Bill eliminating deputy
directors irks governor

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By Bruce Dunford
Associated Press

Gov. Ben Cayetano says he does not support a bill passed by the Legislature to eliminate all 23 deputy director positions in 16 departments and prohibit their re-establishment "directly or indirectly."

"The deputies are very, very important to the different departments," he said Thursday. "The next governor will need those deputies to help manage and run and administer their respective departments.

"I'm not sure what drove this," Cayetano said. "I think probably they felt they could save some money that way. But it's a savings only on paper. In reality, if you don't have a deputy, you're going to have to hire someone who is at that level to provide leadership in the different departments."

The language of the bill, however, would appear to bar the hiring of administrators to serve in the role as deputies.

Senate President Robert Bunda (D, Wahiawa-Haleiwa-North Shore) and House Speaker Calvin Say, (D, Palolo Valley-Kaimuki) said the elimination of the deputy directors was prompted by the need to find money for important programs facing budget cuts, not politics. Say said the savings would be about $1.4 million.

Bunda said the House and Senate took the position that there needed to be some cuts in the departments and force the next administration to come to the Legislature to justify restoration of the deputies.

According to the bill, the Legislature wants the division and branch chiefs in departments to report directly to the director to provide more "economy, expediency and accountability."

House Republican Minority Leader Galen Fox (R, Waikiki-Ala Wai) said he sees the bill as a hidden admission by the Democrats that Republican Linda Lingle will win this year's governor's race and a move to hinder her ability to manage the state's unionized bureaucracy.

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