West O'ahu students rally for money

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

Students from the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu pleaded for resources from the governor and the Legislature yesterday, saying their campus benefits many underserved groups, including families struggling to work and improve their education, as well as immigrant groups, Native Hawaiians and Filipinos.

In a rally at the state Capitol, several dozen students representing the Leeward campus, plus leaders of student groups from several other campuses in the UH system, made their case, saying West O'ahu receives only 1 percent of the resources for higher education while serving the state's fastest-growing area.

"There's a need for a university there," said Shane Omoto, speaking for the West O'ahu student government. "For the past 27 years every single governor has said there's not enough funds."

But a four-year college in that area would provide higher education "to the most needy side of the island," Omoto said. "With Gov. Linda Lingle's 'A New Beginning' promises, she should put full support behind the UH system. She should follow up on her promises."

Omoto quoted from Lingle's campaign literature, saying that the governor had written: " 'The University is a critical player in Hawai'i's economic future. From the standpoint of our people, there is no better investment opportunity in town than the University of Hawai'i.'

"If this is how she truly feels and thinks," Omoto said, "there should be no question as to whether or not to build the new UH-WO campus. It should be done in the interest of Hawai'i."

Lingle responded that West O'ahu is a "long-term dream of the university system that will one day get financing.

"I think it's an important project," she said. "But if we don't focus on getting the economy turned around and increase our recurring revenues, then it is not a project that can go forward.

"As it is, the state has a new medical school that is in construction right now. Not only do you have to repay the debt, but you have to operate it and maintain it as well. So there's a lot of new obligations the state is taking on with no identified renewable resources and we need to focus on that."

With just over a week left in the legislative session, there is no money in the proposed construction budget for West O'ahu for the coming year — it was deleted by Lingle as part of cuts she made early on. But with budget documents in conference, that could change.

Sen. Cal Kawamoto, D-18th (Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City), said yesterday that $6 million annually from the Legislature would pay debt service on $100 million worth of general obligation bonds that could finance the infrastructure necessary to launch the campus.

"All we ask," Kawamoto said, "is if there's some extra money, that we reprioritize and put it in this. Twenty-six percent of the students at UH-Manoa come from the Leeward area and if you can take those people off the roads, that's 3,000-5,000 cars off the highway."

Kawamoto also said there are 81,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade in the area that would be served by a West O'ahu campus.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.