Governor reflects on a challenging first year in office as he outlines future priorities

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – It was exactly one year ago Tuesday that Gov. Josh Green and Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke were sworn into office.

To mark the anniversary, the governor spent the day highlighting his administration’s successes — while political onlookers noted there have been some setbacks.

Green began his term after an overwhelming election victory, with a substantial budget surplus and resulting high hopes. But reality, politics and crisis compromised his plans.

He began his term with an inaugural address that proclaimed, “There is absolutely no challenge that the people of Hawaii can’t meet when we pull together.”

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That aspiration was tested beyond imagination by the Maui wildfires and in smaller ways by political and economic headwinds.

So Tuesday’s anniversary speech, just 15 minutes and streamed online, was muted.

“We’ve been through so much, and we’ve accomplished so much just in one year,” Green said.

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In the address, Green ticked off his accomplishments: Tax relief for lower income families, a plan for multiple homeless tiny home villages called kauhale, plans for accelerated public housing contracting, raises and bonuses for teachers, coordinated Maui fire relief, the defueling of Red Hill, incentives to attract medical professionals and reformed tourism marketing.

University of Hawaii Political Science Professor Colin Moore gave the governor a positive assessment of the past year.

“I think it’s been very successful,” Moore said. “I don’t think Green has made any major errors. I think his approval ratings are still fairly high.”

Moore says Green was willing to compromise when he had overly ambitious plans.

House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto saw a similar pattern, especially in Green’s use of emergency orders to reduce legislative and regulatory oversite.

“I think he had really high expectations coming in,” Matsumoto said. “And sometimes it’s difficult when you come in and say you’re going to build 50,000 houses and then realize that might be an unrealistic goal. You know, that’s a hard thing for any politician to do.”

Green backed off his proposals for a climate impact fee on visitors and middle-class tax cuts, stumbled in an effort to speed up stadium development and his high-profile housing emergency offended environmentalists and Native Hawaiian groups.

Those conflicts led to the rejection or withdrawal of four high level appointees.

But Moore said he thinks Green has learned from his experience.

“I think you see someone who is in some ways, a little bit humbled a little more modest about what can be accomplished,” Moore said. “I think that’s a good thing.”

Matsumoto encouraged Green to work better with the Legislature.

“Coming into this next year, really focusing on that collaborative effort, less than focusing on things like some of those emergency proclamations would be really helpful,” she said.

The new year will bring expectations that Green support Maui’s recovery, redesign tourism, build homes, address climate change and energy dependence and diversify the economy — challenges on which the Green administration will ultimately be judged.

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