Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 2, 1 February 1989 — January 23, 1989 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

January 23, 1989

Governor Waihee's State of the State Address

As a seruice to its readers, Ka Wai Ola O OHA presents major excerpts from Gouernor John Waihee's "State of the State Address" presented to the State Legislature: President Wong, Speaker Kihano, members of the 15th Legislature, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, aloha. . . Hawaii's economy has never been better. Today we enjoy the sixth highest eeonomie growth rate in Amenea; our small businesses have the country's third largest earnings growth rate; and our unemployment rate is the fourth lowest in the eountry and the lowest it has been in 18 years.

In 1985 Hawai i had a budget surpius of about $129 million — a relatively modest amount when compared to many other states with considerably larger surpluses such as California ($1.265 billion), Wisconsin ($342 million). Today we have the second largest surplus in the country and those states have little or none at all. In partnership with the hard-working men and women of this state, we have begun to turn things around and lay a solid foundation for our future. . . The Family We begin with the core of our society, the family. Robust families are healthy families, and we have for more than a decade assured the health care of most of our workers and their families. However, some 30,000 people are left out — thousands of them children.

I propose that Hawai'i lead the nation and extend primary care to all its citizens. This supplemental system of health insurance will operate through the existing private carriers and contain an emphasis on wellness and the prevention of disease. We also urgently need to direct attention to a segment of our population that has lost its way, the mentally ill whose affliction ean have a dismaying effect on families. We are building a state-of-the-art acute care hospital for the mentally ill as part of our effort. We now ask you to support with additional resources a revitalized community-based system. Our goal is to reintegrate the mentally ill into society as functioning, productive citizens.

. .Thls year we are more than doubling our (capital improvement project) requests to turn empty (Hawaiian Home Lands) lots into homesteads."

Our health is jeopardized by nursing shortages whieh will reach a deficit of over 1,300 nurses by 1991 without special attention. 1 propose a $6.5million action program to graduate approximately 300 additional registered nurses. Anel $8 millien in eapital improvement projects (CIP) to improve the facilities at the University of Hawaii School of Nursing. Every family in Hawaii dreams of its own home. Some feared it was only a dream. But we said dreams are what you build upon.

You gave us a $120 million housing superfund and funds to purchase lands in Kapolei. With your continued support, we will see affordable homes in a beautiful new community in West O'ahu and new projects on the neighbor islands. In 1988, answering our specific eall for affordable housing goals, developers committed themselves to 14,700 affordable units on O'ahu and the Big Island. For those families in Hawai'i who are not able to buy, we propose an increase in the state rental assistance program and state funds for the construction of new low-ineome rental units. Our native Hawaiian families share the universal dream for housing. We know that when Hawaiian Home Lands have infrastructure, Hawaiians will build homes on them. This year we are more than doubling our CIP requests to turn empty lots into homesteads. . .

Child Care/Early Childhood Education In our changing society, working parents share a eommon eoneem for the care of their children during the hours when they are at work. To offset the eoneem of these parents for their children's supervision outside of school hours, I propose a demonstration project for after school care in our parks and schools. Counties, Let's work on this together.

Furthermore, we all know that early education enhances a child's potential for success in school. I propose the goal of early childhood education for all of Hawaii's children by the year 2000. We will begin this coming September by implementing preschools for four-year-olds from Maili to Makaha in cooperation with Kamehameha Schools. We will also support expansion of a program with proven success, the Hawaiian language immersion program that provides a bridge between day care, early-childhood education and kindergarten. . .

Public Education In Hawai'i, public education is seen as the great equalizer. Without it, the aspirations of our ehildren for tomorrow will be less than our own for today. With it, all of our children have the opportunity to carve out their own destiny. . . Our vision is to enter the 21st century with a public education system that is second to none. By 1999, we want public schools that are: 1) managed by a system of accountability based on loeal control; 2) renewed places of learning satisfying eaeh student's potential, staffed by well trained and involved professionals; 3) housed in facilities that are conducive to learning and fostering pride; and 4) institutions that parents choose to have their children attend. . .

With the renewed public interest in education, now is an opportune time to review the governanee structure of our school system. Many proposals have been advanced, ranging from an appointed school board — to modifying the present system— to establishing a network of elected loeal school boards. I propose that you take this opportunity to review the various options and consider an appropriate constitutional amendment. In the meantime, we should not and cannot wait. Therefore, I propose that we immediately institute a school/community-based management program that puts schools in charge of their own affairs. . . We will start with 30 schools whieh are desirous and ready to move into school/community based

management by next year. They will be models for others and eaeh year additional schools in Hawai'i will be locally managed. . . University of Hawai'i Over the past two years we began several exciting new initiatives at the University of Hawai'i in oeean and earth sciences, Pacific/Asian studies, astronomy, and other special areas. These initiatives are moving well and deserve our eontinued support.

New initiatives alone, however, will not be sufficient to build the premier university of the Pacific that we desire. We need to insure that our foundation is firm. Thus, I propose that we make this the year of the undergraduate, with funding for undergraduate curriculum and services. We will also seek additional support for our community colleges, including full funding for the new Kapiolani Community College campus. The University of Hawai'i at Hilo often seems to be forgotten when new initiatives are proposed. Yet, it is a fine institution with its own strengths, including the fact that about 17 percent of its student body has Hawaiian ancestry. Therefore, we propose that a Hawaiian language center be established at Hilo. Such a center would, among other things, help us develop the course materials for teaching Hawaiian language in our public schools. . .

"VJe will also support expansion of ... the Hawaiian language immersion program that provides a bridge between day care early - childhood education and kindergarten."

Transportation Transportation is our eeonomie lifeline, and we are embarked on the most ambitious construction program in the history of our state. Many of our airport facilities were built before jets were the eommon mode of travel. Support funding as you have in the last two years anel we will have modern-day terminals at all major state airports and extended runways on all neighbor islands within the next four years. Traffic congestion is people's number one everyday problem, and we're attacking it: • with H-3, • with newly constructed high occupancy vehiele lanes, • with the planned construction of the Kalanianaole highway widening project, • and for the first time in the history of the neighbor islands, county/state long-range transportation plans. Across the state we're on our way with the road widening and bypass construction necessary to ease traffic. . .

Environment All of us give our best to the community we eall Hawai'i. Because our land and our people make our lives full. It is in this spirit that I propose these actions: First, let us remember that whoever and wherever you are in Hawai'i, you have the biggest, most wonderful front yard in the world. It is called the Pacific Oeean. I propose that we appropriate $100 million to be merged with other federal monies and establish an environmental special fund to keep that front yard elean. . .

Second, we've all known the natural joy of walking on soft moss and grazing up at the green canopy of a Hawaiian rain forest. But will our ehildren and theirs likewise be able to experience our living link to the ancient past? Scientists fear that within 20 years, at least half the native Hawaiian plant and animal communities that we now know may be lost forever. I share that fear. Today I propose a new and permanent commitment of $4 million a year from our hotel room tax Continued next page

Governor John D. Waihee, III

State of the State, continued from page 4

revenues to preserve and manage our natural area reserves and sustain our unique native flora and fauna.

In my meetings with Hawaii's major private landowners, I stress not only the need to improve our economy but also to enhanee our environment. Today I'm very pleased to announee that Castle & Cooke has, at my request, agreed to grant a eonservation easement to the Nature Conservancy to establish a new 462-acre dryland forest preserve in the Kanepu'u area on Lana'i. This dryland forest preserve will protect at least 48 species of native Hawaiian plants, including the endangered Lana'i sandalwood and gardenia. Imagine, eight of the world's 19 wild specimens of this gardenia are found in Kanepu'u.

Lastly, we need to preserve our unique and irreplaceable natural areas and beaches for future generations to enjoy. To help do this, we will be submitting for your consideration new land banking legislation and a request for a $40 million appropriation over the course of the biennium. Taxation Hawai'i has prospered since I first appeared before you. During times such as these, our constitution requires that we pay a rebate to our taxpayers and they are certainly entitled to one. The exact

amount of the rebate is left to your discretion. Let me caution, however, against the temptation to establish an exact amount until you have had the opportunity to weigh all the competing demands of our people. We also need to heed the wise advice of our senate minority leader to use "eommon sense" remembering that there may be a harder tomorrow. Furthermore, if our tax system is generating more than we need to do the public's work, we should fix the system. lt is upon that principle that I propose the second tax reduction in three years. 1 urge your consideration of a tax reduction package including:

• A new credit for excise taxes paid on medical services, up to $200 per return and double that for senior citizens. By this dction we canreduce taxes and ultimately the cost of medical care. • Higher standard deductions and lower ineome taxes for all taxpayers. • Additional increases in the dependent care credit — adult or child care. By this action we reduce taxes and increase the independence of the family unit. • Raising the eligibility level for the renter's credit, whieh will give relief to people moving up the ineome ladder.

A family of four earning an adjusted gross ineome of $26,000 a year, renting a home and itemizing deductions would have paid $1,102 in state taxes before your tax reduction of 1987, $772after your action of '87, and only $480 if you enact this proposal. . .

To the Citizens of Hawai'i Now as we begin the 15th legislature, I'd like to speak to the people of this state on behalf of the elected officials who serve you. We ask you: ■ What does make your life worthwhile? What is it, specifically for you, that makes the day fulfilling? We ean tell you one thing for sure. What makes your life worthwhile is you.

We ask you to take wnat s important to you — your family, your work, your church or club or school and by all means your government — and give it that something extra. Make a personal investment for what you believe in. . . Because when you make your life better, you make our community better and our state greater. Strengthen one and we strengthen all. Community, you see, is a collective enterprise. These things make us whole, makes us one. One magnificient land and one unconquerable people.