Lingle calls for
nonbid contract reforms

She says politics needs to be
removed from the selection process

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

Saying "you can't pass a law to make people be honest," Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle is looking to change the way architects and engineers are selected for nonbid government contracts.

Lingle, who was to make her proposals last night during a speech to the Hawaii Council of Engineering Societies, said removing politics from the selection process would do more to reform the system than limiting who can give political contributions.

"I really think it is the selection committee that is the crux of this. If we can make some changes there, we can have a real significant impact, make the system more open and transparent to the public view," she said before her speech.

Architects, engineers and accountants contribute much of the funds for major political campaigns, leading some to say that politicians concentrate on raising money from people they can help with contracts.

Lingle said the state's selection system adds an extra step of political involvement by having a three-person committee list architects and engineers who can do the work.

She said the current system requires the department head, a political appointee, to rank the selected architects or engineers screened by the committee. The person ranked first is first offered the job, according to the state system, she said.

If the committee expanded to five members, and the committee ranked who got the job, it would take a lot of politics out of the system, she said.

Daniel Chun, local government affairs representative for the American Institute of Architects, said Lingle's proposal would move the state closer to the federal system of awarding nonbid contracts.

"I would have to say it would be a positive step," Chun said. "We have always argued that it is better to look at reforming the procurement system instead of the campaign spending system."

Lingle said she does not object to proposed changes to campaign spending but doubts if they will have much effect on reforming state government.

A campaign proposal under discussion would halt contributions from corporations and unions and forbid those with government contracts from making political contributions.