On Politics
BY RICHARD BORRECA
House plays political
games with governorIf the Senate Democrats appear willing to explore a policy of peaceful coexistence with the new Republican state administration, Democrats in the House majority seem to be spoiling for a fight with Gov. Linda Lingle.
Much of the battle, however, is not about guiding the state, but about spinning a political advantage.
As CBS Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer said: "The best political spin is never a substitute for bad policy. But good policy, if it is good policy, always trumps a bad press."
Twice, the House has set itself up in direct opposition to Lingle. The first clash happened before the session opened in January.
House Democrats told Lingle she could not fulfill her campaign promise to make an Office of Hawaiian Affairs ceded lands payment because it had to be approved by the Legislature. It was the same argument former Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono made in her last debate with Lingle during her unsuccessful campaign for governor.
Lingle applied a little political jujitsu and essentially said, if you won't allow me to give the money OHA says it is due, perhaps you would like to talk to the OHA board of trustees and then you could also explain it to your Hawaiian constituents.
So Lingle waited quietly, saying she wanted to help, the House Democrats wouldn't let her, but she would keep on trying to get the millions back for OHA as soon as she could.
The House then decided to "compromise" and agreed to an attorney general opinion saying the money available for this fiscal year, $2.8 million, could be paid. The remaining $9 million would be handled in legislation this year.
Last week, the House announced another "compromise," this time saying that it would restore Lingle's request for sufficient funds to operate her office. In an effort to balance the budget, the previous Legislature had cut most of the funding for the new governor's office.
The action reduced the governor's office staff from 66 to six, and her operating funds from $1 million to $500,000.
Lingle had the option of turning the tables on the Legislature earlier when she had to authorize the $5,256,084 to operate the entire Legislature. As Honolulu's former feisty Mayor Frank Fasi once did, she could have simply refused to sign the bill and let the Legislature stew. Instead, all Lingle did was call the house "childish."
The Senate, however, was able to force a compromise that the House leaders could accept.
Still, there are several other budget battles waiting to be fought between Lingle and the House. The governor appears ready to mix it up with lawmakers over the precise nature of cuts to the Department of Education budget and also the need to trim taxes for the state's poorest wage-earners.
So far Lingle appears to be enjoying a 71 percent approval rating, almost twice as high as the Legislature's numbers. So the question of next year's elections may not turn on the ability to embarrass or stall the governor, but on the Legislature's ability to work toward honest compromises.
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.
