UH professors
endorse Lingle
for governor
It's the first time an isle
By Richard Borreca
public-workers union has
backed a Republican for the job
Star-BulletinUniversity of Hawaii professors have overwhelmingly voted to endorse Maui Mayor Linda Lingle for governor, the first time a public-workers union has endorsed a Republican candidate for that job.
"Mayor Lingle has demonstrated that she can lead an island economy toward success while remaining compassionate and assisting those people most economically deprived toward new hope," said Alexander Malahoff, president of the 3,150-member University of Hawaii Professional Assembly.
UHPA is the first public-worker union in the history of the state to fail to endorse an incumbent Democrat for governor, he said.
"As a Democrat, representing a group of people who are overwhelmingly Democratic and liberal, it is something of a shock to be standing here," Malahoff said.
He said members were asked whom the union should endorse, and the response was 6-to-1 in favor of Lingle.
Cayetano's candidacy was rejected, Malahoff said, because the governor has failed to support the university.
Cayetano was not available for comment this morning.
"His record demonstrates that he is both small-minded and viscerally anti-UH.
"Whether the target has been the budget or the faculty or the football coach, Mr. Cayetano has gone out of his way to attack our state university," Malahoff and Thomas Ramsey, UHPA Legislative Committee chairman, said in a letter to members.
They described Lingle as a "liberal, open-minded leader."
"She may be running as a Republican, but her views are not anti-union, as some others would erroneously characterize them.
"We welcome her into our family. She offers us something that Gov. Cayetano does not."
Cayetano has enjoyed support from the major public-sector unions, with the white-collar Hawaii Government Employees Association and blue-collar United Public Workers already supporting him.
The state's other major public-employee union, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, has not yet made an endorsement.
Panel nixes complaint
on same-sex
referendum adsThe Campaign Spending Commission
By Mike Yuen
says Hawaii Family Forum's
radio spots are not advocacy
Star-BulletinThe Hawaii Family Forum's radio spots that frame a proposed constitutional amendment as a referendum on same-sex marriage won't be challenged by the state Campaign Spending Commission.
The panel voted 3-0 yesterday to quash a complaint filed by two political action committees fighting to defeat the measure.
Protect Our Constitution and a PAC affiliated with the Human Rights Campaign of Washington, D.C., the nation's largest gay-rights organization, claimed that the spots were advocacy and not educational, and therefore required the organization to register with the commission and disclose its contributors.
Since the complaint against the 60-second radio spots was filed, the forum's commercials began airing on television as well.
"It is ironic," said Kelly Rosati, executive director of Hawaii Family Forum, "that an organization calling itself Protect Our Constitution decided to abuse the Campaign Spending Commission process in an apparent effort to prevent the people of Hawaii from having straightforward, educational information on the marriage amendment."
According to the forum, a "yes" vote on the Nov. 3 measure "will help support the definition of marriage (as being) between one man and one woman," while a "no" vote or a blank ballot "will help to redefine marriage to include homosexual couples."
Protect Our Constitution and Protect Our Constitution/Human Rights Campaign frame the proposal as eroding civil-rights protection for all groups, including gays.
Arguing on behalf of the two PACs, attorney Dan Foley, who represents three same-sex couples that have sued the state for the right to marry, asked commissioners why the forum would run its commercials if it weren't trying to influence the outcome of the proposed constitutional amendment.
"There's no question what vote they're trying to get cast," Foley said. The forum's free-speech rights must be balanced with the public's right to know from where the forum is getting its funds, he added.
The forum is associated with conservative broadcaster James Dobson's Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Focus on the Family and is part of a 40-state network of so-called Family Policy Councils. Jackie Young, Protect Our Constitution campaign director, suspects that funds from Dobson's organization have flowed to the forum.
Attorney John Yamano, who represents Hawaii Family Forum, said nowhere in the forum's commercials are voters urged to cast their ballots a particular way. That is what would have turned the commercials into "expressed advocacy," he said.
Rosati added that the forum's radio and TV spots "provide the people of Hawaii with the kind of clear disclosure they're really interested in -- disclosure about the meaning of yes, no and blank votes on the very confusing Nov. 3 ballot question."
Fourteen take
Star-Bulletin
campaign funding dealThe state Campaign Spending Commission has disbursed $246,399 in public funds to 14 candidates who have agreed to limit their campaign spending.
Receiving the lion's share of the total is Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle, who got $136,229 for the Sept. 19 primary election, commission officials said yesterday. The others who obtained funds are:
Lieutenant governor candidate Stan Koki (R), $67,566; Maui Council candidate Mike Molina (D), $7,713; Kauai Council candidate Mel Rapozo, $5,840; and Honolulu Councilman Steve Holmes, $5,830. Rapozo and Holmes are in nonpartisan races.
Also, state Senate candidates Jonathan Chun (D) of Lihue, $3,775; and Thomas Contrades (D) of Kapaa, $3,055.
Also, state House candidates Zandra Amaral (D) of Kihei, $2,787; Kevin Mulkern (R) and Warner Kimo Sutton (R), both of east Honolulu, $2,568 each; Paul Fung (D) of Nuuanu, $2,458; Mako Hara (R) of Kaneohe, $2,369; Dee Brown (D) of Kihei, $1,830; and Charlene Wilson (D) of Hauula, $1,811.
By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Linda Lingle and campaign manager Bob Awana confer
at a press conference yesterday.
Lingle asks for
By Richard Borreca and Harold Morse
ads to rectify mailing
with wrong election date
Star-BulletinNewly registered voters across the state have been sent cards instructing them to vote in the general election, four days after the general election is scheduled. The mistake in dates will be corrected in a new round of mailings.
But Maui Mayor Linda Lingle, candidate for governor in the Republican primary, wants the state elections office to advertise the election date to make sure there is no confusion.
Lingle yesterday called a news conference to call attention to the voting card mistake.
"The state elections people knew about it last week, I think it might be good to remind people," Lingle said.
The primary election is Sept. 19, and the general election is Nov. 3.
The error was only in cards that went out to newly registered voters. New cards that are expected to reach voters by the beginning of next week or earlier will have the correct date.
City Clerk Genny Wong said about 50,000 cards were printed for statewide distribution by Hagadone Printing Co. "It was a programming error," Wong said, noting the programmer who listed the election as Nov. 7 is a city employee.
"It will cost us $3,800 (for a second mailing)," Wong said.
"The data that was incorrect is for the general election and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs election, which is the same date (Nov. 3)," Wong said.
It's likely recipients of the cards in error will get the corrected cards well in advance of the general election and thus be aware of the correct date, Wong said.
Wong said the cards would be reprinted today and sent to post offices for mailing by tomorrow for Oahu and Friday for the neighbor islands.
"This is a statewide mailing," Wong said. "The City and County of Honolulu is the one that handles the mailing for the state."
Cayetano goes to
By Gary T. Kubota
Lingle’s turf to spar
over taxes, economy
Star-BulletinWAIKAPU, Maui -- Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano stepped into the political back yard of Republican Mayor Linda Lingle on the Valley Isle yesterday, challenging her to a gubernatorial debate assuming she wins the primary election.
Asked by the news media if she would debate Cayetano, Lingle said, "Absolutely."
The two spoke about 30 minutes apart from each other during a meeting of the Maui Board of Realtors and had no face-to-face discussion. But they tossed barbs at each other and their opponent's political party.
Many of the 150 board members gave Lingle a standing ovation at the start of her speech, but most applauded sitting down for Cayetano.
The group opposed a proposal to increase the general excise tax from 4 percent to 5.25 percent at the 1998 Legislature -- an increase initially supported by Cayetano.
Board President Meg Moore agreed with Lingle's criticism of Cayetano's "surplus" of $154 million this fiscal year.
Lingle said Cayetano was able to show a surplus by deferring payment of major expenses until next year, including debt payment of $1 billion in construction and collective-bargaining increases.
"I think her point was well taken," Moore said.
Moore said the economy was doing better for the first time in six years, with prices of land, houses and condominiums rising. But she said she still thinks it needs to improve.
Cayetano said state tax revenues have increased by 2.8 percent this past fiscal year, indicating the economy is doing better.
He said the state is spending less now than in 1994 as a result of his administration's budget cuts, including a decrease in the number of jobs in his office from 200 to 80.
Lingle said that in the last four years, much of the job growth has taken place in Maui County and the state has experienced a net decrease.
Cayetano reminded the audience that the state and federal governments have contributed significantly in developing the Maui economy.
He noted that in the last 17 years, the state has spent $714 million in construction compared to the county's $300 million.
Cayetano said he supported giving tax credits for new companies and criticized Lingle's idea of giving rebates to businesses that created jobs.
Lingle criticized Cayetano for failing to implement the idea of tax credits in his four years as governor and eight years as lieutenant governor.
Cayetano also criticized Lingle for accusing his campaign group of spreading rumors about her being "gay." "By now it's pretty clear our campaign had nothing to do with it," Cayetano said.
Cayetano said his campaign has not received an apology from Lingle.
Lingle declined to comment except to say Cayetano's request for an apology was "interesting."
CAMPAIGN BRIEFS
SHOPO endorses Sen. Inouye, Rep. Mink
The State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers has endorsed the following candidates:
Daniel Inouye, U.S. Senate.
BOE candidates to hold community forums
Meet the candidates running for the Board of Education at community forums.At 7 p.m. Friday, candidates will address library issues at Liliha Public Library, 1515 Liliha St., sponsored by the Librarians Association of Hawaii.
Community forums on Maui District Board of Education candidates will be aired on Channel 45 on the following dates:
Windward hopefuls to discuss business
Windward legislative candidates will talk about business issues at a forum next week of the Hawaii chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business.It's 7 p.m. Tuesday at Bayview Golf Links on Kaneohe Bay Drive. Talk show host Rick Hamada will moderate.
Bette Tatum, federation director in Hawaii, says the forum will be an information session, not debate. The moderator will pose questions to each candidate, based on their responses to a candidate questionnaire distributed earlier by the organization. Audience questions will be fielded if there's time.
Small-business owners and any others interested are urged to attend the free program.
