Gov. Ben Cayetano plans to veto a bill that abolishes nearly all deputy director posts in state departments at the end of this year. Cayetano vows veto of bill
to cut deputy director postsBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.com"I think it would be really unfair to the next administration not to allow them to have deputy positions," Cayetano said yesterday.
House Bill 2821, Conference Draft 1, passed this session, calls for the cuts in governor-appointed positions, except at the University of Hawaii and the state Department of Education, to save money, promote efficiency and improve accountability.
But state department heads said yesterday the touted government-reform measure, which has an effective date of Dec. 31, would cripple operations. They urged the governor to veto the bill.
"I have a little over 300 employees," said state Tax Director Marie Okamura. "Even in the business world, I cannot imagine a company with that size operating without a second in command."
Okamura explained it would be difficult for a director to take an extended business trip or vacation because of the additional responsibilities the person would assume if deputies were eliminated.
For example, her only deputy, Grant Tanimoto, coordinated departmental activity during the tax season this spring while Okamura was busy with the state Legislature. He also oversees a major modernization project for the department, she said.
Budget Director Neal Miyahira agreed deputies are needed to help run departmental operations. The Legislature approved the bill despite opposition from department heads.
"I sit on five boards. So to do justice on that, we delegate deputies to go sit on these things," Miyahira said.
State Public Safety Director Ted Sakai, who has three deputies who run the corrections, law enforcement and administration divisions, said if this bill became law, 20 people would have to report directly to him.
As a result, he would spend all his time in meetings and not setting department policy. Sakai said the money saved from these jobs, which range in annual salary from $69,748 to $77,966, would not justify the loss of the personnel.
Other departments with more than one deputy are the Health Department, which has four, and the state Transportation Department, which has two. But no matter what department it is, directors cannot do it alone, Sakai said.
The measure, if it were approved, would not have affected the two deputies at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Administrator Clyde Namuo said the sections of state law affected do not apply to OHA.
"Every department has its complexities. On top of that, you've got to make public policy, you've got to represent the department at the Legislature and to the community," Sakai said. "It's a tough job. The job of director is hard enough as it is."
Politically, the proposed law would hurt the next governor because that person would not be able to appoint people to these patronage positions.
The terms of all current director and deputy appointees expire on Dec. 2, the date when Cayetano's term of office expires.
"It is a product of them trying to find ways to save money -- but it doesn't save money, it causes problems," Cayetano said.
Legislature Directory
Testimony by email: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov
Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes
Include in the email the committee name; bill number;
date, time and place of the hearing; and number of copies
(as listed on the hearing notice.) For more information,
see http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/par
or call 587-0478.
