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Hawaii’s World
VOTERS now know beyond question that the major roadblock to government efficiency is the government unions. Unions flex;
pols genuflectTheir power display was so naked when the 2000 Legislature wrapped up that Governor Cayetano -- whose reform program was dynamited -- said some conference committee meetings were three-legged: House and Senate, as required by law, plus unions.
Members left conferences, the governor said, to go out to clear proposals with Gary Rodrigues, state director of the United Public Workers.
Cayetano is no union buster. The unions put him over against Republican Linda Lingle in 1998. But he knows red tape and excessive benefits when he sees them and wanted to cut them back. He failed.
Counties still will have to accept the state's collective bargaining settlements. Arbitration of contract disputes will remain mandatory. The right to strike won't be restored. Overtime pay still will figure in pension calculations. There will be no modification, even for future employees, of vacation and sick leave benefits that can equal two months off a year on top of numerous holidays. Two-time drug offenders still can get another chance.
When we vote this fall, will we choose legislators who are more independent? We very well may where credible alternative candidates offer themselves. But there's the rub -- getting credible alternatives.
Voters became progressively more fed up with the heavy political hand of the business Big Five after World War II, but it took until 1954 to win dramatic change. In that year, however, young, attractive candidates -- many of them Nisei war veterans -- filed under the Democratic banner for just about every legislative seat.
Their voice for change was unified around statehood, equal opportunity for all races, better education, home rule, fairer land taxes and resistance to business dominance -- nothing radical, just good old Americanism.
They were startled by the extent of their victory. After 52 years, they took both houses away from the business-dominated Republicans -- overwhelmingly. For a few years they lost the Senate back to the Republicans but won it all in 1962, even the governorship. They have held on ever since.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Within the Democratic ranks the government unions have emerged as the main abusers of power, the main resisters to government efficiency.
They may call it union-busting to try to make government better, as Cayetano tried to do this year. But it's not union-busting. It's public service.
UNIONS can allow government to run better and still take good care of their members. The intelligent course would be for them to do so, and not stonewall against what are relatively modest efforts toward more efficiency.
In no way do I predict 2000 will be 1954 in reverse. The Republican Party isn't ready -- at least as of now -- with enough attractive candidates.
But maybe the Legislature's monkeyshines will encourage more to come forward. Independents also may emerge within the Democratic ranks, where Cayetano certainly will encourage them.
Seldom do unions get block voting out of their memberships. Even if they did, they are not a majority. What they are great at is getting their members and families out to vote. This increases their power if independent voters stay home.
I wish I could predict our legislative election this fall will be another watershed, a 1954 in reverse. It may not be. But at least it should be a turning point -- unless a lousy, wasteful government structure run at taxpayer expense just doesn't bother us.
A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.
