Talk Story
Cayetano defends
his deconstruction
of Lingle’s platform
BEN CAYETANO says, "The future of this state will be very bright if we get the right people in place." Would-be GOP governor, Linda Lingle, of course, isn't on his list.If anyone was ever born to run, it's our governor. He's determined to be a factor in this year's race to fill his seat, even if he's constitutionally ineligible and looking ahead to the "flexibility and freedom" of becoming a 63-year-old consultant (his birthday is in November) and, perhaps, author.
Yup, the governor who once published Imiloa, his own official state magazine, "to smell the roses" and highlight his administration's good works, now wants to write a book.
He says the last good history of Hawaii politics was "Hawaii Pono" by Lawrence H. Fuchs, an opus that ended at the Ariyoshi administration. Who better to chronicle the Waihee and Cayetano years than one of the central figures?
MEANWHILE, he's sticking by his decision to order Marie Y. Okamura, director of the Department of Taxation, to pick apart Linda Lingle's campaign proposal to cut taxes and reform state government.
According to Republicans, the analysis was more than a case of WCSYC -- an aerospace engineering term (pronounced "wick-sick") that stands for "we couldn't so you can't." The GOP is pursuing an ethics complaint accusing Cayetano for using state employees and resources to do campaign work.
"Everything I do and say has a political connotation to it," Cayetano says. "Everything George Bush says today has a political connotation. That's the nature of our jobs, OK?" Do we think the president, he asks, "especially this president, doesn't use staff to help him write policy statements?"
Cayetano told the Star-Bulletin editorial board last week, "What I find mind-boggling, is that you people are saying I can't use state resources to give information to the people. That's what it sounds like, and I disagree with all my heart."
LINGLE asked for it, he says. "She has targeted my administration, she has criticized the way we manage things, and she has criticized this and criticized that. ... She even has radio ads attacking me," Cayetano said. "You want me to get in the water? Fine, I'll do it."
Would John Waihee have done as much when he was a lame duck? Not exactly. "John Waihee campaigned for me, but he didn't get into this stuff. I get into this stuff," Ben said. "I'm not John Waihee; I'm a different guy."
What's wrong with Lingle's proposal? "Basically, she is proposing $428 million in tax cuts ... in addition to her position on Ko Olina, which is $75 million in tax credits. She promises not to cut the state government and, in fact, she promised to give the police a raise -- as if she can give the police (who work for the counties) a raise. She can't do it.
"None of it balances out," he said. "If you're gonna cut taxes, you have to show the revenue enhancement that will make up for the difference." Otherwise, the budget won't balance.
"What Lingle did in 1998 (issue a campaign news release on County of Maui stationery) was so damn political, and you guys didn't say a damn thing about it. So it must be accepted practice in this state."
IN HINDSIGHT, after all the brouhaha, would he have done things differently? "I would have asked Marie to analyze (Lingle's proposal)," Cayetano said, "and then just sent it out to everybody without some of the comments we made in trying to package it so people can understand it."
But he refuses to budge on the appropriateness of his action.
"Should the president," he asks, "just shut his mouth and stick to making decisions about bombing people back to the Stone Age?" He laughs.
That Ben, what a kidder.
John Flanagan is the Star-Bulletin's contributing editor.
He can be reached at: jflanagan@starbulletin.com.