Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 3, 1 April 1984 — Waihee Discusses Political Future [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Waihee Discusses Political Future

(Editor's Note: This is the third and final story of a three-part interview series with Lt. Gov. John David Waihee III. Part III deals with W'aihee's relationship with Gov. George R. Ariyoshi, what it's like to be number two and what about his future political ambitions. The entire series was written by OHA Public Information Officer Ed Miehelman.)

PART III OHA: Mr. Waihee, the lieutenant governorship is perceived by some as an office with very little responsibility or opportunity to make any kind of real eontribution to state government. Would you agree with this assessment and how effective do you feel you have been in this office? WAIHEE: Well, 1 don't see the office as a do-nothing position. 1 think that sometimes that criticism is made because we compare this office with the governorship. Actually, if you compare the governorship with any position in the State of Hawaii the second position is going to be a lot less. Yes, as compared to the Governor, this position is a lesser one; however, in comparison to most other political positions in the State of Hawaii, it's not. Although it is different, there is mueh more influence up here than there was when 1 was sitting at the legislature. The thing about it is to know where you are and then to be as effective as you ean. And that's what 1 think we are trying to do with this position. As far as work goes, we have been extremely active. As far as whether or not we have had the power to finally resolve the issues, no; but very few positions in the State have the power to do that. However, being Lieutenant Governor puts us in a better position to keep chipping away at it. We're trying to get something done and we're continuing to make progress. lt's a matter of looking at it in the same way I began by looking at OHA. When you recognizeyou have only been around for three years we really ought to pat you guys on the back. The same thing is true here . . . It is how well you use the authority that we have and I hope that we ean do that very well. As time goes on, 1 hope that we will do even better.

OHA: Mr. Waihee, on a related matter may I ask how has your relationship been with the Governor? WAIHEE: 1 think first of all it's been honest. We've been able to communicate. Also, for the most part, it's been consistent. In the sense of the Governor's overall philosophy about how Hawaii

should develop, we're not too mueh different. With regard to the details of how we should do this or how we should do that, there are some differences. In those instances, the question is how to get the administration to see if there is another way to do something. That's the challenge. OHA: Speaking of challenges, what happens in 1986? WAIHEE: I don't know yet. I honestly don't know. lt depends on a lot of things. I assume you are talking about the eleetion. It depends first of all on how well we handle this job and what the state is like at that time. Things are happening so

rapidly it's hard to predict what 1986 is going to be like. lt's amazing to me when I realize what happened in a short period of time. What we eall the Hawaiian movement is only about 14 years old, and for the first half of that 14 years, we were struggling for an identification of the issues. So most of what has occurred has only happened in the last seven years. It's only been four years since the Con Con, three years since the establishment of OHA and at that rate, I'm looking forward to what's going to happen within the next three years. I think that a lot may happen. So what happens in '86, 1 really don't know. All I know is that there's going to be a lot of opportunity in '86, a lot of positions opening up and the governorship is just one. I know there will be others. I think what is most important is that whatever we decide to do we must determine whether we ean get the support to do it.

OH A: What is the ultimate ambition of John Waihee? WAIHEE: I think the ultimate ambition of anybody in public service is to get to be Governor or Senator. But the advantage that John Waihee has over most of the other people in a position to even talk about that as a possibility is that I'm the youngest. We've got the time to go and look at it and to see when would be the best time to do it. OHA: So there is a possibility you may run for Governor in 1986? WAIHEE: 1 'm not excluding any possibility. But if I don't run for Governor, it doesn't mean l'm just going to walk off and say I'm tired of this game. A lot depends on the fact that there are a lot of good people who are potential candidates for Governor, too. Take the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He's Hawaiian, he's attractive, he's demon-

strated leadership. I'm sure that he and I would like to be on the same wave length in 1986. OHA: Are you saying that you would consider running for Lt. Gov. with Mr. Peters? WAIHEE: No, I'm not sayingthat; I'm not predicting what will happen. What I'm saying is that there are a lot of good people around. And 1 happen to mention Henry because he's Hawaiian like myself and he's also a person who has to look at what he is going to do in 1986. It appears to me that what he does and what I do will influence eaeh other substantially. We are both good friends and are aware of that. So the choices are unlimited. It's phenomenal to me and I'm terribly excited about the fact that 1 even have these kinds of choices. I don't feel that I have to do it in '86, or I somehow die politically, or that I can't do it in '86. OHA: You're not foreclosing any options.

WAIHEE: No, and its not usual that a politician has these types of options. That's why I don't think the Lt. Governor's position is so bad. If I had won another political office, 1 may have taken a longer period of time before achieving statewide exposure. But now we have statewide exposure so that we have viability. At the same time, we're young enough that we ean look at the future terms of a greater time span. And thirdly, most of the people involved in the leadership of the State of Hawaii are friends, so at least we ean discuss what our relationship would be. OH A: Do you think it's important that there be a Hawaiian governor? WAIHEE: Yes, I think that it's important there be a Hawaiian governor in the State of Hawaii. I don't know that it's important that it happen in 1986, but I know that it's important that eventually there be an elected Hawaiian governor. It's very important for the image of Ha-

waiians, for a lot of reasons . . . for role model reasons. But mostly, I think it would be good for the State of Hawaii ... I believe that a Hawaiian

governor would understand the fact that we're all one Hawaii. I don't want to elect, and I think it would be tragic if we elected as governor somebody who is Hawaiian and whose only interest was in things Hawaiian. My own perspective as a Hawaiian, and as somebody who has no other plaee to go but Hawaii, is that there is an obligation to all of Hawaii, to all her people. That means being responsible for what happens to non-Hawaiian children as well as Hawaiian children. Because ultimately we're all on the same islands and we all somehow have got to keep this all together. Liliuokalani, Kalakaua and the other great rulers had the same dream. All the people of Hawaii were their people, their nation. Their eoneem was how ean we best put it all together. ln this day, I think Hawaiians have an obligation, and I mean that, a real obligation because of our heritage, because of our sense of aloha aina . . . to seetoitthatall of Hawaii's people and the state as a whole function in a way whieh would make the land proud of us. OHA: Thank you Mr. Waihee.

" . . . So what happens in '86, I really don't know. All I know is that there's going to be a lot of opportunity in '86, a lot of positions opening up and the governorship is just one. I don't feel that I have to do it in '86, or I somehow die politically, or that I can't do it in '86 . . . "

" . . . Yes, I think that its important there be a Hawaiian governor in the State of Hawaii. I don't know that its important that it happen in 1986, but I know that its important that eventually there be an elected Hawaiian governor. Its very important for the image of Hawaiians, for a lot of reasons ..."

"... My own perspective as a Hawaiian, and as somebody who has no other plaee to go but Hawaii, is that there is an obligation to all of Hawaii, to all her people. That means being responsible for what happens to nonHawaiian children as well as Hawaiian children ..."