$8 million bailout Gov. Ben Cayetano does not support an $8 million bailout for the Japanese Cultural Center and said the money could have been used for other programs.
unsettles governor
Cayetano favors other plans for
the struggling Japanese cultural siteBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comAsked about the inclusion of $8 million in the state budget by Sen. Brian Taniguchi, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Cayetano said that while helping the Japanese Cultural Center is "a worthy goal," it could be accomplished by other means.
"I was surprised about it because I never heard that something like that was going to be done until I read about it in the paper," Cayetano said yesterday in a news conference at Washington Place. "I am going to have to sit down and analyze this. We could have used that money for schools and other kind of things."
Cayetano has the power to veto that portion of the state capital improvements budget that includes the $8 million for the center, or he could simply refuse to release the appropriations. In past years, Cayetano has taken both approaches to deal with budget items that he did not like.
Cayetano said he would look more kindly on an earlier suggestion that the University of Hawaii move President Evan Dobelle's office to the South Beretania Street cultural center.
"I think buying it for the university was proposed by some, and it would have been better," Cayetano said.
Taniguchi had put the $8 million in the budget after learning that the Japanese Cultural Center was having trouble making its mortgage payments. Many legislators did not realize the appropriation was included.
Senate President Robert Bunda said he agreed with Cayetano's assessment, adding that he thought a bailout of the center was questionable.
Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings said the whole thing "stinks."
He said building a needed sewage treatment facility in Waimanalo would be a better use for the money.
State of Hawaii
