‘Kauai’s future is going to be terrific’

WAIPOULI — Hawaii has rebounded from a financial crisis, with tax revenues going up and unemployment rates dropping, according to Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

“Kauai’s future is going to be terrific,” he said.

The governor gave a heartwarming — and passionate at times — speech before more than 150 people Thursday, during the Kauai Chamber of Commerce 15th annual Governor’s Lunch sponsored by the Hawaii Medical Assurance Association at the Courtyard by Marriott in Waipouli.

“It’s just a special intense sense of aloha here on Kauai,” Abercrombie said. “When you’re on Kauai, you really are in the heart of Hawaii.”

After distributing excellence awards to local businesses and organizations, the governor got down to what he was really there for.

“In the fall of 2010, we were in very, very difficult strains; we had a budget deficit for that year in excess of $200 million,” said Abercrombie, who was elected to office in November of 2010.

Rather than laying off government employees — among them 1,500 school teachers — he asked workers to take a pay cut.

“Nobody on this island was laid off,” he said.

The credit agencies in New York decide whether states are fiscally sound, said Abercrombie, adding the rating system is “ruthless” and “merciless,” and the agencies don’t care about presentations — they want hard numbers.

“Not only did we get a positive rating, but we now have … the lowest interest rates for this state in 53 years,” he said.

As a result, the administration was able to refinance more than $500 million of that debt. By the time the next fiscal year rolls over on July 1, Abercrombie said he will report somewhere between $400 million and $500 million in surplus for the state.

When he took office, the state unemployment rate was at 7.5 percent. The latest report shows the rates have dropped to 5.7 percent.

“We reversed those numbers,” Abercrombie said.

But it is not just about cold numbers or cold facts, the governor said, revealing he had a soft spot in his heart for Kauai, specially for Coco Palms and Larry Rivera.

“He serenaded my mother, and she remembered it for the rest of her life,” Abercrombie said. “He sang Hanalei by Moonlight.”

Yes, it was corny, he said, but so what?

“That’s what makes the difference for us, we’re talking about human beings,” said Abercrombie, announcing he will sign a $270,000 grant-in-aid approved earlier this year by the Legislature.

The money will be used by the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust to start a process to find out the community’s vision for the property and eventually fundraise some $20 million to acquire it for the public benefit.

He also said he will sign a $435,000 grant to Hale Opio to install photovoltaic in their building; $400,000 to YWCA’s new women’s center; $200,000 to a community kitchen in Waipa Foundation; and $60,000 to Hui o Laka to renovate the Civilian Conservation Camp in Kokee.

“I know that this is going to disappoint everybody who is against the PLDC, but this is $60,000 for the camp, not the hotel that we were secretly trying to plan for Kokee,” he said, jokingly.

Abercrombie highlighted the Kauai Coffee business in Kalaheo, which represents Kauai to the world. He praised the Pacific Missile Range Facility in the Westside, “the best missile-testing range, the best opportunity for a base to do what is necessary to meet the strategic interests of the United States of America in the world.”

He also said he was pleased he will have agricultural inspectors and dog programs back to stop invasive species from entering the islands.

“These are the kinds of things that are particularly peculiar to Hawaii that we’re on top of,” Abercrombie said. “It’s easy to talk about small government; you try it.”

As Abercrombie started to talk about education, he started to get passionate.

“When people bag them up at the public school … they haven’t gone to the public school, they don’t have a clue as to what’s going on in a public school,” said Abercrombie, raising his voice.

They “shoot their mouths off” and don’t understand the dedication and professionalism at public schools, he said.

From there, he criticized Native Hawaiians representatives.

“Who says they speak for Native Hawaiians?” said Abercrombie, adding that he was accused of breaking the law for signing a bill regarding transportation projects being built in phases.

“I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” he said, beating his closed fist on his heart. “I understand what the Constitution says.”

He said “these folks” are saying he has to do a cultural Environmental Impact Statement for entire projects, not just sections.

“If you’re on Kauai, there’s one damn road around the island,” said Abercrombie, adding that federal funding for highways comes in sections. “I can’t command the federal government to give me money for the entire damn 10-year or 20-year project for Kauai.”

If he could do everything at once, he said, he would, but he wouldn’t apologize for phasing projects when “that’s the practical way to do it anyway.”

There’s a project to replace guardrails at Maalo Road (likely to lead to the island’s next landfill).

“Am I supposed to not do that because I can’t necessarily guarantee that I dealt with every possible iwi or burials for 50 miles down the road?” he said.

Abercrombie said he had to ask the Legislature for $15 million or $20 million to settle a lawsuit “because the guardrail wasn’t there, somebody stoned or drunk drove off the damn thing” and killed himself.

“I’m serious, I had that kind of thing happen on Kauai,” said Abercrombie, calling out to County Prosecutor Justin Kollar. “Justin you know what I’m talking about. Some DUI, right? Some idiot, right?”

He said he wasn’t glad that the person died, but questioned “why the hell” should he pay taxpayers’ money to the family of “some idiot who got stoned and drove off a bridge.”

Saying he deals with criticism everyday, he looked at Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and said, “Right, Bernard? You know what I’m talking about.”

He said he is “sick of reading stuff in the paper where somebody says they represent everybody.”

“I don’t think they represent anybody,” said Abercrombie, adding he speaks for the “silent majority” and for the people who do not think it’s a sin to make a living and take care of their families.

After Abercrombie finished his address, HMAA Executive Vice President Reg Baker said, jokingly, “I just wish the governor could get a little more passionate.”

• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.