Posted on: Thursday, March 28, 2002

ISLAND VOICES
Cayetano is playing games with the budget

By Brysen Poulton
North Shore resident

In a recent Advertiser article, Gov. Ben Cayetano discussed shortfalls in state revenues and the Hawai'i Hurricane Relief Fund and called for politics to take a back seat in favor of a solution. Clearly not one to take his own advice, Cayetano's commentary was nothing but partisan politics aimed at chiding the minority and its leading candidate for governor.

Cayetano has done very little to manage shortfalls in revenue caused by his administration. Rather than make a real effort to come up with any concrete solutions, he has chosen to use scare tactics to secure an easy way out.

The governor and his finance director grimly reported to the media that essential government programs, chief among these being education, would be cut if there was any hope of balancing the state budget. Later, state department heads donned sackcloth and ashes and paraded themselves in front of the Finance Committee and the press, telling their sad stories about how detrimental these cuts would be to their departments.

This was a move that went far beyond coincidence. It was carefully crafted by Cayetano to strike fear in the hearts of the people and grease the hinges of the hurricane fund.

This example shows plain and simple that the man just didn't try — he didn't look to other feasible sources for making cuts — but rather went for the ones he felt would give him what he wants.

The governor claimed this is the best he could do and that no other programs could or would be put out on the chopping block. On the contrary, there are many state budgets that have plenty of fat waiting to be trimmed. There are also examples of how state-budgeted programs can be reduced through better money management.

In a Honolulu Advertiser Poll, two-thirds of lawmakers said they would not touch the hurricane fund in favor of a balanced budget ... but went back on their word to protect and serve and took what was in the reserve. If the governor wants to talk about common-sense economics, how do we find ourselves in debt in the first place?

The bottom line is simple: This is not about the hurricane fund. This is all about the government's inability to regulate itself by keeping its house in order and doing what is right by the people who put them in office.