On Politics
BY RICHARD BORRECA
Sometimes skill and
savvy aren’t enoughThe joke going around the Capitol is that Governor Cayetano has found the way to deflect Republican Linda Lingle's march to Washington Place: by getting her in trouble with the Campaign Spending Commission.
Folks are saying that if Cayetano keeps after the Republican front-runner in the governor's race and she keeps responding by mentioning her "New Beginning" plan for Hawaii, she will get so much free publicity that Cayetano's attack would amount to a non-monetary contribution to her campaign.
"If she doesn't report it, we can bust her," one Democrat joked, obviously wishing that Cayetano had stifled his urge to defend his administration.
The truth is that the campaign for governor appears stalled on the issues surrounding how Cayetano handled the governorship during the past eight years. Much like generals fighting the last war, instead of looking at today's battle, Cayetano, who won the last election, seems insistent on opening up a new offensive.
Although he has repeatedly said he would let history judge his stewardship of the state, he is acutely aware that many of his hopes for Hawaii sank as Hawaii's economy stagnated during his administration.
Despite two rounds of wage increases, Cayetano endured an unprecedented three-week walkout by teachers and university professors and much of the educational reform issues that he had insisted on had to be dropped.
Just when he thought the state's economy was starting to bounce back last year, the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington sent the national economy spinning and Hawaii's tourism industry was hurt. In fact, it was so damaged that despite a round of budget cuts during the last legislative session, the state budget is still light by about $87 million.
And while Cayetano insists that the state remained steadfast in gradually reducing state income taxes, he also was forced to do away with a series of tax credits in 1995 because the state couldn't afford them.
Even on some of the smaller issues, Cayetano's administration seemed snake-bit. For instance, he had hoped four years ago to unveil a new home for the colorful Honolulu fish auction. He envisioned a place for the fishing fleet to tie up, fish to be displayed and sold. The state would reap the twin benefits of doing good by the fishing industry and adding a new tourist attraction to the visitor industry. That all failed when potentially explosive pockets of methane gas were found under the unfinished complex.
As unlucky in administration as Cayetano has been, he is a remarkably talented politician with perfect political pitch. You almost feel he would be willing to go another round with his Republican tormentor.
Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached at 525-8630 or by e-mail at rborreca@starbulletin.com.
