Cayetano, Gov. Ben Cayetano and Maui Mayor Linda Lingle found common ground on health care issues in talks today at the Healthcare Association of Hawaii's annual convention.
Lingle agree on
health care
Governor and challenger
By Helen Altonn and Richard Borreca
both support Hawaii's
development as the
Pacific health care center
Star-BulletinBoth Cayetano, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger support Hawaii's development as the health care center of the Pacific.
"But we need to take care of own people first," said Lingle.
Children particularly should not be denied medical and dental care, she said.
The two also said they supported tax incentives for purchasing long-term care insurance.
Both of the candidates pointed out that the federally sponsored Medicare does not cover nursing home costs, so senior citizens are forced to spend their assets and apply for state Medicaid coverage, which provides for poor citizens and those on welfare.
Cayetano said that about 75 percent of Hawaii's senior citizens are receiving long-term care through the Medicaid program which is "an enormous cost burden to the state."
The governor said 5 percent of the nation's long-term care cost are being paid by insurance. He said the state government is working with the industry on a long-term care benefit package that would reduce or stabilize Medicaid expenses.
Lingle said the state Medicaid program cannot sustain the baby boomer population as it grows older and needs long-term care.
"We have time to act now before the Medicaid system collapses," Lingle said.
Lingle hammered away at the state's poor economy, which she said was responsible for increases in medically uninsured families and other heath care problems.
Cayetano said four years of "hard work and tough decisions are beginning to pay off" with a turn in the economy.
In response to a question, Cayetano said he will try to preserve the University of Hawaii Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health.
Yesterday, in their first joint appearance, Cayetano promised more money for children's services and Lingle promised more programs.
They, along with George Peabody, the Libertarian candidate for governor, were the featured speakers at a forum of child-care professionals, supported by the Good Beginnings Alliance.
During that appearance, Cayetano said an improving state economy is translating into the restoration of state budget cuts.
Lingle called for the state to guarantee universal medical and dental care for young children, but was not confident that the state could pay for it without readjusting the budget.
"What she didn't answer is where is the money going to come from," Cayetano said after the two-hour meeting at the Disabled American Veteran Hall at Keehi Lagoon.
"There is money for us to consider restoring some of the money that was cut, but there is not enough money to restore everything we cut," he said.
Cayetano, however, also didn't say what specific budget cuts he would restore, except to point out that he has already promised to increase the Department of Education budget by $11 million.
"I told my cabinet that since we have a surplus now, we can take a look at programs we want to restore," he said.
The audience of about 450, according to the sponsors, had a sizable number of Lingle supporters, decked out in "Lingle for Governor" T-shirts.
"If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have brought my people out; we were outnumbered today," Cayetano said.
While Cayetano argued that Lingle is exaggerating the state's financial troubles, Lingle had the audience cheering when she asked if the state has a surplus, "Why are you lagging the public employees' pay?"
She was referring to the delays in paying state workers to save money. Cayetano countered that the budget surplus is a recent development and unanticipated when the payroll lag was instituted.
"She has been saying there is a half-a-billion-dollar deficit and frightening these people," Cayetano said after the meeting.
"There is no half-billion deficit, and I wanted her to acknowledge it and she refused to do it"
Lingle said if the state has money it should put more money in programs such as the successful Healthy Start program.
"If he is right, and we have this huge surplus, then we don't have an issue at all because we have the money to do this important program," she said. "If I am right and we have a deficit, then we are going to face serious problems next year.
"Then you set priorities, you determine what are the important issues and set money aside for them," she said.
For his part, Peabody said government should get out of the business of education and child care.