Miss Universe
will help tourism,
65 percent say

But half of the respondents said
they disapproved of the state spending
$3.3 million to attract the event

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

Last month's Miss Universe Pageant will increase tourism to Hawaii and should be brought back in 2001, according to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin/NBC Hawaii News 8 Poll.

But half of those surveyed disapproved of the state spending $3.3 million to attract this year's contest.

Sixty-five percent said the pageant will help increase tourism. And 55 percent of those polled -- including a majority of both men and women -- said they would like to see Hawaii exercise its option and host the contest again in three years.

However, 50 percent of those polled disapproved of the state spending millions of dollars for this year's pageant, while 35 percent approved and 15 percent were not sure. State officials said following this year's pageant that future site fees to host the event are expected to be much higher.

A solid majority of Caucasians and Japanese would like to see the pageant return, while less than a third of Hawaiians and Filipinos want it back.

The poll was conducted May 29-June 3 by telephone among 439 registered voters statewide by Mason-Dixon Political/Media Research Inc. of Columbia, Md. The margin of error is plus or minus five percentage points.

Al Masini, who produced the Hawaii portion of the pageant, was pleased with the poll, emphasizing that Hawaii got the event at "pretty much" a bargain price and can't expect such a deal the next time around.

"Knowing Trump and CBS, they will demand more money," Masini said. "Hawaii got the pageant at a bargain rate because the Miss Universe organization was undergoing management changes and did not have a lot of lead time for more planning, which put Hawaii in a great bargaining position."

Masini said he is "not usually" influenced by polls. "I have my own convictions, and I thought (the Miss Universe pageant) was the most efficient and effective means at that particular moment for Hawaii to advertise itself," he said. "What presents itself down the road you have to evaluate at that time. You can't make a blanket statement that this is the best thing for you at all times."

Mellie Cabanban, 69, of downtown Honolulu, opposes the pageant, saying the money could be spent better to help senior citizens and schools.

"It won't help tourism, either," she said. "Waikiki isn't Waikiki no more. I was born and raised in Waikiki, and all you see is buildings and hardly any sky."

Rachel Okazaki of Hawaii favors bringing the pageant back to Hawaii but only if the state doesn't pay the Trump organization "so much money."

"I think the pageant was fine but not not worth it if we have to pay Trump all that money," she said. "And I don't think it will increase tourism.

"Tourists will still come to Hawaii regardless of what they see on a televised pageant.

"They come here for the beauty, not because a pageant advertises what they know is already here."