Former budget chief may
keep salary, but that’s it

When the Senate refused to reconfirm Earl Anzai as state budget director, Gov. Ben Caye-tano went ahead and hired Anzai as his executive assistant for budgetary matters at about the same salary Anzai had as budget czar.

That led to some talk in political circles as to whether Anzai would keep his office and be the de facto budget chief.

As it turned out, Anzai did give up his office. It is now occupied by Anzai's onetime deputy, Neal Miyahira, who left the Budget Department to become deputy tax director and who is now back as interim budget director.

Miyahira said he did discuss with Anzai the disposition of the office. But he added, "It was never a bone of conten-tion."

After all, Miyahira said, that office on the third floor of No. 1 Capitol District Building is the director's office, and everyone should see it as such.

Anzai's office has fallen to the ground floor, and is now in the Budget Department's unclaimed property branch.