Posted on: Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Peers praise governor's speech
Advertiser Staff
"It's a very moving moment, the last one. You're working with people, fighting with people, dealing with these issues, and no matter what your differences are, you come to some kind of a common understanding, and everybody acknowledges it in the room. It's that kind of moment."
— Former Gov. John Waihee
"Our difficulties are much more severe in Hawai'i than the national economy. We're doing easily worse. Somehow you don't come away with that sense after listening to the speech."
— House Minority Leader Galen Fox
"I think he really left us, or at least he left me, with a sense of hope because things are looking up. ... Believe me, there will be enough time during this legislative session to get down into the issues, because to balance the budget is going to be a major challenge for us."
"I've seen that side of him before. That's why I always told you, he may look like a bulldog, but inside he's a pussycat."
— House Speaker Calvin Say
"I've known him long enough to know that he's at his best when he lets his guard down and he becomes more personal. His closing remarks were the real Cayetano that people rarely see, talking about his opportunities to move forward personally, his children and his family."
— Clayton Hee, chairman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board of trustees
"As with many of us, he came from humble roots and has achieved much in this state. But when you look at the issues, it has been business as usual. His call for bipartisanship is something we've always wanted, but unfortunately, the party he's a member of that has monolithic control in Hawai'i has uniformly rejected bipartisanship in working with Republicans for some commonsense solutions."
— Senate Minority Floor Leader Fred Hemmings
