Incoming city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle intends to go after them "with enthusiasm" once he's sworn in Jan. 2.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday rejected arguments by vendors that the city's ban on Waikiki T-shirt stands infringes on their free speech rights.

While mayors Jeremy Harris and Frank Fasi fought to uphold the law, outgoing Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro has been reluctant to enforce the provision. Kaneshiro said he wanted the case to be cleared before proceeding.

Kaneshiro could not be reached for comment.

Carlisle said: "They (vendors) are a colossal pain in the neck, a threat to our tourist economy."

He dismissed the First Amendment argument.

"It isn't more than a commercial-based activity trying to hide behind the guise of the First Amendment," he said.

"They are nothing more than people attempting to make a living at the expense of legitimate retail establishments and the peace, tranquility and aesthetics of Waikiki."

Carlisle added that, unlike Kaneshiro, he would have had no qualms about enforcing the law from the beginning. "It was clear to me that it was a City and County (of Honolulu) ordinance that should have been enforced."

Those were exactly the words Mayor Harris was longing to hear.

He said there will be a "zero tolerance" of vending in Waikiki.

Most of the vendors left when the city began cracking down in January 1995. But some have sold the shirts on occasion.

Police report there have been nine citations issued to vendors since July.

The city spent $110,000 hiring legal experts Jon Van Dyke of the University of Hawaii and Kathleen Sullivan of Stanford University to assist with the case.