WASHINGTON, March 25 (UPI) — Pres. George W. Bush will meet Wednesday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in a two-day summit at Camp David as U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq continued their assault towards Baghdad.

Before his meeting with Blair, the president is scheduled to make a visit early Wednesday to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla., the command-and-control center for the Iraqi conflict. While there, top commanders will offer the president a classified military briefing on the progress being made in Iraq. The president will also meet with coalition allies from around the world involved in backing military actions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

After leaving Tampa, the president will head to Camp David for his meeting with Blair, his closest ally in the Iraqi war. Blair supported the United States’ assertion that Saddam and his weapons of mass destruction were a threat to world security at great political risk and without widespread support among British citizens.

“The United Kingdom is a close ally and the largest coalition military partner with us in Iraq. The president and the prime minister will discuss the progress of the conflict in Iraq, urgent issues of humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and helping the Iraqi people build democratic institutions,” said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.

On Tuesday, Bush said he would seek $74.7 billion from Congress to pay operational and homeland security costs associated with the war in Iraq.

“America has accepted this responsibility. We also accept the cost of supporting our military and the missions we give it. Today I am sending Congress a war time appropriations request of $74.7 billion to fund the needs directly arising from the Iraqi conflict and our global war against terror,” Bush said.

The president made his remarks at the Pentagon as U.S. military forces in Iraq fought sandstorms and Iraqi resistance, pushing across the desert for Baghdad.

“Our coalition is on a steady advance. We’re making good progress. We’re fighting an enemy that knows no rules of law that will wear civilian uniforms, that is willing to kill in order to continue the reign of fear of Saddam Hussein. But we’re fighting them with bravery and courage,” Bush said.

The president signed off Monday on the budget request that includes $53 billion for operations activities such as moving troops into the region, returning them home, and replenishing supplies and munitions.

“My request to Congress will pay for the massive task of transporting a fully equipped military force, both active-duty and Reserve, to a region halfway around the world. This money will cover the current cost of fueling our ships and aircraft and tanks, and of airlifting tons of supplies into the theater of operations,” Bush said. “The supplemental will also allow us to replace the high-tech munitions we are now directing against Saddam Hussein’s regime.”

Another $8 billion would go toward international operations and aid to countries such as Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, the Philippines and Columbia. Of that figure, $3.5 billion would pay for humanitarian relief, reconstruction and repairs to damaged oil fields.

Turkey would get $1 billion in aid, far less than the reported $60 billion it would have received had it allowed some 62,000 U.S. troops to be deployed along its borders.

The White House said that Turkey has made impressive progress over two years in stabilizing and reforming its economy. The Turkish government is nearing agreement with the International Monetary Fund on an economic program that will further strengthen the economy and which the White House fully supports.

As for humanitarian aid, Bush was upbeat.

“This nation and our coalition partners are committed to making sure that the Iraqi citizens who have suffered under a brutal tyrant have got the food and medicine needed as soon as possible,” Bush said.

The request would also set aside $2 billion for homeland security in states and localities. The monies would be given to states in the form of grants provided they meet two conditions: They are committed to protecting specified sites and spend the funds on anti-terror activities.

Another $1.5 billion would be spent on additional security at federal facilities and for the Coast Guard protection of critical U.S. ports. The Federal Bureau of Investigation would receive $500 million.

Cost estimates for the war budget were based on six months of military activity in the region, according to a senior administration official. Bush told congressional leaders on Monday that he wants to see the supplemental request approved by no later than April 11.

“Yesterday I informed the leaders of Congress of these spending requests. The situation in any war is fluid. I reminded them of that fact. And so I’m asking Congress for flexibility in how these funds can be allocated. They heard that message. They also heard the message that the need is urgent,” Bush said. “The wartime supplemental is directly related to winning this war and to securing the peace that will follow this war. I ask Congress to act quickly and responsibly.”

Bush stressed that “business as usual” on Capitol Hill cannot go on during a time of war. He said that the supplemental should not be used as an opportunity to attach unrelated spending measures.

“Every dollar we spend must serve the interests of our nation; and the interests of our nation in this supplemental is to win this war and to be able to keep the peace,” the president said.

Brenden Daly, spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said concern exists that the president has not included enough money for homeland security. Democrats believe the allocation for port security should be between $8 billion and $10 billion. Whether the levels of funding for operational costs are sufficient remains to be seen, Daly said.

The White House had been tightlipped over how much it planned to ask for saying it that the buildup of military forces in the region and the actual engagement in combat incurs additional costs above and beyond what the administration has budgeted. Speculation had the price tag for the war at between $70 billion and $90 billion.

A senior administration official told reporters that the first few days of the war gave budget analysts a better picture of which scenario the Pentagon and the White House would seek to fund. It had considered different funding structures dependent on whether U.S. forces met resistance, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein left the country, or if service personnel would be forced into prolonged armed conflict.

It would have cost taxpayers $5 billion a month to have troops sitting in the region as containment measure, the official said. The Pentagon has already spent more than $2.5 billion deploying more than 150,000 troops to the region. The Afghan conflict costs roughly $1.5 billion a month.

Democrats had also criticized the administration for deciding not to release a war budget before hostilities began last week. They said that a war would push the country further into federal deficit spending. Administration officials predict the federal deficit this year will reach $316 billion and approach $400 billion in 2004.

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives J. Denis Hastert, R-Ill., said Monday after his meeting with the president that lawmakers hoped to move the legislation in a “bipartisan manner” to the president’s desk as quickly as possible.

“We need to make certain that our men and women in uniform have the resources necessary to get the job done in Iraq, and I expect that both Republicans and Democrats will support this legislation by overwhelming margins,” Hastert said.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) — Few industries worldwide have suffered as much as the airline sector in recent years and now the war in Iraq comes at a time when the airlines have accumulated $30 billion in losses since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The armed conflict, which is in its fourth day, could easily add $10 billion in losses to the world’s airlines by extending the current travel decline well into the summer, according to the International Air Transport Association.

“The present armed conflict will only worsen these losses,” said Giovanni Bisignani, the IATA’s director general and chief executive officer.

In a speech late Saturday to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, Bisignani said, “At this point, the air transport industry must look beyond the horizon and re-invent itself.”

In its forecast of the impact of the war on the industry, the association said it expects international passenger travel to drop 15 percent to 20 percent during the war, depending on the region of the world.

Since the terrorist attacks in the United States, major U.S. carriers have laid off 100,000 employees and lost an estimated $19 billion. Continued weakness in passenger traffic and reductions in ticket prices have resulted in bankruptcy filings by US Airways, United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

A number of the nation’s major airlines have begun taking additional emergency measures in an attempt to stem further losses.

On Friday, Northwest Airlines announced plans to cut 4,900 jobs and reduce its flight schedule by 12 percent. United Airlines said it would cut its schedule by about 8 percent and lay off an undermined number of workers.

Greg Taylor, United’s senior vice president for planning, said the schedule and job cuts were due to the continuing effects on future bookings because of the military conflict in Iraq. The airline expects bookings to continue to decline as the war continues, he said.

American Airlines said it would cut international flights by 6 percent in April to meet a downturn in travel bookings due to the war in Iraq. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, the airline said it could make additional reductions if traffic remains slow.

Northwest, which also plans to idle 20 planes, has already laid off about 12,000 employees due to the slump in the airline industry. The airline said it would continue to monitor passenger demand and did not rule out further job cuts or flight reductions.

“Due to weak demand for business travel which emerged in March 2001, the subsequent impact of the terrorist attacks on the United States in September of that year, and now, armed conflict with Iraq, we have been forced to reduce our workforce by some 17,000 employee positions,” said Richard Anderson, Northwest’s chief executive officer in a statement.

The St. Paul, Minn.,-based airline said the reductions will be made through attrition, voluntary leaves, leaving open positions unfilled and layoffs.

Hawaiian Airlines, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday “to restore the company’s long-term financial health.”

No new layoffs of Hawaiian’s 3,311 employees were planned.

John W. Adams, chairman and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines, said the company had made since it launched its restructuring efforts several months ago in response to the dramatically changed, operating environment since September 2001.

The airline said flight and services would continue without interruption. The parent company was not included in the bankruptcy filing.

On Wednesday, Continental Airlines announced it would reduce its workforce by 1,200 employees by the end of the year, as part of initiative to save $500 million annually.

The airline said the cut would include 125 pilots, 500 reservation agents, 350 airport agents and 225 other employees.

“We need $500 million in annual cost savings and revenue generation to permit us to be a survivor during the worst financial crisis in aviation history,” said Gordon Bethune, chairman and CEO of Continental.

Bethune cautioned that additional reductions could be announced if the war in Iraq is prolonged, or if other events further degrade revenue or increase costs.

Copyright 2003 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) — The war in Iraq is unlikely to result in an influx of Iraqi refugees to the United States, but it will increase the existing population of internal refugees in Iraq and generate a set of challenging problems, think tank experts who study refugee issues say.

“I would be very surprised if there was any uptick in refugees from Iraq,” Daniel T. Griswold, associate director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, told United Press International. “After all, if the war is a success there are groups of people who would be going back to Iraq.”

Estimates of the number of refugees and internally displaced persons, or IDPs, resulting from the war run as high as 1 million to 2 million individuals. This is in addition to the estimated 1 million internally displaced people already living within the country.

Some experts have argued that if the United States were to accept significant numbers of Iraqi refugees, the countries bordering Iraq — Iran, Syria, Turkey, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — would reverse their stance of allowing in Iraqi refugees only in very small numbers. Turkey has even placed soldiers at its border and sent troops into Iraq to prevent the kind of mass influx of Kurdish immigrants it saw in the Gulf War in 1991.

Roberta Cohen, a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the liberal-centrist Brookings Institution and co-director of a joint project on Internal Displacement run by Brookings and the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, said because Iraq’s neighbors have refused to take in refugees in large numbers, the majority of displaced Iraqis would not become refugees.

“I think this will keep people inside the country, but they will still need help,” she told UPI.

Peter W. Galbraith, professor of national security studies at the National War College, former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia in the Clinton administration, and an expert on Iraq, also said though the fighting may send many Iraqis fleeing from their homes, they are unlikely to be able to leave the country.

“I don’t see this as being a big refugee situation domestically,” Galbraith told UPI. “They will have to go to some other country before they can get to the United States.”

Galbraith, author of “Refugees from War in Iraq: What Happened in 1991 and What May Happen in 2003,” a recent policy brief published by the Migration Policy Institute, said refugee immigration from Iraq is unlikely to be a significant U.S. problem.

Nevertheless, he pointed out that refugee immigration to the United States from Iraq could become a concern if the Iraq war turns into another Vietnam, an outcome he viewed as unlikely.

Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, said he believes past conflicts have shown that immigration to the United States is often the result of U.S. military intervention in a foreign nation, and this phenomenon will repeat itself in the case of Iraq.

“Each past conflict has shown — be it the United States interventions in Somalia, Vietnam, Haiti or the Dominican Republic — that there is an increase in immigration to the United States from these countries,” he said.

Camarota, whose think tank’s position is that federal law should be reformed to better deal with the negative impacts of immigration, added that immigration from a predominately Muslim Middle Eastern country such as Iraq presents security concerns that have not been adequately addressed by the Bush administration in the war on terrorism.

Griswold, Galbraith, Cohen and other analysts said that the Bush administration will be forced to deal with internal immigration issues in Iraq. According to Cohen, Iraq had a major problem with IDPs even before the war started.

“You have more than one million who are already displaced within Iraq because the government had used a policy of deliberate expulsion of people from their homes as state policy over the last 20 years,” said Cohen.

She said the tactic was widely used in the oil-rich region surrounding the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, where Saddam Hussein primarily expelled Kurds and Turkmen from their land. There are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 displaced people in the region, mostly Kurds. There are also another estimated 300,000 displaced individuals in the south central region of the country.

Both Cohen and Galbraith say this IDP population represents a major problem because many of them are likely to go back to where they came from when Saddam’s regime falls. This raises the potential for ethnic conflict or revenge-driven violence between Baathist Sunni Muslims, Saddam’s ethnic power base, and returning Kurds (Iraq’s largest minority population), Shiites (Iraq’s largest ethnic population), Turkmen and Assyrians.

Attempts by Kurds to return to reclaim homes and property in the region that they have lost under Saddam’s regime could also pull Turkey into the equation. The Turks are anxious that Kirkuk could become the capital of an independent Kurdish state in post-war Iraq. They believe even if the area remained part of Iraq as a semi-autonomous Kurdish confederation, it could ignite the separatist tendencies in Turkey’s own Kurdish population.

“The Turks are positioning troops (there) because they want to stop displaced people from going back to Kirkuk, to their homes,” said Cohen. “That is a concern because people have the right to do so.”

Turkey is also worried about a huge influx of refugees, mostly Kurds, as a result of the war. On Tuesday, one Turkish official told the nightly Canadian TV news program The National that on just the first day of the 1991 Gulf War, 500,000 refugees swarmed across the Turkish border from northern Iraq.

Cohen said the IDP problem would have tremendous impact on the political and economic future of the country. Because of this, she said, U.S. troops must secure control of Kirkuk and establish a mechanism to deal with returning displaced people and disputes over land.

She added she was concerned about the lack of U.S. troops in the region.

“This is one of the things they are going to have to do,” she said. “It is important that they deal with this because it is a potentially explosive area.”

Cohen also said though the Bush administration has promised supplies will be brought in as soon as possible to address humanitarian needs, additional food and medicine will be necessary to meet a growing demand. She added help from U.S. troops for internal refugees in the first days after the end of the fighting will not be enough, and more support will be needed before the country is secure enough for international aid agencies to come into Iraq.

The Kurdish administration in the north is capable of providing assistance but does not have the supplies to do so, says Cohen. And there are questions about who could provide immediate humanitarian relief in other areas of the country. The United Nations has only local staff in Iraq, and the International Committee of the Red Cross has only about 100 people there.

“They can’t possibly cover protection and assistance for all these IDPs,” said Cohen.

Galbraith said the potential for humanitarian crisis is especially serious in the cities, where relief efforts will be impossible if there is extended fighting.

“The big issue is, how we are going to deal with urban warfare?” he said. “If the cities are besieged there are no good options.”

For example, British troops have encircled Iraq’s second-largest city, Basra, but have been unable to gain control of the city itself. As a result, Basra, the site of the ill-fated Shiite Muslim uprising against Saddam in 1991, hasn’t had electricity or running water for days. This prompted the United Nations to issue a warning Monday of a pending humanitarian crisis there.

On Tuesday it was reported that British military engineers and Kuwaiti government employees were working around the clock to lay an emergency pipeline to bring drinking water to the city. This, along with reports of a local uprising of Shiites against Iraqi troops, offered some hope that such a crisis can be minimized.

“This doesn’t surprise me with regard to Baghdad, but I did not anticipate that it might be a problem in the south, which rebelled in 1991,” said Galbraith. “I don’t think the Pentagon anticipated it.”

Copyright 2003 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

“Suzanne Gelb Image”

”Opinions – Does Mine Count?”

Dear Dr. Gelb:

I read your responses to questions about the war in Iraq and thought I’d ask my question. It could apply to the war or politics or pretty much any topic where people have differing opinions.

I was raised to “please people” and I feel unsettled by other people’s anger, although I have worked hard to lessen the impact of this upbringing on my current life. In the past I have hesitated to take a stand or have an opinion because of this fear of disagreement.

When I listen to the discussion about the war in Iraq and the different opinions it is clear there are people who hate Americans and Pres. Bush and who will always see the actions of our country and President in a negative light. I don’t think there is anything that can be done to change their minds.

I guess I am wanting to feel comfortable having my own opinion. In the case of this war I feel proud of our president’s courage and leadership and I am impressed with our military. However, when I hear other people voicing their disapproval and characterizing the war differently from how I see it I doubt myself.

People (and, for that matter, governments) see the same things and have strongly opposite opinions. How do we handle this?

A: One reason why people often experience doubt is when excessive fear creeps in. Not only does this negative emotion sometimes cloud and distort good judgment, but it can also inhibit people from expressing or taking a position on what they truly believe. Once this culprit is identified, a next step could be to have the courage to stand up and be counted.

”Keeping Informed – What About Family Time?”

Dear Dr. Gelb:

My husband spends all his free time watching the news about the Iraq war. I love that he likes to be informed, but since the war began, he spends no time with our children (7 and 9 years), unless they are watching TV also, which I only allow in limited amounts. Should I talk to my husband about this, or respect his need to be informed?

A: I can appreciate your husband’s preoccupation with world events, but family time is critical and parents must make every effort to ensure that it occurs. In this respect, I wanted to share with you an excerpt from my article, “How to Teach a Child Positive Behavior,” published in the February/March 2003 issue of Hawaii Parent, The Magazine For Families, pp. 82-87.

“Family Time. Parents must prioritize showing interest in their child and teaching positive social habits. Otherwise the child runs the risk of developing into an adult who has difficulty conforming to rules and social standards. One way for parents to show interest is via quality family time. This means undistracted sharing. Specifically, during family interactions no one watches television, listens to the radio or reads, unless the family is sharing these activities together (e.g., reading a bedtime story). Quality time bonds familial relationships. Time spent before work in the morning or after work until bedtime also offers opportunities for socialization.”

Good luck with raising your children.

”’Suzanne J. Gelb, Ph.D., J.D. authors this daily column, Dr. Gelb Says, which answers questions about daily living and behavior issues. Dr. Gelb is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Honolulu. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Human Services. Dr. Gelb is also a published author of a book on Overcoming Addictions and a book on Relationships.”’

”’This column is intended for entertainment use only and is not intended for the purpose of psychological diagnosis, treatment or personalized advice. For more about the column’s purpose, see”’ “An Online Intro to Dr. Gelb Says”

”’Email your questions to mailto:DrGelbSays@hawaiireporter.com More information on Dr. Gelb’s services and related resources available at”’ https://www.DrGelbSays.com

The following hearing notices, which are subject to change, were sorted and taken from the Hawaii State Capitol Web site. Please check that site for updates and/or changes to the schedule at

“Hawaii State Legislature Sidebar”

Go there and click on the Hearing Date to view the Hearing Notice.

Hearings notices for both House and Senate measures in all committees:

Hearing

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB337 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL FACILITIES. FIN

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB880 HD1 RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE. FIN

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB1239 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO ENERGY. FIN

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB1286 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF HAWAII. FIN

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB1309 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM. FIN

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB1312 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM. FIN

3/26/03 11:00 AM SB1397 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO SIMPLIFIED TAX ADMINISTRATION. FIN

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB540 SD1 HD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. FIN

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB550 SD1 RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES. FIN

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB611 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL. FIN

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB637 HD1 RELATING TO MISSING CHILDREN. FIN

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB1139 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO FAMILY COURT. FIN

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB1255 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL INSPECTIONS. FIN

3/26/03 11:45 AM SB1260 SD1 RELATING TO MICROORGANISM IMPORT. FIN

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB402 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO MEDICAL EDUCATION. FIN

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB534 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. FIN

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB919 SD1 HD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR BIOREMEDIATION RESEARCH. FIN

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB1154 HD1 RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS. FIN

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB1256 RELATING TO THE AGRICULTURAL WATER USE AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN. FIN

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB1415 RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS WITHIN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT. FIN

3/26/03 12:30 PM SB1495 SD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII DROUGHT PLAN. FIN

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

3/26/03 1:30 PM SB38 HD2 RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY. FIN

3/26/03 1:30 PM SB41 HD1 RELATING TO PUBLIC CONTRACTS. FIN

3/26/03 1:30 PM SB248 SD3 RELATING TO THE CONVENTION CENTER. FIN

3/26/03 1:30 PM SB319 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO COUNTIES. FIN

3/26/03 1:30 PM SB506 HD1 RELATING TO GEOTHERMAL ROYALTIES. FIN

3/26/03 1:30 PM SB713 RELATING TO CLOSURE OF MUNICIPAL FACILITIES. FIN

”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB205 SD3 HD1 RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB363 HD1 RELATING TO EXPERIMENTAL MODERNIZATION PROJECTS FOR COUNTY BOARDS OF WATER SUPPLY. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB768 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB773 HD1 RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB789 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB1261 HD1 RELATING TO PROCUREMENT CARD PAYMENTS. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB1262 SD1 HD1 RELATING TO PROCUREMENT. FIN

3/26/03 2:15 PM SB1306 HD1 RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES. FIN

”’To reach legislators, see:”’ “Representatives at a Glance” and “Senators at a Glance”

“Malia Lt blue top Image”

”Governor Releases Revised State Budget Today”

Gov. Linda Lingle will release today at noon a revised financial plan for the state for Fiscal Years 03, 04 and 05. She reworked the $7.3 billion biannual operating budget originally submitted to the state Legislature in the beginning of the 2003 Legislative session because state revenues are falling short of the Council on Revenues’ earlier projections. By state law, the governor must use the Council on Revenues’ projections for the basis of the state budget.

The governor maintained in an earlier press conference that despite the shortfall, she will not cut existing programs or state personnel for FY 2003 or raise taxes. She also has stated clearly that she will not drain the state’s $180 million Hurricane Relief Fund or Rainy Day Fund to balance the FY 2003 budget, because she believes it is important to maintain the funds for true emergencies and to help maintain the state’s bond rating. Lingle says the Hurricane and Rainy Day funds would only be tapped if the state faced a dire emergency situation brought on by war or a natural disaster.

Strategies the governor will use to balance the budget include transfers from special funds to the general fund and tightening the guidelines surrounding tax credits, such as the high tech tax credits issued through Act 221. Act 221, which is touted by the technology community as extremely beneficial to those companies producing intellectual property or research valuable to the community, also has wreaked havoc on the state’s budget. That is mainly because a loophole in the state law allowed motion picture producers to get up to a 250 percent return on their investment in one-time movies made in Hawaii. The tax credit is being revised to be patterned after the new federal research tax credit, which provides benefits only for new and added projects and new job creation.

Another source of “revenue enhancement” will come from restructuring the state’s bonded indebtedness — the state will take advantage of current favorable reduced market rates. There also will be some savings from adjustments to expenditures from various departments and projects.

The governor has stressed the operating budget remains a “work in progress.” She says she will continue to offer executive assistance and dialogue to leaders of the Senate and House so they can reach mutually accepted compromises, especially in light of the war in Iraq and damage it may have on Hawaii’s economy in the long and short terms.

”Djou Says No New Taxes, Hannemann Agrees Saying City Not Cut to the Bone”

City Councilmember Charles Djou maintains Mayor Jeremy Harris does not need to raise property taxes and city fees to balance the city’s budget.

Now his position is being reinforced by former City Council Chair Mufi Hannemann, who plans to run for mayor in 2004 or as soon as the mayor’s seat becomes vacant.

Djou says the city budget presented by the mayor’s administrators for the Council’s approval, is growing by 5.5 percent, and that if the mayor just cut his increases by 2 percent, still increasing the budget by 3.5 percent, there will be no need to raise taxes.

Hannemann said on KHVH radio this morning that he too would not support a tax increase unless the city can show it has cut its budget to the “bare bones” and has eliminated such waste as construction cost overruns that traditionally have gone as high as 30 percent.

“Until you do that, it is difficult to show tax increase is warranted,” Hannemann says. “We are used to the mayor’s mantra “the city is doing more with less” and it is time his budget figures are held up to more scrutiny.”

”State Senator Files Lawsuit Over Landfill in Her District”

State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Waianae, and the Ko Olina Community Association filed a lawsuit yesterday in First Circuit Court against the City & County of Honolulu over its proposed expansion of the landfill in Waimanalo Gulch over the next five years. The landfill is located in Hanabusa’s district and in close proximity to the Ko Olina Resort and other businesses in Ko Olina.

According to the lawsuit, which highlights 15 accusations against the defendant, the City intends to expand by 14.9 acres the landfill capability of the existing 86.5 acres in use at the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill.

The counts include an accusation that the city has not looked for alternatives to the landfill, which was supposed to be on a temporarily site but has continued to be expanded in height and life, much to the community’s dismay. Another count maintains the City has not considered the economic impact of the landfill expansion.

”’See related stories in Hawaii Reporter:”’

“Living in a Landfill”

“Senator Challenges Department of Health Over Toxic Dirt Dumping”

“Contaminated Dirt Going to Landfill”

”State Education Chair Looking More Like a Scoundrel Every Day”

Senate Education Committee Chairman Norman Sakamoto, D-Moanalua, gave his word to Gov. Linda Lingle and those in favor of her education platform that he would pass her bills out of committee without amendments that would destroy the original intent. He has changed his mind and broke his promise, and Hawaii voters don’t seem to appreciate that. In a HawaiiReporter.com Hero or Scoundrel