Lingle still hoping to name tourism czar

By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer

Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday she is still pursuing her proposal for a tourism czar.

"We will do it," Lingle said. "I think we're making progress."

Lingle brought up the idea of appointing a Cabinet-level tourism liaison during her gubernatorial campaign. But she said she had trouble selecting someone because of government pay restrictions.

Yesterday, she restated her desire to create the position.

"There's nobody sitting in Cabinet meetings talking about the impact of the airport to the visitor industry," Lingle said as an example. "It would be extremely helpful, not just to me but to the entire Cabinet, because there's overlap with almost every department of state government as it relates to the visitor industry."

One problem has been finding someone willing to take a government-level salary.

"Anyone in the industry at a top level right now is earning at least twice as much as we could possibly pay if everything went perfectly, probably at least three times as much," Lingle said. "So it's finding that person who's at a time of life; they have the experience that we're looking for but also have the financial capacity to take on a job like this."

Months have elapsed since the start of the tourism czar search headed by Maui Visitors Bureau executive director Marsha Wienert. Other Cabinet positions have been filled and some in the tourism industry thought the tourism czar idea had died.

In her search for a candidate, Lingle was criticized by legislators and others for seeking financial support from business associations to pay for the position. Some said private money could create conflict-of-interest problems. In spite of the criticism, Lingle said the business community is supportive.

"I thought it was disingenuous for the Legislature to raise the issue when ... they have lawyers, they have accountants from some of the biggest law firms here and they get assigned throughout the session," Lingle said. "I think it's the kind of thing that we should be pulling together on, not fighting out every little thing that might not be perfect about it."

But Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, who proposed a bill to prohibit state agencies from using private money to pay for a state position, said the issue of private financing for government positions needs airing.

"The concern is one of whether or not there would be a conflict of interest," said Kim, D-14th (Halawa, Moanalua, Kamehameha Heights). "Whether it's good or bad, those are issues that need to be discussed."

She said the Legislature's business interns, who sometimes include lawyers, work on a temporary basis.

"If the issues should extend to session workers as well, then maybe that discussion should also take place," Kim said.