Editorials
Tuesday, August 12, 1997PRESIDENT Clinton's first-ever use of the line-item veto, sought by presidents for more than a century, significantly alters the way politics is played in Washington. If the president's new power is upheld, it is likely to be used hardly at all. Members of Congress will come to appreciate the futility of injecting unjustified pork into major spending bills, and the potential embarrassment at being caught in the act. Line-item veto could
be valuable restraintClinton may have been compelled to find provisions of the new federal budget agreement to select for veto so court challenges can be launched and the Supreme Court can rule as early as possible on its constitutionality. An earlier challenge was rejected by the court because the president had not yet used his new veto power. He gave thumbs down on a Medicaid spending provision benefiting New York state and tax breaks for a sugar beet processing plant owned by an influential Republican contributor and U.S.-based insurance companies.
The total savings from those provisions total less than $400 million -- small change in federal budget terms -- but the message is strong: Don't count on a president reluctantly agreeing to relatively minor irritants in a large bill because of the importance of the entire package. The rules have changed, and the burden will be on proponents of special-interest items to persuade the president of their necessity.
The presence of the line-item veto will not necessarily end special-interest politics. It could mean only that proponents of pork must not only find a way to weave it into legislation but get the White House to give its approval. That sort of lobby effort confined in the past to Capitol Hill could extend to both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. But the effect could be salutary.
Vetoed line items will be returned to Congress, which can restore them with a simple majority vote, but a second presidential veto must be overcome by a two-thirds vote of each house. Ideally, only meritorious proposals will survive such a gauntlet.
AN international consortium has pledged $16 billion to help Thailand in its current fiscal crisis. The Thai currency, the baht, has lost 20 percent of its value against the dollar recently as a result of an overheated economy and lax regulation of credit. The plunge of the baht evidently affected confidence in other countries, leading to falling currencies in Malaysia and the Philippines. Bailout for Thailand
THE new Hawaii Convention Center's first scheduled convention will bring the Japanese-American veterans of World War II and their children to Hawaii. The AJA group has booked the center for next July 3-5, the week that the $350 million center is scheduled to open formally for business. In view of the proud tradition of Hawaii's AJA veterans, this event is a highly appropriate way to launch the facility. Convention center
A letter writer commenting on the Star-Bulletin's special supplement on Hawaii's economic crisis accused this newspaper of contributing to the problem by supporting the political establishment. The writer claimed that this newspaper, along with the Honolulu Advertiser, "rarely questioned state policy, endorsed those who have led us to this mess and ignored or suppressed dissenting voices." Critic misfired
We at the Star-Bulletin plead not guilty. We have fought for reduced government spending and greater openness and an end to one-party rule. We have supported small business on such issues as workers compensation reform.
We have opened our opinion pages regularly to dissenting voices -- including this critic.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
