Jobs and technology.
With Hawaii's economy in a funk, Cayetano sees the telecom industry providing a sizable financial boost, while giving the state the tools necessary to compete in the global economy.
He is so upbeat about the new technology that he devoted part of his last State of the State speech to the subject.
"This will give Hawaii the capability of being part of the global economy and a major player in the Asia-Pacific region," he said in January.
About a month later, when Western Wireless Corp. launched its new digital phone service in Hawaii, Cayetano attended a kickoff bash and gushed with praise. Digital technology is considered the wave of the future, enabling the high-speed transmission of voice, video and other data over the airwaves or through fiber-optic cables.
"It is this kind of service that reduces (Hawaii's) disadvantage of distance," Cayetano said.
At the kickoff, the governor heard Western Wireless talk about its new investments in Hawaii:
more than $14 million to build the wireless network on Oahu, plus the hiring of more than 100 local workers.
With at least two more digital phone companies coming to Hawaii, joining a telecom industry already spending millions of dollars on improvements, it's no wonder Cayetano is upbeat.
Some say he and other bureaucrats are too upbeat.
Local governments are moving so fast to embrace the new technology that they're not adequately evaluating potential drawbacks, including safety issues, critics say.
When the city approved permits for the siting of digital antennas for Western Wireless' network, for instance, it didn't consider safety issues despite considerable debate on the mainland about such issues, they say.
"The state has really blinded itself at looking at this," said Jason Oliver, an attorney who advises condo associations on rooftop antenna contracts.
To government officials, however, Hawaii will suffer if it doesn't embrace the technological revolution.
"We think the future lies with a strong technological infrastructure or we will get left behind," said Pearl Imada Iboshi of the state's Department of Business and Economic Development.
Star-Bulletin reporter Richard Borreca contributed to this report.