Cayetano calls Lingle charge hypocritical

By Robbie Dingeman and Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Gov. Ben Cayetano yesterday accused gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle of the "height of hypocrisy" for accusing him of wrongdoing, saying that as Maui mayor in 1998 Lingle sent out a politically oriented news release during the governor's race.

Cayetano pointed to a Feb. 4, 1998 press release by Lingle titled "Lingle Refutes Allegations and Pledges to Stick to Real Issues." He said it was sent out on Maui County stationery, urging people to call her county staff for more information.

Lingle and other Republicans last week accused Cayetano of waging a political fight at the taxpayer's expense after he issued a press release criticizing Republican Linda Lingle's plans for tax cuts and other changes.

Cayetano, a Democrat, had told state Tax Director Marie Okamura to analyze the Lingle plan, then announced that Lingle's proposal for a new food tax credit and other changes would cost the state $428 million in lost tax collections in four years.

Yesterday, Cayetano fired back: "She does not practice what she preaches."

Lingle campaign chairman Lloyd Yonenaka defended Lingle's 1998 press release, saying she was commenting on misleading statements Cayetano had made. Yonenaka had issued the press release while he was working in Lingle's Maui mayoral administration.

"Misstatements were made and we commented on it," Yonenaka said. "I think in this case ... it's not a comment, this guy did an evaluation. He did an analysis. He used state workers to do an analysis, which is far up and above and beyond what normally we would consider his job to be."

Yonenaka said another difference is that Cayetano and Lingle both were running in 1998, while Cayetano is not running for office this year.

The governor also chided journalists for not being rigorous in their coverage of Lingle. He said both daily newspapers endorsed Lingle for governor in 1998 and have not critically analyzed her proposals to help "the public separate fact from fiction."

Cayetano said he looks forward to a state Ethics Commission hearing on the propriety of his analysis because "we should clear the air once and for all as to what a governor, or a mayor or any elected official can use" in their official capacity.

"People attack the administration, they make proposals. As governor, I have the right to defend or explain my position with the full force of the state government, just as she did in 1998," he said.