Hirono calls
for halving state’s
capital gains tax

Her agenda booklet
draws prompt derision
from opponent Lingle

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

With just less than three weeks left in the race for governor, Democrat Mazie Hirono has come out with a campaign book, detailing what she would do if elected.

Calling it the "First 100 Days Action Plan," Lt. Gov. Hirono and her Democratic running mate, Matt Matsunaga, promised yesterday to ask the Legislature to cut the state's 7 percent capital gains tax in half.

Her Republican opponent, Linda Lingle, said Hirono rushed out a plan in the campaign's final days because "her lack of good ideas over such a long period of times has really caught up with her."

Hirono, however, defended the report's timing, saying it has been on her Web site in portions for "several months."

"I have been talking about my plan for education, the economy, seniors, the environment.

"We are putting this all together because in all our discussions people say, 'We like your ideas. Why don't you put them in booklet form?'" Hirono said.

Hirono promised to appoint a voluntary "economic expansion council" with business, labor and community leaders to "identify target areas for growth and support."

Asked whether her plans could be carried out without tax increases, Hirono pledged not to seek a tax increase during the next legislative session, but was not specific after that.

"I am ruling out a tax increase at least during the first session," Hirono said.

"You all keep asking me if we are going to raise taxes; I am repeating myself: We are going to grow the economy without raising taxes," Hirono said.

Lingle dismissed Hirono's plan, saying cutting capital gains is an unpopular proposal that has already been rejected by the Legislature.

"She rushed to get something out. ... Capital gains is something that the Democrats have always fought against. She is trying to do something, but she is out of step with her own party," Lingle said.

The former Maui mayor criticized Hirono for waiting until the closing days of the campaign to come up with a specific plan.

"The lieutenant governor has been in office for eight years, and now, 19 days before the election, she comes out with a repackaging of what she has said in the past.

"One of the reasons I produced 'A New Beginning' (Lingle's own campaign booklet) so early was so people would have an opportunity to read, ask me questions, to get a good feel of what would happen if we win the race," Lingle said.

Hirono said she would rely on help from the business sector to get some of her initial campaign promises off the ground. For instance, she promised that during the first 100 days, she would work to get cell phones for teachers.

"We will identify private partners who will work with the DOE to put cell phones in classrooms within the next year to ensure student and teacher safety," Hirono said in her booklet.

Gov. Ben Cayetano promised to get telephones for school classrooms when he first ran in 1994 and was criticized during his last campaign for being unable to fulfill his promise.

Hirono also promised to work for tuition waivers for students at the University of Hawaii who commit to teach in local public schools.

"We have a whole new team that can make it happen. We intend to go to the Legislature to make it happen," Hirono said.

But, Hirono warned, her plan relies on the cooperation of all community sectors, to help the state economy.

"If we don't get the private sector and the University of Hawaii in gear to work with us, it is going to be mighty tough," she said.

"We know that government is not going to be creating all these new jobs. It is going to be the private sector, and that is why it is so important that the private sector recognize that it needs to partner with government and labor to do this," Hirono said.

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