EDITORIAL
State should pay Lingle tourism aide

Dan Mollway, state Ethics Commission director, is right to question Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal to use private money to help pay for the salary of a new, Cabinet-level tourism liaison.

The tourism liaison post has yet to be filled. As Advertiser staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi reports, part of the reason is that Lingle feels she can't find someone of high enough caliber from the tourism industry unless she offers an adequate salary.

It's not necessarily the thought of paying another king-size salary that makes us hesitate.

After all, we already pay hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to several officials at the University of Hawai'i — including the football coach — as well as the Hawai'i Tourism Authority executive director.

Our concerns are these:

• Mollway correctly warns of conflict-of-interest problems, because a tourism liaison paid with private money could be viewed as beholden to industry groups that put up the money.
• We think, in principle, that Lingle should have some limited flexibility in setting up a Cabinet to suit her management style, so if she sees the need for a tourism liaison, why not approach the Legislature to authorize the position and fund it?
• We hope to hear discussion in legislative hearings of the merits of installing a tourism heavy-hitter to a Cabinet position. It's our impression that the Tourism Authority already is heavily influenced by the industry — and still falling short of the accountability that lawmakers have sought.