I learned in freshman economics that we base all decisions on self-interest. We steal because we want money. We don't steal for fear of the cops and to retain our self-respect. Harris’ indecision
on governor’s raceWe do good deeds because they make us feel so good about ourselves.
Mothers, human and animal, will rush into burning buildings to save their young because of an innate instinct to preserve the species.
Bill Clinton values instant gratification so much he will risk his presidency for it.
The capitalist system succeeds because it puts the self-interest of all of us, consumers and producers, into competition in a way that stimulates growth. Socialized economies fail because they are perverted by the self-interest of key bureaucrats.
Democracy, like the capitalist system, succeeds because it puts the self-interest of all of us into competition in a way more likely to serve the common good than dictators whose power always eventually corrupts.
Which brings us to the 1998 Hawaii contest for governor.
Benjamin Cayetano has a clear self-interest. He wants to be re-elected.
Linda Lingle has a clear self-interest. She wants his job.
Jeremy Harris is confused. He wants the job. But he doesn't want to give up his present job as mayor of Honolulu, which runs through the year 2000, unless he is sure he can win in November. The resign-to-run law means he will have to quit as mayor by July 21 if he wants to make the race.
He leads in polls, but the sad tales of Patricia Saiki and Cecil Heftel assure him early leads don't always translate into final victory.
Which brings us to the question of our self-interest as voters.
Cayetano is honest and tough. Without reelection worries, he might be tougher than in his first term in shrinking our oversized, over-bureaucratic state government.
Lingle is sharp and refreshing. Her eight years as Maui County's mayor for the maximum allowed two terms suggest she, too, could be a good governor, possibly very good.
Jeremy Harris is doing a good job as Honolulu mayor, just as he did as Honolulu managing director. He masters detail. He has had failures, as with Ewa Villages, but he has had many more successes. Some -- such as cutting red tape, slowly shrinking city government, and converting to automatic trash collection --were underappreciated because they were achieved without big snafus and big fuss.
Sometimes, however, we need to read the small type on his promises. His pledge not to raise property taxes didn't mention that he might not lower them for individual owners, even if their assessments went down.
His State of the City speech Jan. 15 promised we can "astonish ourselves" with results if we all pull together. It outlined one heck of an agenda.
Items: Ease Nimitz Highway traffic with a route across Sand Island and a tunnel under the Honolulu Harbor entrance. Build a trolley from Aloha Stadium to the university area. Provide stronger open space and agriculture land protection. Strengthen the Second City at Kapolei. Restore quality of neighborhoods. Give Waikiki a face-lift.
SINCE he usually does what he says, the self-interest of most of us as voters seems to lie in keeping him on the job to see his promises through.
He may find this less challenging than being governor, but he is only 47. If he stays out of the 1998 race, the job will be open in 2002 if Cayetano wins and can't run again.
Should Lingle be a surprise winner the equation is different. She might be re-elected in 2002 and then could serve through 2006.
Thus Harris's self-interest as a non-candidate would be to see Cayetano win. Harris has had some snappy things to say about the governor's on-the-job performance. But he could swallow them and thus make Lingle's campaign a lot less likely to succeed.