Governor needs to make peace

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Staff Writer

Watching the live television reports from the picket lines, you keep hearing the same question being asked over and over: "What's the mood of the teachers here?"

Every teacher they interview says the same thing: "We're resolute."

There have been angry letters to the editor and phone calls to radio stations, but so far on the picket lines, they're keeping it together. They understand diplomacy.

Perhaps at some point, a ticked-off, burned-out, had-it-up-to-here kindergarten teacher will grab Manolo Morales' microphone and cut loose. But not now.

But what about the other end of the table? Gov. Cayetano has used fighting words from the beginning.

It doesn't seem like Cayetano cares very much what the teachers think of him. At times, it doesn't seem like Cayetano cares very much what the public thinks of him. If he were up for re-election, perhaps it would be different.

This strike didn't have to happen. Yes, the two sides have been far apart and the HSTA members are deeply angry, but a diplomat could have brought both sides to an agreement in the months (or more accurately, years) that the issue has been looming.

Cayetano's message of balancing moderate pay increases with social services for the needy is reasonable. A skilled negotiator probably could have sold the deal.

But Cayetano is — whether by choice or by habit — a pit bull. He's made his way in this world by being tenacious, determined, unwavering and hard — all great stuff for his self-described hard-scrabble upbringing, but not too useful in a situation where flexibility and carefully chosen words are required. Hours before the strike, Cayetano was like a prizefighter breathing fire and talkin' smack.

"If we go on strike tomorrow, everything's off the table," he warned. "We start from ground zero because this was an offer that was based on preventing a strike that I thought would be very destructive."

Now there's talk of taking away the teachers' benefits during the strike. The governor seems to be taking the stance, "Let 'em walk out. Let 'em bleed awhile. They'll be sorry."

To be fair, I called him to ask about these issues.

Through a spokesman, Cayetano's response was, "It is ridiculous to think that the State would want a strike. We wouldn't have increased our offers to both unions if that were so. The reality is that there is not enough money to give the unions everything they want and a strike will not change that."

Cayetano knows how to fight. That's a great quality for a leader. It would be nice if he knew how to make peace.

That's something a leader needs to know, too. He's got the iron fist, he needs the velvet glove.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Her e-mail address is lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.