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Near the end of nearly eight years in office, Governor John Waihee appeared on Price of Paradise in August 1994 for a live broadcast conducted on backup frequencies after a technical failure knocked the station off its primary signal. Waihee defended his administration against critics who described his tenure as ineffective, citing the state's Open Records Law, investment in school-community-based management, and expanded spending on health and social services alongside education. He disputed claims that the share of the state budget devoted to public education had declined, saying that growth in complementary human-services programmes accounted for any apparent shift. On the Bishop Estate, he acknowledged that trustee compensation had grown substantially but declined to advocate for a statutory cap, calling instead for consistent treatment of all charitable trusts. He expressed support for Hawaiian sovereignty as both a matter of historical obligation and practical governance, arguing that communities manage programmes designed for themselves more effectively than outside government does. Asked about the approaching gubernatorial election, he urged candidates to explain not merely what they would do but how, calling vague platforms the politically safe but irresponsible choice.
Transcript
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