Cayetano’s war chest
dwarfs rivals’

Campaign finance reports
show that many of his big donors were
construction-related firms

By Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

Gov. Ben Cayetano has nearly $1.8 million in his campaign war chest, nearly $1.7 million more than what Maui Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle has raised in her bid to unseat Cayetano next year.

The latest state campaign finance reports also show that Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris, who has commissioned polls to see how he would do in a gubernatorial campaign, is $74,295 in the red.

Harris is showing a deficit because he is still carrying a large debt from his re-election campaign last year against former Honolulu Council chairman Arnold Morgado.

Cayetano raised more than $1.1 million in the first half of this year, the period covered by the latest financial disclosure report. That was due in large part to a $1,000-a-person fund-raiser at the Pacific Club in April.

Cayetano received only $3,400 from contributors who gave $100 or less.

Much of Cayetano's big-bucks contributions came from architects, engineers, planners and construction-related firms that have benefited or could benefit from public works projects, Cayetano's half-inch thick report reveals.

In an effort to revive the state's economy, Cayetano is carrying out a construction program supplemented with an additional $1 billion of borrowed money.

Cayetano has also benefited from donations from Cabinet members, other high-level administration officials and their spouses. They contributed more than $27,000.

Attorney General Margery Bronster, Hawaiian Homes Commission chairman Kali Watson and executive assistants Joseph Blanco and Brenda Lei Foster and their spouses each contributed $1,000.

Cayetano's legislative coordinator, Pauline Namuo, and the campaign committee for Kate Stanley, the former state representative now Human Services deputy director, each gave $2,000.

Honolulu attorney Gary Galiher, who was hired by the administration to pursue the state's lawsuit against the tobacco industry, contributed $3,000.

Lingle received a total of $8,000 from former state Republican Chairwoman Jane Tatibouet and her family, who run Aston Hotels and Resorts.

Lingle said she is not surprised that Cayetano has more than $1,772,000 in his campaign coffers, while she has nearly $109,200.

"He's been fund-raising ever since he was elected, where I have not. I only made one attempt," Lingle said, referring to a fund-raiser in June. It raised more than $100,000, she said.

In the 1994 gubernatorial race, the three major candidates -- Cayetano, former U.S. Rep. Patricia Saiki (R) and former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi of the now-defunct Best Party -- each spent about $3 million.

Harris, who could not be reached for comment last night, is still carrying a campaign debt of $79,949, of which $26,279 is owed to Loomis & Pollock Inc., the ad agency that crafted his political messages.

Although the Harris campaign is in the red, it does have $5,654 on hand, leaving a net deficit of $74,295.

The Honolulu Council members with the largest campaign surpluses are Donna Mercado Kim and Mufi Hannemann.

The two Democrats are considering congressional bids. If they do, they cannot use what they've raised for local races for federal contests.

Kim, who like Hannemann has been mentioned as a possible challenger to U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, said she is also considering a bid for lieutenant governor.

At the end of 1996, Abercrombie, a Honolulu Democrat, had nearly $23,000 on hand but also had unpaid campaign debts totaling $17,100.

Republican state Rep. Quentin Kawananakoa has only $1,871 in local campaign coffers, which can't be used in a congressional race. At the GOP state convention two months ago, Kawananakoa said he was seriously considering a bid against Abercrombie and that in the 10 days preceding the parley, he had raised $80,000 in contributions and commitments for such an effort.

Rene Mansho was the only Council member who did not file a disclosure report yesterday.

She intends to do so today but will also have to pay a $50 fine, said Campaign Spending Commission associate director Anthony Baldomero Jr.