Legislators
want to restore
West Oahu
building funds

Some fear that Lingle could
thwart them with a line-item veto

---

By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

A group of 23 state legislators want Gov. Linda Lingle to restore the $171.3 million she cut from the state budget that was intended for construction of a West Oahu college campus.

"We are disappointed with Gov. Lingle's decision to strike the money from the University of Hawaii budget," Sen. Cal Kawamoto (D, Waipahu) said. "The people of Leeward and Central Oahu have been waiting patiently for more than 30 years for this campus only to have their hopes dashed once again."

The UH Board of Regents has approved a 500-acre site on Farrington Highway, makai of the H-1 freeway next to the Kapolei Golf Course. The UH-West Oahu site is next to Leeward Community College in Pearl City.

Kawamoto, with support from other legislators representing surrounding Leeward areas, said he would put the money back into the state budget "despite the governor's decision."

But other legislators who asked not to be named said that after meeting with Bob Awana, Lingle's chief of staff, they were concerned that Lingle would just delete the money out of the budget by line-item veto if it is reinserted.

They argued that further delays will hurt UH's ability to deliver services to the Leeward area.

"A campus in Kapolei would reduce traffic heading to the main Manoa campus and community colleges in downtown Honolulu," Kawamoto said.

In response, Awana said that while he would keep Lingle informed, there were other financial considerations.

Awana said UH has to plan not just for construction costs, but for operating it and paying for new university professors and other workers.

Lingle and UH President Evan Dobelle disagree on the West Oahu campus because while UH is planning for a large-scale construction project, Lingle wants UH to think about programs first, she has said. "I know President Dobelle and I have slightly different views on this," Lingle said in a November interview. "More of our emphasis should be on the program and not the physical building."

Awana said the recent problems with the new Kapolei Library should be considered. The state finished a new library for Kapolei last year but had no money for the needed books, so the facility remains closed.

Also, Awana said, the Legislature should say how the state will be able to save $171 million to replace the funds it wants to spend for the UH facility.

"I did ask if they can help us find the replacement for the money," Awana said.