Newswatch
The panel's ranking Republican, Minority Leader Gene Ward (Hahaione Valley), asked if "the books were cooked," to stress that the state can't afford pay raises for unionized government workers.
"They're based on facts," retorted state Budget Director Earl Anzai, noting that the administration's biennium budget and financial plan were built on Council on Revenues projections.
But, Ward told Anzai, "You're saying you don't know if you're going to be in the red or the black."
While there were bipartisan challenges to Anzai during his budget briefing yesterday, the Republicans were more aggressive in their questioning. "There wasn't enough data to say yea or nay," Ward asserted.
House Finance members were especially skeptical of Anzai's claim that Cayetano's plan for $1 billion in construction projects to stimulate the sluggish economy won't cause the state's debt service to skyrocket.
Anzai said the administration is banking on an improved economy with an increase in general fund revenues.
Rep. Colleen Meyer (R, Kahaluu) told Anzai: "Your figures look good. But it's all assumptions. You could be creating a debt our children will have for years."
Instead of his grand scheme for a two-year construction push, Cayetano should have moved ahead with previously approved building projects he halted during his first two years in office, said Meyer and Rep. Barbara Marumoto (R, Waialae Iki).
The Department of Education reported spending about $4.1 million on textbooks and $15.9 million on other educational supplies for the fiscal year 1995-96, according to the audit released yesterday by state auditor Marion Higa.
Elementary schools spent the least on textbooks, an average of $14 per student, while high schools spent the most, an average of $34 per student. Intermediate schools averaged $24 per student.
However, the audit said the computer codes schools use to categorize purchase orders were unclear and led to some schools miscoding textbook purchases.
Consequently, the computer system designed to keep track of all expenditures could not supply reliable data and underreported textbook costs, it said.
Instead, Harris raised the eyebrows of Robert Watada, executive director of the Campaign Spending Commission.
So now, Cabinet members will pay for their own meals.
Total cost for the private, two-day retreat at the Hilton Hawaiian Village was $1,900, and that consisted of the price for two meals, city spokeswoman Carol Costa said. No one stayed overnight, and meeting space was provided gratis by the hotel.
An outdoor hamburger dinner on Sunday for Cabinet members, their spouses and children cost $1,200, Costa said, and the tab for sandwiches just for administration members yesterday was $700.
Harris wanted his campaign committee to pick up the tab because of the city's tight financial situation "even though it's probably a legitimate type of event that could be funded with city funds," Costa said.
Watada said city coffers seemed like a good funding source for the meals, not the campaign treasury intended to get Harris elected.
"If this was brought before the commission, I don't think they would approve of the taking of a Cabinet to a retreat and feeding them as a necessary and ordinary expense" to be paid with campaign funds, Watada said.
Michael E. Baker, a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington and most recently headmaster of the Tilton School in New Hampshire, assumes the post in May.
Maryknoll, a co-ed Roman Catholic school in Honolulu, has more than 1,300 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Traditionally, the Pastor of the Sacred Heart Parish - currently Father Francis Diffley - also served as Maryknoll president.
Diffley said Baker "was our first choice to lead us into the new millennium."
Baker, who was born in Maine, will move to Hawaii this spring with his wife, Janice.
There were no injuries, but there was potential for injury, police warned.
The first explosion went off at 10 a.m. outside the school cafeteria.
Two hours later, another went off on the second floor of Building N. Yet another explosion occurred at 2:55 p.m., after school had let out, in the parking lot.
There was no damage to property and no arrests were made, police said.
At 8 a.m. yesterday, police were called to recover six homemade explosives found by state employees and transported to Keehi Lagoon Park.
He is under investigation for four counts of terroristic threatening.
The man allegedly returned to Wong's Okazu-ya after complaining to employees and threatened to kill three women and a security guard.
- Prisoner accused of attacking guard
- Fire set by children damages house
- Bank robbers described by police