire the debt service that will be generated by these projects." That is simply a question of prudence.
Mizuguchi added that the Senate would want assurances that projects that had been previously approved by the Legislature were completed before new projects were begun, but that is little more than a pro forma statement. Decisions on which projects would be funded would be subject to negotiation between the legislators and the governor. From the point of view of the taxpayer, the main point is that the money is spent usefully and with maximum effectiveness.
It is sound economics for government to adjust its spending to economic conditions to the extent feasible - to serve as a stimulus in hard times and restraint in good ones. This is usually the role of the federal government, but the state can also help, and the governor is right in proposing these steps.
Our lone regret is that a rail transit system for Honolulu - which would have stimulated the economy in addition to relieving traffic congestion if it had not been killed by the City Council - is not on his wish list.
Boutros-Ghali exit
BOUTROS Boutros-Ghali's refusal to step down quietly as secretary-general of the United Nations in the face of a threatened U.S. veto of his second-term appointment could trigger a protracted battle in the world body. Now that the veto has been cast, members of the Security Council should avert such a battle by recognizing the need for American political and financial support and focusing on his replacement.
No need to apologize
UH quarterback Glenn Freitas apologized for going into the Aloha Stadium stands behind the UH bench to break up a fight during the Brigham Young football game - but he had nothing to apologize for.
The same cannot be said for the oafs who began the brawl in the stands behind the UH bench. The fighting was disgraceful; it became a national embarrassment for the university and the state. These are the people who owe an apology. Not that an apology would suffice. Criminal charges should be brought against them as the evidence warrants.
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