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On Politics Richard Borreca |
40 percent
of the way thereCall it the Inouye Law of 40 percent.
One of Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's wisest axioms is that when negotiating in Congress, any day you can get 40 percent of what you want, you are wise to shake hands on the deal.
Then next year, Inouye reasons, you can get another 40 percent, which gives you more than half of the original.
If Hawaii's lawmakers want to know how to deliver for their constituents, the Inouye Law of 40 is a good guide. Compromises ensure that no one wins everything when the Legislature starts to chop up a budget or your favorite bill.
If demanding everything up front is not the best way to get what you want, then how much should you ask for? The art is knowing how to start the bargaining and then knowing when to close the deal.
There was much speculation this year that the Hawaii State Teachers Association would not know how to close the deal and would get nothing as it bargained with the state over pay raises.
But observers are saying that the HSTA representatives handled the talks well and were able to do two things: First, they didn't put themselves into a non-negotiable position; and second, they knew when to recognize that there wasn't anything left on the table to pick up.
In the end, the HSTA and Governor Lingle struck a deal that will see salaries for starting public school teachers rise by about $2,200, to $36,486 a year. The contract would increase salaries for top-scale teachers by more than $2,500, to $66,203.
The Democrats in the Legislature and Lingle also were able to show some experience with the 40 percent rule as they negotiated the budget this week.
Lingle, who has been single-minded in calling for limits to state spending, initially faced a Legislature that couldn't say no. But both she and the Legislature began moving toward the center. At first, legislators responded with petulance to her veto threats. Democrats, stung by Lingle's full-press attack during last year's budget battle, scolded the state's budget director and dismissed the recommendations of department heads.
But as Lingle kept up a campaign both in public and in negotiations with legislative leaders, a compromise of sorts was fashioned.
By the end of the week, the governor had agreed not to veto the budget and Democrats appeared ready to give in on her demands not to raid special funds for the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
If the end was more of a truce than a compromise, the result was that neither side won and both the administration and the Legislature can say they got 40 percent.
Next up in the closing days of this session is a fierce debate between Democrats and Lingle about the 8 percent pay raise for the Hawaii Government Employees Association.
Lingle wants a 4 percent HGEA raise, while Democrats say they have an obligation for the entire 8 percent. If either side figures out a way to take a 40 percent victory and leave the field, not only will they win the Dan Inouye live-to-fight-another-day award, but they will go a long way to establishing a new maturity at the state Capitol.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin. He can be reached at 525-8630 or by e-mail at rborreca@starbulletin.com.