Editorials
Thursday, August 13, 1998

Opinion on campaign
spending is welcome

THE state attorney general's lifting of restraints on fund-raising for or against a constitutional amendment on same-sex marriage could result in unprecedented spending in campaigning on a noncandidate ballot issue. Each side of the issue insists its adversaries will be the beneficiaries. Both are likely to receive a lot of money.

Deputy Attorney General Jon S. Itomura cited a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision in determining that a three-year-old state law limiting contributions to influence ballot issues to $1,000 is unconstitutional. The high court's decision struck down a $250 limit that the city of Berkeley, Calif., had imposed on contributions on a ballot measure because "there is no significant state or public interest in curtailing debate and discussion" on noncandidate issues.

The opinion also lifts the prohibition of such contributions by corporations or other organizations that had not registered with the state at least one year before the election.

"Ballot measures are not often determined twelve months in advance," Itomura noted, and a one-year requirement serves no public interest.

The Hawaii Legislature was wrong in imposing these requirements. Itomura has furthered the cause of free speech with his opinion, which has the effect of ending state enforcement.

The national attention given to the same-sex marriage issue in Hawaii could generate big campaign donations as November approaches. Hawaii's Protect Our Constitution is affiliated with the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay-rights organization. Four national organizations in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage are soliciting contributions on the Internet and hope to raise $1 million.

Those opposing legalization of same-sex marriages are Hawaii Family Forum, affiliated with James Dobson's Colorado-based Focus on the Family; the Hawaii chapter of the Christian Coalition, which has launched a $1.5 million nationwide fund-raising effort; and Save Traditional Marriage '98.

Media advertising on same-sex marriage could rival spending on any political race in Hawaii this year, including the gubernatorial campaign. State law requires disclosure of the source of money spent on all political issues, but that is not likely to deter fund-raisers. A more thorough airing of the issues will be the result.

China-Taiwan ties

ALWAYS-sensitive relations between Beijing and Taipei have been strained by the kidnap-slaying of a Taiwan official on the mainland. The body of Lin Ti-chuan, a member of the city council of the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung, was found in a hospital in northern China a week ago. Lin reportedly died of a drug overdose after being kidnapped. Her abductors were described as business associates of her Taiwanese male companion. The kidnappers left her body at the hospital in the town of Haicheng. Her companion was kidnapped with her, but managed to escape.

In the wake of the incident, the rival governments have been squabbling over the handling of the case. Taiwan's Vice President Liu Chao-hsuan warned China that mishandling could anger the Taiwanese people and damage efforts to improve relations. Taiwan wants to use the case to strengthen its position that practical issues, such as the safety of Taiwanese in China, should take precedence over political negotiations sought by Beijing.

The Chinese government mobilized hundreds of police to hunt for the kidnappers. When Lin's body turned up in the hospital, the regime set up an altar where her relatives could mourn her death.

However, China rejected requests by the Straits Exchange Foundation, Taiwan's semiofficial body handling exchanges with China, to send five officials to the mainland to assist in the investigation of the Lin case and to help her relatives bring her body home. The main opposition party in Taiwan, the Democratic Progressive Party, accused China of violating human rights by barring the officials. It threatened to introduce legislation urging the government to sever all exchanges with China.

In recent years travel restrictions have been eased and Taiwan residents have made thousands of visits to the mainland for business and family reasons. But at the government level, relations are still highly tentative. An intergovernmental dialogue that was suspended by Beijing in 1995 to protest President Lee Teng-hui's visit to the United States was resumed recently but progress has been slow.

With nongovernmental relations growing dramatically, it is imperative that Beijing and Taipei stop their posturing and find ways to cooperate on urgent problems.

Moving expenses

SOMETHING is remiss when the state is reimbursing the new school superintendent, Paul LeMahieu, for $35,000 in moving expenses but apparently can't give the new state librarian anything to cover her moving expenses.

Librarian Virginia Lowell asked for relocation money when she was hired by the Board of Education but the attorney general's office has ruled that the board cannot reimburse her. The Ethics Commission has ruled that board members may not seek private donations for that purpose.

A 1994 law allowing the board to enter into a contract with the superintendent of schools and waiving the requirement of state residency also made it possible for the board to provide for the superintendent's moving expenses. The law should be revised to include the state librarian and other high state officials in similar circumstances.

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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