y BEN CAYETANO This next legislative session offers each of us an opportunity to translate our avowals on the need to improve our educational system into action. In addition, it presents an exciting chance to implement some new projects to
y BEN CAYETANO
This next legislative session offers each of us an opportunity to translate our
avowals on the need to improve our educational system into action. In addition,
it presents an exciting chance to implement some new projects to further grow
and diversify our economy.
We can also reaffirm our commitment to a
superior quality of life in Hawai’i by restoring cuts made to vital social
programs, all the while continuing to enjoy the largest tax cut in state
history, which is saving taxpayers nearly $2 billion over six years.
Compare that to a state like Michigan, which reduced taxes by the same
amount over the same number of years with one glaring difference: Michigan has
10 million taxpayers, Hawaii only 1.2 million. We don’t get the national
ballyhoo Michigan got over its tax cuts, but our taxpayers got the better
deal.
I look forward to capturing opportunities this legislative
session, and want to encourage participation and support from our
community:
* Education. One of the most important things we must do is
inspire our children to take part in the technology revolution. We can
accomplish this by significantly reducing our student-to-computer ratio down to
3 to 1, which would place us at the top of the nation alongside Wyoming. We
will be proposing a $21 million investment to both buy computers and give our
teachers the training they need to become tech-savvy educators.
Our
negotiations with our teachers are also a top priority. We must increase
teacher pay so that we can retain and attract top-quality educators. At the
same time, it’s crucial to improve on accountability measures and make the
system more productive.
Over the past six years, the state has built a
record number of schools. Now, we need to devote significant resources to
bringing our aging schools up to par. Over the next three years, we intend to
launch an extensive $135 million repair and maintenance program to make sure
all our children can study in a decent classroom environment.
And last, but
certainly not least, is fulfilling our commitment to children with special
needs. Few people recognize the magnitude of what state government is faced
with in dealing with the Felix Consent Decree, the most complex case of its
kind in the country. Our statewide centralized school system, coupled with the
fact that the decree is the only such settlement in the country which
specifically mandates community participation through 16 community councils,
makes it extremely time-consuming to develop. Nonetheless, we are seeing real
progress in this effort.
* The economy. A quality education not only
provides our children with the opportunity to lead full and exciting lives, it
is the best thing we can do to ensure Hawaii’s long-term economic stability and
success.
Also high on our list of priorities this year will be working with
the Legislature to create a world-class medical technology center, possibly in
Kakaako. The intent is to develop much more than a medical school, but a
medical bioresearch center, and more.
We’ve all watched Hawai’i make
international history in achieving breakthroughs in biotechnology and medicine.
It’s time to parlay these accomplishments by forming a research engine that can
work with the private sector to bring these achievements and expertise to
market.
Another example of a public-private partnership that could serve
as an economic stimulus for our state is an aquarium in Kakaako. Hawai’i
business leader Walter Dodds and others have recognized the innumerable
benefits of an aquarium and are committed to making it a reality. An aquarium
would be a good source of high-quality jobs, including research, and of course
support Hawaii’s visitor industry by adding a terrific attraction.
We also
intend to work with our legislators, residents and local business leaders in
our effort to create a great urban park at the Ala Wai. We believe this will
help to revitalize not only Waikiki, but the entire surrounding Kapahulu and
Date Street area.
Much of the work our administration is doing within
government will also have beneficial impacts on Hawaii’s business community. We
are not content to stop with the last legislative session’s modest gains in
civil service reform legislation. We intend to continue pursuing reform.
Other measures- from our push to expand electronic government services
over the Internet to our Slice Waste and Tape Program – will also make it
easier to do business in Hawai’i.
* Social services. In recent tough
economic times, state government has had to scale back on vital social programs
that serve the most vulnerable members of our population. It’s time we restore
basic levels of funding to these programs.
It is also time to expand a few
select programs, such as substance abuse prevention and treatment. We know that
when substance abuse rises in our community, we all suffer the consequences.
Sometimes the consequence is a ballooning prison population as a result of the
crime drug use can lead to, and housing inmates soaks up even more tax dollars.
Worse yet, perhaps it could be your child next who gets caught in the web of
decline substance abuse always brings. This legislative session, we intend to
aggressively address this need in our community.
* Public worker unions.
Throughout state and county governments, there are hard-working public servants
who deserve our gratitude. They strive to keep our society in order, from
cleaning our highways or working in government offices, to caring for our
mentally ill. With our fiscal situation improving, we need to offer these
employees a higher level of compensation for the work they perform.
It is
clear, however, that our state cannot afford the attractive arbitration awards
set for the Hawai’i Government Employees Association (HGEA) for all public
employee unions, as we would likely need to do if the HGEA raises were given.
If these arbitrated pay raises were paid out to public worker unions, it
would cost the state more than $330 million for the upcoming biennium. This
would leave the state more than $110 million in the red by the end of fiscal
year 2003. It would be difficult to accomplish the basic necessities in
education, social services, economic development and other critical areas. And
that would hurt all of us, including our union families.
We plan to
continue working with our labor leaders to arrive at a level of compensation
that is equitable and just for all Hawai’i.
Ben Cayetano is governor
of Hawai’i.
Gov. Ben Cayetano shares his thoughts on what lies ahead
for the year 2001.
