Fernandes Salling
booted from
Senate post
Mizuguchi says she
By Mike Yuen
failed to collaborate
Star-BulletinIn a move to consolidate its power, the Senate's majority faction has dumped Sen. Lehua Fernandes Salling as co-chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee and made other changes to the membership of key panels. Fernandes Salling (D, Kapaa) was ousted after only six months as co-chairwoman of the money panel because of her failure to collaborate and communicate with her colleagues, Senate President Norman Mizuguchi (D, Aiea) said yesterday.
Controlling Democrats -- said to number 15 of the chamber's 25 members -- felt that committee changes had to be made now, just a month after the end of this year's legislative session. The reason: to allow Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D, Lahaina), Fernandes Salling's replacement, and incumbent Co-Chairwoman Carol Fukunaga (D, Makiki) to quickly begin interim work on economic development, a key issue in the 1998 election-year session.
"It's a watershed year for not only Democrats, but all elected officials here in Hawaii," Mizuguchi said. "We need a team approach."
Fernandes Salling could not be reached for comment yesterday. But Sen. Randy Iwase (D, Mililani), a dissident leader, scoffed at Mizuguchi's talk of collaboration, consensus building and communication as simply buzz words camouflaging "a consolidation of power down to even fewer people, as well as an intolerance of differing opinions."
"I can be accused of not being involved in majority caucuses," said Iwase, who led "shadow caucuses" for dissident Democrats. "You certainly can't accuse Lehua of that. She was penalized because she did not agree with some of the things being demanded of her."
Some of those demands occurred during House-Senate negotiations on the budget, Iwase said.
Senate Judiciary Co-Chairman Matt Matsunaga (D, Palolo) said it should come as no surprise that Mizuguchi didn't consult with the Senate rebels.
"They don't come to the caucuses. It is obvious they want to block the train. You can't have people running in different directions on such an important subject as economic development," Matsunaga said. "If they don't want to be collaborative partners, then it's: 'Sorry, but we've got to leave you guys behind.'"
The committee changes Mizuguchi announced yesterday added more majority-faction Democrats to the Ways and Means and Economic Development panels, while dropping rebel Democrats.
The changes also give more power to Co-Majority Leaders Les Ihara Jr. (D, Kaimuki) and Mike McCartney (D, Kaneohe).Ihara, previously only a member of Ways and Means, has been added to the Economic Development and Judiciary panels.
McCartney, previously only a member of Judiciary, joined Ways and Means and Economic Development.
Dissident Sen. Joe Tanaka (D, Kahului) was bumped from Ways and Means. But Tanaka was allowed to retain the co-chairmanship of Economic Development, even though he has balked at the co-chair system from its inception. He stepped back, allowing his fellow Economic Development co-chairman, Sen. Brian Taniguchi (D, Manoa), to function as the panel's undisputed leader.
"The public doesn't give a rip if we have a single chairmanship, dual chairmanship or troika," Iwase asserted. "They want us to pass good legislation."
And that's what the Senate, with the leadership that remains in power, didn't do, he insisted. Concurring with the neighbor island mayors, Iwase said it was the Senate majority that hindered legislation that would have clarified the law and allowed government entities to enter into privatization contracts as long as civil-service jobs weren't threatened.
"And what economic incentives did we pass? Indeed, on economic incentives the House led. It was the House that pushed (Gov. Ben Cayetano's) $1 billion (public works) budget," Iwase said.The Senate instead pushed for more than $1 million to upgrade its computers, Iwase said.
Here are the key committee changes: Senate shuffle
Sen. Lehua Fernandes Salling (D, Kapaa): stripped of her Ways and Means co-chairwomanship but allowed to remain on the panel as a member; named Health Committee co-chairwoman.
