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Cayetano criticism:
‘sensible’ to some,
‘hurtful’ to others

Gov. Ben Cayetano's sharp criticism of hotel owners looking for a big tax credit provoked its own criticism and support last week from Republicans.

Cayetano said he would probably sign a tax credit of 4 percent for new hotel construction but would veto a similar bill that called for a 20 percent credit. Cayetano said that if hotel owners could not make a profit on the 4 percent credit, they should "sell and get out of Hawaii" because there were others who would gladly buy.

Republican state Sen. Whitney Anderson was all in favor of Cayetano's veto action, saying that while he had voted for both bills, he knew Cayetano would only sign one of them.

"I applaud the governor for making the sensible choice by supporting the more moderate and realistic tax credit, rather than approving the overly excessive 20 percent credit," Anderson said.

GOP Chairwoman Linda Lingle, however, was critical of Cayetano's style, saying he was "rude, hurtful and arrogant to the state's economic recovery."

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