The governor says he'll work
to bring small business
to his partyBy Susan Kreifels
Star-BulletinGov. Ben Cayetano, barely holding onto his job in Tuesday's election, says he will focus on economic development and helping small businesses, but not at the "sacrifice of working people."
Unions played a big part in Cayetano's victory over Republican Linda Lingle. The governor won by 5,253 votes, or 1.3 percent of the total ballots.
At the same time, Cayetano said in a news conference yesterday that the election results were a "wake-up call for labor" as well as for the Democratic Party.
"There are certain things they will have to agree to, to satisfy the public's desire for change," Cayetano said.
The governor also said he would not make major cuts in the size of government. While some less important services must be streamlined, other staff needs such as education, prisons and hospitals are growing.
Cayetano said election results showed the Democratic Party has grown "out of sync" with voters. So rather than back out of party leadership like he did during his first administration, he plans to be active this time in reshaping the party. That includes reaching out to younger people.
Supporters thank voters
ILWU Longshoremen, from left, Roger Pasion, Apela Peahi
and Conrad Paguirigan wave signs thanking voters
along Nimitz Highway yesterday.
"The party doesn't connect to small business and many other needs," he said.
Cayetano said he would work to bring small businesses back into the Democratic fold by continuing programs he started during his current administration and trying to pass earlier economic proposals that failed.
Small businesses, however, "must decide if they want to be part of the problem or the solution," Cayetano said. "Let's work together."
Calling himself pro-labor, he said he wouldn't support programs that "would try to take workers down."
Change in labor and bureaucracy has come slowly and with difficulty. For example, Cayetano's move of certain government agencies from downtown Honolulu to Oahu's "second city" in Kapolei has faced opposition from the government labor union.
But Cayetano said workers are still moving to Kapolei. While the first step will be working with labor, the government will "move ahead," regardless.
Ways Cayetano hopes to boost the economy include:
Continue efforts to cut corporate taxes by one-third to one-half.
As for changes in his Cabinet, he'll announce any departures by Dec. 7.
Regarding change in the Legislature, Cayetano said that even though party numbers have stayed the same, there are new faces who can bring change. Ten new Democrats were elected.
And as for him, Cayetano said this is his last campaign. He'll be 63 by the end of his second administration, and he would rather play saxophone and write books than run for office again.
Tuesday's gubernatorial vote margin was the closest in Hawaii since 1966. How close was it?
Gov. Ben Cayetano defeated GOP challenger Linda Lingle by just 5,253 votes, according to a final, unofficial, tally. Cayetano and Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono received 204,204 votes, while the Lingle-Stan Koki ticket got 198,951.
Percentage-wise, because more votes were cast, Cayetano's margin over Lingle was even slimmer than the 2 percent victory of Gov. John A. Burns Burns over challenger Randolph Crossley Crossley in 1966.
In 1966, Burns had a victory margin of about 2 percent -- winning by 4,720 votes out of more than 219,500 votes cast.
In 1959, Democrat Burns lost the gubernatorial election to William F. Quinn, the only Republican to serve as governor of Hawaii since statehood, by 4,139 votes. Burns handily defeated Quinn in 1962.
