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Governor John Waihee joined host Randy Roth for this encore appearance, a second airing prompted by a transmitter fault that had sharply reduced the audience for the original broadcast. In the final months of his two-term governorship, Waihee surveyed his administration's record, citing educational reform, universal health coverage, and stewardship of Hawaiian affairs as achievements he was proudest of, while naming the failure of the rapid-transit proposal as his biggest disappointment and acknowledging he should have engaged the public earlier. Callers pressed him on several live controversies. On the Waihole Ditch water dispute, Waihee defended the state's position of keeping water on the leeward side pending the Water Commission's ruling. He argued against legalizing casino gambling on economic grounds, warning that it would pull tourists away from the broader community and devastate surrounding businesses. He took a gradualist view on gay civil rights, saying law typically advances ahead of social attitudes. On the contested Democratic gubernatorial primary, he advised underdog Jack Lewen to spend the remaining campaign days persuading voters he was actually capable of winning. Former communications director Chuck Friedman, calling in as a listener, prompted the exchange on campaign strategy.
Transcript
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