State budget director to attempt full-cost system
One of the recommendations of the Economic Revitalization Task Force -- adopt a budgeting system that reveals the full cost of a department or program -- is a good idea, but it will be difficult to implement, says state Budget Director Earl Anzai.The reason: the cost, particularly at a time when the state is retrenching.
Still, he will try to adopt a full-cost system as best he can, Anzai told the House Finance Committee yesterday.
The state currently uses a system in which many items such as fringe benefits, rent and utilities are centrally budgeted.
That means Anzai's departmental budget is boosted on paper because it handles fringe benefits for all state departments, while the true cost of the Department of Education's budget, to cite one case, doesn't reflect the benefits paid to administrators, teachers and staff. That amounts to 35 percent of the Education Department's budget that, to the untrained eye, isn't quickly seen.
Anzai said yesterday that he believes that Education Week -- which gave Hawaii's statewide school system flunking grades for adequacy of education funding and the allocation of the money -- did not get the full financial picture of the Department of Education, which also has its transportation costs in the budget of the Department of Accounting and General Services.
"Nobody (from Education Week) called me," Anzai growled.
Property tax delinquencies down in 1997
Real property tax delinquencies in Honolulu declined 26.5 percent in 1997 from 1996, according to city officials.Delinquent taxes amounted to $7.82 million at the end of last year, a drop from the $10.64 million owed at the end of 1996, they said yesterday.
City financiers credited an aggressive collection effort for the decline.
"We are extremely pleased with the results, which were achieved in the face of a weakened real property market and general economy," Mayor Jeremy Harris said.
The city released the figures a day after state Tax Director Ray Kamikawa announced state tax delinquencies had climbed while collections had decreased.
The most noticeable example of the city effort involved Aloha Tower Associates.
City attorneys joined four private interests in an involuntary bankruptcy petition against the troubled company. Corporation Counsel David Arakawa said the proceeding led to the city receiving a $700,043 check for delinquent real property taxes.
Blood supplies running critically low
The Blood Bank of Hawaii has less than two days' supply of blood, and a serious accident could wipe that out, says Dr. Julia Frohlich, president.The blood bank is keeping its doors open this weekend in an appeal to residents.
The survival of many patients depends on blood donations, stressed Dr. Reginald Ho, Straub Clinic and Hospital hematologist/oncologist.
"This is one of those items civilization and people cannot do without," he said.
Frohlich said 200 pints of blood are needed daily. The bank sends that amount to hospitals and keeps about four to five days' supply on hand - 800 to 1,000 pints, she said.
But despite blood drives and calls to regular donors, the agency is getting only about half of the blood needed, she said.
Army charges soldier with murdering his wife
A 27-year-old Schofield soldier, who reportedly admitted to Honolulu police that he killed his wife, has been charged by the Army with premeditated murder.Sgt. Jose Luis Rodriguez, a cannon crewman, is accused of killing his 22-year-old wife.
The body of Angela Rodriguez was discovered Monday in the couple's car at the Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau in Pupukea.
Rodriguez was charged yesterday afternoon, about 24 hours after Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle agreed to turn the homicide case over to the U.S. Army.
Carlisle says the Army wanted the case because the alleged offense occurred at Schofield Barracks, the defendant is an active-duty soldier, and key witness are in the military or military family members.
"All military communities are close-knit, so the people here are just shocked by what happened," said Capt. Rob Rooker, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division.
"They especially feel for the two (Rodriguez) children."
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffHumanlike remains found in Kalihi stream being tested
An autopsy was to be performed today to determine whether decomposed remains discovered in a Kalihi Valley stream are of human origin.Firefighters yesterday retrieved a white plastic trash bag containing the remains from a shallow stream that runs parallel to the 2800 block of Numana Road.
"What we have is unidentified soft-tissue remains," homicide Lt. Allen Napoleon said after consulting with an investigator from the medical examiner's office. "She feels it may be an animal."
Kalihi Uka fire Capt. Juvie Coito, however, said the remains appeared to be human.
"It looked like a human fetus," Coito said. "The head was hanging out of the bag and it looked human to me.
"When we lifted the bag out of the water, there were some holes in it and we could see some things inside, like an umbilical cord and entrails," he added.
The firefighters did not open the bag to examine its contents, Coito said.
A Numana Road resident called police yesterday to report the bag in the stream because the contents appeared suspicious.
Homeless man charged in stabbing in Kalihi
Police yesterday charged a homeless man in connection with a Tuesday stabbing in Kalihi.Thomas J. Lange, 33, allegedly stabbed the victim, 46, after they had drinks together at an apartment building at 963 Robello Lane, police said.
Lange was charged with second-degree attempted murder and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Tip to CrimeStoppers nails escaped inmate
Police yesterday arrested an inmate who has been at large since July.Police arrested Andrew Luna, 30, in Kaimuki at 10:15 p.m. after receiving a CrimeStoppers tip.
Luna, of Makaha, escaped from Laumaka Conditional Release Center on July 19.
One Pali lane closes after traffic accident
An accident this morning involving a police motorcycle officer closed one lane on the Pali Highway, causing heavy congestion for morning commuters.Police said the 4:45 a.m. accident was in the Honolulu-bound lanes of the Pali Highway near Wood Street.
The officer was taken to Queen's Hospital in stable condition.
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