Posted on: Thursday, January 22, 2004

Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings' opening-day speech

Governor Lingle, Lt. Governor Aiona, Senate President Bunda, Chief Justice Moon, distinguished guests, colleagues and, most importantly, the people of Hawaii: Today, let us remember the men and women who are making huge sacrifices for the security of our great nation. The War against Terrorism has taken family members, friends, neighbors and coworkers to hostile regions. As we embark on the opening of this new legislative session, let us honor them and recognize their sacrifices. We must never take these defenders of our freedom for granted.

Mr. President, I remember back in the '80s when we were young legislators in the House of Representatives. As I look around the Senate chamber, I see some familiar faces now of those who served with us in the House back then. While some things have changed, some have remained the same. You and I look a bit older and have lost a little of our hair, but curiously, the good Senator from Moanalua has not changed at all. Another thing that HAS NOT CHANGED is that we are STILL debating education reform, the economy, and the high cost of living and doing business in Hawaii. Mr. President, making some critical changes in how the state conducts business must be done NOW.

The people of Hawai'i cannot wait another 20 years for essential improvements in education, the economy and government services. Neither you nor I have that much hair left to lose. We, the Republican minority, wish to again extend to you the hand of cooperation. It is my sincere hope that our efforts to resolve some of the long-standing issues will not be met with partisanship and a blind allegiance to the status quo.

I stand before you today as the voice of our citizens who are overtaxed. I stand before you today as the voice of our businesses that are overegulated. I stand before you today as the voice of our residents who are dismayed at the poor performing schools. I stand before you today as the voice of those voters courageous enough to vote for change in 2002. The time has come.

Mr. President, let us not squander our time this year. In the past the public has seen us spend an entire legislative session bickering over gambling, a whole year preoccupied by "same sex marriage," a protracted debate over van cams. Let us not engage in foolish resolutions to send "aloha" to Saddam Hussein, but rather let us support the men and women in uniform who every day risk their lives to defend the idea of democracy. It is time, in this Senate, to finally pass legislation that is substantive, meaningful and will improve the lives of all residents. I call upon my colleagues to give the Republican caucus bills a fair hearing and a fair chance. The public expects you to do no less.

Education

We all seem to agree that education is our state taxpayers' biggest investment. It should be! I respectfully submit to you that spending more money on a system that is not working is simply ludicrous. Over the past 30 years, the residents of Hawaii have witnessed the crumbling of their schools and the deterioration of student achievement while spending on education has increased to $1.9 billion. Using the Department of Education's own budget figures, the DOE is spending almost $9,500 per student, per year. Yet, our student test scores rank near the bottom next to states like Mississippi and Louisiana. That is why the Republican Caucus will wholeheartedly supports implementation of the CARE (Citizens Achieve Reform in Education) recommendations to have local school boards, and to put resources, money and accountability back into schools with principals and teachers.

Economy

What a difference a year makes! As we open the second session of the 22nd Legislature, Hawaii's economy is on the mend, visitors are returning to our shores, and residents feel the hope and opportunity created by the first year of leadership of a Republican governor.

Senate Republicans will support a state budget that does not grow faster than the economy or our citizen's ability to pay for it. Governor Lingle has submitted a budget with modest growth. She has, as she pledged, reduced the state's workforce without layoffs. We must continue to set realistic priorities for government spending. We say no more raiding special funds and juggling of the books to balance the budget.

Taxes

Let's live within our means. Let us stand united and pledge: "No New Taxes."

So much more needs to be done — and done now. Hawai'i's working families remain amongst the highest taxed in the United States. That is why the Republican caucus will again introduce legislation to eliminate the tax on food and medicine. We should not have to pay the government to feed our families and care for our sick.

Regulations are an insidious form of taxation — they increase the cost of everything we buy in Hawaii. That is why the Republican caucus will again introduce a resolution to have Congress amend the Jones Act. The Jones Act is an antiquated federal law that stifles competition. Allowing more shipping companies to compete to bring goods into our state will help reduce the cost of everything from breakfast cereal to automobiles.

Gas cap

The repeal of the gas cap is essential if we don't want to face shortages and long lines at gas stations and watch our local service station owners go out of business. The Senate Republicans wish to eliminate the PUC from statewide regulation of ground transportation and inter-island cargo transportation; Our immediate goal is to attract more competition in the cargo carrying business and maybe even get a large interisland ferry company to set up business in Hawai'i.

We advocate phasing out the ethanol tax credit and replacing it with one to encourage the development of hydrogen fuel technology. There will be the day when hydrogen fuel cells will propel our cars and energize our homes. Geothermal wells during off-peak hours can use excess electricity to produce hydrogen. "Clean renewable energy" has to be more than just a slogan for Hawai'i.

"Home Rule" is not just a slogan for us also. The Senate Republicans will continue to support eliminating the State Land and Water Use Commissions. The overlapping jurisdiction and politics of those commissions certainly conflict with the Counties' ability to steward their resources. We will support the counties' legislation to share in the revenue generated by traffic fines. This is fair and long overdue.

Law enforcement

In the aftermath of the terrible carnage on the road to Makaha with the tragic deaths of three young people, we are introducing legislation that will make chronic speeding and reckless driving a crime that will result in the revocation of the offender's driver license. We know tough DUI laws work for drunk drivers. Let's make tough laws for racers and habitual speeders.

Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and a joint Senate-House Committee recently concluded extensive hearings on the ice epidemic. We all recognize the seriousness of the epidemic. There seem to be two themes. There are those that say substance abuse is a sickness that requires rehabilitation not incarceration. Others say if you do the crime, you do the time. Our hope is to balance those polarized positions. If a crime is committed, the perpetrators must be held accountable. We must protect law-abiding citizens from criminals. We will support the law enforcement coalition's legislation to implement "walk n talk." Hawai'i's wiretap laws should conform to federal standards in order to aid law enforcement. For those who show a willingness to rehabilitate, we must have programs to break the chain of substance abuse. Every treatment model shows that there must be consequences to wrongs committed by substance abuse. Rehabilitation and law enforcement must work together. I know we can produce laws and programs that are going to protect the public from drug-induced crime and rehabilitate those who demonstrate a willingness to overcome their illness.

We, the Legislators elected to do the people's business, have the means to make long-overdue reforms a reality in Hawai'i. Do we have the will? The Senate minority believes in the working people of Hawai'i. We believe in the future. We want consumers to be the chief regulators and beneficiaries of a healthy economy. We want parents, teachers and principals to be at the helm of public education. We want the burden of crime to be placed on the criminals.

In many ways, Hawai'i is like a fallow field, ready for enlightened leaders to plant the seeds for a better tomorrow. To paraphrase a Greek proverb, "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they may never sit in."

Mr. President, let's plant those seeds. Let's plant the seeds of education reform, of economic opportunity. Let's plant the seeds of social responsibility and justice. Let's nurture the growth of a new Hawai'i.