Maui legislators: Governor trying to intimidate them

The Maui News
Tuesday, April 29, 2003

By BRUCE DUNFORD
The Associated Press

HONOLULU - Republican Gov. Linda Lingle served public notice Monday to Democratic lawmakers that they can expect to be held accountable in next year's election campaigns for their actions and inactions in this year's Legislature.

"Yes, they can count on that. We will be out talking about issues and votes and how they voted, and letting the constituents in their districts know about that," she said. "And if they're proud about what they did, then they wouldn't have any concern at all about that."

But several Maui Democratic lawmakers say Lingle is using the power of her office in an attempt to intimidate and threaten them as they carry out what they see as their legislative duty.

"Our whole system is predicated on disagreement, on checks and balances," state Sen. J. Kalani English said on Monday. "I'm concerned that we have a governor who wants to act without oversight."

Freshman Sen. Shan Tsutsui, who represents Central Maui, had a similar reaction.

"We are not here to rubber-stamp" the governor's decisions, he said. "It's unfortunate that she looks at this as a slap in the face, but for me a threat will never work in persuading me to vote a certain way. I have to be persuaded on the merits of the issue."

The controversy surfaced during Friday night's Senate debate leading up to rejection of two of Lingle's nominees for the University of Hawaii Board of Regents.

In arguing against confirmation of regent nominees Shelton Jim On and Ed Sultan, Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kauai-Niihau, said one of Lingle's top aides telephoned him to try to get him to change his mind and, when he didn't, he said he was threatened.

"It was made clear to me that if I voted the way I was going to vote, there would be a price to pay," he said, adding that he was told the people of Kauai would be reminded of his vote.

Lingle said that wasn't a threat; it was a promise.

"I made that point (to lawmakers) very early on that I will be campaigning in the 2004 election, even though I'm not up for office," she said. "I will travel the state and let citizens know which bills were voted on by their representatives and senators, and which ones were in the public interest and which ones weren't.

"I think previously when the session would end, they felt their votes really weren't known by anybody and there was no one out letting the public know about these things," Lingle said.

The governor declined to list the specific legislative measures from the Democratic-controlled Legislature that will be the focus of the GOP's legislative races next year.

But she said it's been clear during the legislative session what issues she believes are important to the people, "things like tax increases."

Sen. English said the governor's reaction to the two Board of Regents appointments being turned down reminded him of when she first became mayor of Maui County after serving as a council member for 10 years.

That first year featured several well-publicized disputes with the council. "History tends to repeat itself . . . She was very heavy-handed" as she tried to carve out her turf as mayor, English said.

He noted that out of more than 300 nominations Gov. Lingle has made, the Legislature has rejected only the two regent nominees.

"That's a better batting average than (former Govs.) Ariyoshi, Waihee and Cayetano," English said.

Both English and Tsutsui said they voted against the two nominees because they didn't feel the men were qualified or committed.

"At the confirmation hearings, they did extremely poorly," English said.

"Send down good people, and we'll approve them," Tsutsui said.

With the 2004 legislative session coming months before the 2004 elections, Lingle was asked if the Democratic lawmakers have a chance to redeem themselves in her mind.

"Oh sure, I think everyone has a chance of redemption," she said. Tsutsui noted that he won a four-year term last year and isn't up for re-election until 2006, as is the case with several of his colleagues.

He also said he thinks the governor's comments do her more harm than good in the long run in moving her agenda forward as she tries to work with the Legislature.

"I think this has hurt her, but she's done a lot of things so far that have helped her," Tsutsui said. "The governor is entitled to make mistakes. This is one of them."

The Maui News reporter Mark Adams contributed to this report.

Return to Sen. English Home Page - KalaniEnglish.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Bills and Resolutions About Senator English Committees Community Profiles Newsletter Archive News Archive Capitol Web Site Media Photos

Connect with Senator English

OUR DISTRICT