Dissatisfaction with the governor
offers an opening forGOP hopeful
Linda Lingle, whose bid is
picking up steam

By Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

Just as Hawaii's economy has gone into a tailspin, so has Gov. Ben Cayetano's job-approval rating.

Cayetano's rating is at its lowest since he took office in December 1994, according to the latest Honolulu Star-Bulletin/NBC Hawaii News 8 Poll. Thirty-six percent of the state's registered voters believe Cayetano is doing a poor job, reflecting growing disenchantment.

Previous statewide polls conducted for the Star-Bulletin showed that only 7 percent of voters were dissatisfied with Cayetano's job performance in March 1995, just three months after he took office. That climbed to 12 percent a year later. By February 1997, Cayetano's poor job-performance rating soared to 23 percent.

Now, only 27 percent say Cayetano is doing an excellent or good job. Thirteen months ago, it was 35 percent.

Fewer voters also believe that Cayetano has a strong vision of where he wants to lead the state. In the span of 13 months, the category of voters who say Cayetano doesn't have a strong vision has risen from 54 percent to 60 percent.

The latest statewide poll is based on telephone interviews of 419 registered voters conducted by Mason-Dixon/Media Research Inc. of Columbia, Md., during the six-day period that began March 12. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Moreover, the latest survey reveals that Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris and Maui Mayor Linda Lingle are viewed more favorably than Cayetano, 47 percent and 45 percent, respectively, compared with Cayetano's 29 percent.

Harris is mulling whether to challenge Cayetano in the Democratic primary in September. Lingle is battling former longtime Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Fasi is perceived favorably by 27 percent of Hawaii's voters and unfavorably by 45 percent, numbers that have stayed essentially in the same range since just a few days before Fasi finished second as a third-party candidate in the 1994 gubernatorial election.

Lingle is viewed negatively by only 13 percent of voters; for Harris and Cayetano, it's 15 percent and 36 percent, respectively.

The poll, Cayetano said, reflects people's concern with the state's continuing economic woes. "They're worried about the economy, they hear about layoffs, businesses closing. It's confusing and worrisome times for many people," Cayetano said.

The survey also shows, Cayetano said, that he needs to more effectively communicate what his administration and his special task force are doing to boost the isle economy and ease the tax burden on local residents.

He is convinced that when the legislative session ends, there will be some tax relief for isle residents and that initiatives will be in place to turn the economy around, he added.

Cayetano maintained that "what we do is under a magnifying glass," while Lingle and Harris have "sweetheart" relationships with the media.

"I've never been a darling of the press," he said, asserting that the latest poll reflects that he has made more tough -- and unpopular -- decisions than Harris, Lingle and Fasi combined.

Lingle said the poll "shows that people are looking for leadership and not getting it. They are looking for common sense and energy to get (economic reforms) implemented."

She added: "My sense is that the public doesn't feel that (Cayetano) is up for the job. They do not feel that he will get us out of this."

Her favorable name recognition, Lingle said, mirrors the reaction she's getting on the campaign trail. People believe her when she says she can improve the state's economy, Lingle maintained.

In six months, Lingle's favorable name recognition has climbed 11 percentage points from 34 percent. Now, only one of 10 voters doesn't know who she is, compared with 30 percent in September.

Harris declined to say if the poll numbers could nudge him into the gubernatorial race.

He said: "Achieving the highest favorable rating is a reflection of the fine job our city and county employees are doing. This is a time when elected officials are having to make tough decisions that are not always popular. But they are decisions that must be made if we are to bring down the size and cost of government."

Fasi would only say: "If you believe in the polls being bandied about now, then you believe the moon is made of green cheese and the Earth is flat."

Harris' favorable name recognition was 21 percentage points higher 1-1/2 years ago; 68 percent to only 11 percent unfavorable.

The latest poll reveals that Harris is viewed equally favorably by Democrats and Republicans and by a 3-1 margin by Japanese Americans, the backbone of the Hawaii Democratic Party, when compared with the Japanese Americans who view him unfavorably.

Caucasians overwhelmingly perceive Lingle favorably, while slightly more Japanese Americans see her favorably than unfavorably.

Neighbor-island voters are much more critical of Cayetano's job performance than their Oahu counterparts, who are more inclined to say Cayetano is doing a good job.

One of the poll respondents, Mely Magtanong, 39, an Ewa Beach housewife, said Cayetano has done a fair job leading the state.

He's trying his best, but there are some factors he can't control, such as the impact of the Asian financial crisis spilling onto Hawaii, she said.

But if the election were held today, she wouldn't vote for Cayetano.

"Who's that woman? That woman from Maui? That's who I might vote for," Magtanong said.