Maui lawmakers receive speech with mix of praise and skepticism

The Maui News
Tuesday, January 25, 2005

By VALERIE MONSON, Staff Writer

WAILUKU – Maui lawmakers and other leaders reacted to Gov. Linda Lingle's State of the State address Monday morning with a mix of praise and skepticism as she called for tax cuts and tax credits to help low-income residents, and financial support for education and training programs.

"That's what you call a 'Christmas tree speech' – there's something for everyone," said veteran Democratic state Rep. Joe Souki. "One time she screams poverty; now she wants to spend every cent we have. I'm not discounting it. Everything is a possibility at this point, but can we afford it? That's the big question."

Lingle's speech echoed the effects of a booming economy as compared with previous years when the cupboard was bare.

State Sen. J. Kalani English was impressed with the extent of social issues on the governor's agenda, but he was disappointed that there was little – or no – mention of setting aside money for the environment, particularly in the growing battle against invasive species.

"The administration is not reacting with the speed it should be," said English. "We know from our dengue (fever) experience, that what we need is swift action."

English said Lingle could have authorized the release of $1 million to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council last summer, but, instead, held on to it until last week. English said the delay in releasing funding has impeded the effort to fight invasive species. If more money had been available to tackle the coqui frog problem earlier, eradication might have been possible, he said. Now, he fears that might be beyond reach.

"We missed our opportunity," he said.

But English had mostly good words for the governor.

"All in all, it was a speech that resonates with a lot of what I believe in as a progressive Democrat," he said. "From where I was sitting and listening, it sounded like a very different approach, one that's more in tune with what the people want and what they said in the outcome of the elections last year."

Souki was surprised that Lingle mentioned nothing about allocating funds for prisons to keep more of Hawaii's inmates in the state or about preserving the environment. Mostly, though, he was worried about how long the economic spike would last, something necessary to cover all of Lingle's proposed tax breaks.

"These things are cyclical," he said. "One day, you're high on the hog and the next day you're eating the bones. There are so many factors we can't control. I think you need to look at this with a bit of caution."

English wondered about where all the money would come from, too.

As might be expected, Lingle got a more favorable review from South Maui state Rep. Chris Halford, a fellow Republican. Halford said the governor touched on topics already at the top of the priority list of legislators, no matter what party.

"In general, her speech was essentially about issues where we have common ground," said Halford, ticking off the need to improve affordable housing, early-childhood education, charter schools and raising the standard deduction of tax cuts for those earning low or moderate incomes.

"It was very constructive and proactive to move our state forward," added Halford, who believes that many of the governor's goals are "achievable."

Charles Ridings, executive director of Maui Economic Concerns of the Community, was especially pleased to hear about Lingle's proposals to help those trapped in poverty and struggling to succeed. He said the plan to eliminate the reduction of welfare benefits for parents who work, which could boost their monthly income by $200 to $240, would make a considerable difference.

"That's great," he said, noting the extra cash could end up being an increase of 10 percent or 12 percent for many families. "If we can strengthen the weakest members of our community, then what we've done is we've strengthened our overall economy and our overall community."

Ridings' organization oversees the island's two homeless resource centers and one of the few affordable housing rental projects for low-income residents. He said the extra money would help offset rising electricity and gasoline bills that affect everybody.

"When your electric bill goes up $150 a month, that's the same amount for a family of four whether they're earning $30,000 a year or $80,000 a year, but it has much more of an impact on the family earning $30,000," said Ridings.

He also liked Lingle's emphasis on improving opportunities in education, including for preschool children, and on training so residents can eventually qualify for better jobs, better salaries and better futures.

Clyde Sakamoto, chancellor at Maui Community College, was glad to hear about the amount of time education got in Lingle's speech.

"An investment in education and higher education provides one of the greatest returns to the community and our future," said Sakamoto. "The university and our community colleges are in need of an increasing level of assistance because of our expanding needs. We've got challenges."

English said he is hopeful about Lingle's comments with regard to cooperating with legislators. He noted that, in the past, when lawmakers disagreed with the governor's administration, they were often the ones accused of being uncooperative.

"I'm hoping that cooperation means that they're willing to move as much as we are," said English.

Valerie Monson can be reached at vmonson@mauinews.com.

Copyright © 2004 The Maui News

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