Joint chair
system doesn’t work,
senators say
By Mike Yuen
Star-BulletinSen. Lehua Fernandes Salling says she was ousted as co-chairwoman of the Senate's money committee because the chamber's ruling faction needed a scapegoat to cover up the shortcomings of its dual chairmanship system. Two rebel senators, Malama Solomon (D, Kohala) and Joe Tanaka (D, Kahului), concurred with Fernandes Salling's assessment.
They said yesterday that the co-chairmanship system, intended to foster cooperation, collaboration, communication and partnering, has instead concentrated power within the Senate leadership -- "a small cabal," according to a dissident leader, Sen. Randy Iwase (D, Mililani).
Fernandes Salling (D, Kapaa) said when she "ran into a lot of problems" guiding the Ways and Means Committee with Sen. Carol Fukunaga (D, Makiki), she expressed her concerns to Senate President Norman Mizuguchi (D, Aiea).
"But they were never resolved and it evaporated into a vacuum in which a few people in leadership made the decisions," Fernandes Salling said.
"From my point of view and that of other senators, the joint chairmanship system just isn't working," she said. "They talk a good talk about communication, reaching out, working together, but that's not what's occurring in the Senate. People are afraid to say what they really feel.
"What is being required is not collaboration and cooperation, but blind agreement to vote for what is being proposed," she said. "If you are out of line, you're in trouble."
Fernandes Salling said she and Fukunaga sought to put on a good public face of cooperation throughout the legislative session. But, she added, it fell apart during the crucial final days of the session when Mizuguchi stepped into budget negotiations with the House, overturning positions the committee had taken.
Solomon said if Senate leadership truly adhered to its co-chairmanship philosophy, Fukunaga would also be stripped of her Ways and Means position. "As a co-chairman, you go up or down together," Solomon said. "That's why I feel it is unfair."
Tanaka added: "On the other side, we heard a lot of complaints about Carol. You couldn't get an appointment with her. You couldn't see her. She couldn't give you an answer. So why did it become Lehua?"
Fernandes Salling was removed as Ways and Means co-chairwoman Monday -- after only six months at the helm. The controlling Democratic faction also made other changes to the membership of the powerful money panel and the Economic Development Committee to strengthen its influence on devising economic initiatives that can be moved during next year's legislative session.
Fernandes Salling, Mizuguchi said, didn't display a commitment to the new "partnering team approach and failed to communicate with her colleagues."
"That's absolutely false," Fernandes Salling said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
