EDITORIAL
Partisan sniping won't help wounded economy

Just as Hawai'i recovers from the post- 9/11 slump, the $10 billion visitor industry is bracing for another hit as war-wary folks, particularly the Japanese, cancel travel plans.

And as the Aloha State's No. 1 money-maker slows, so will the entire state economy.

At both the state and county level, the financial squeeze threatens to fuel partisan bickering as politicians negotiate the disbursement of scant revenues.

Meanwhile, we're not entirely clear on Gov. Linda Lingle's plans to deal with a loss in revenues.

Earlier this month, the Lingle administration warned that in the event of war, the administration might be forced to re-evaluate Lingle's promises not to lay off any workers or cut their benefits or pay.

Furthermore, Lingle gave indications that the state might even have to tap into the hurricane or rainy-day fund to make up for shortfalls caused by the economic ramifications of war.

Thursday, Lingle told editors and reporters that she would not use the hurricane relief fund or rainy-day fund to balance the budget. Instead, she said, she would use other special funds, restructure debt and curb abuses of tax credits.

The bottom line is, we're not sure what we're in for. Except for this:

Sacrifices will have to be made if Hawai'i is hit hard. And so we ask all politicians at all levels of government to set aside their differences as they did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and join forces to keep this very vulnerable state afloat.