Gov. Linda Lingle, who has trips booked to Denver and Bali in the coming weeks, might want to spend at least some time in Honolulu going over old speeches, such as last year's State of the State shocker.

That was when Lingle announced that to protect the scenic North Shore from overdevelopment, the state would purchase the Turtle Bay resort. She suggested some sort of government, nonprofit and private sector collaboration. Time was running out, Lingle said, because the owners were planning an additional 3,500 units, allowed under old city zoning.

  The obvious strain on the area's limited roads, sewers and housing caused Honolulu planners and environmentalists to break out in hives, so Lingle's idea sounded like just the right green thing to do.

Since then, we have had another green problem: no more greenbacks in the state treasury.

“;I can tell you this, with this economy, when the state looks at the budget next year, it is going to be brutal, just brutal,”; said U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who adds that the $700 billion federal bailout of U.S. financial institutions will do little to help Hawaii's own budget.

House Speaker Rep. Calvin Say is equally blunt. He sees not a bit of state revenue growth in the next year.

“;They say, 'I think we are looking at a $160 million shortfall'; I say, look at it being at least $210 million - wake up gang,”; said Say, who did the heavy lifting on the state budget during much of the state's last budget downturn.

  As for the noble idea of saving the North Shore, “;Where is she going to find the money ... Turtle Bay is out of the picture,”; Say said.

Last week, Star-Bulletin business reporter Kristen Consillio gave the update on Turtle Bay - the resort had failed to attract a buyer and the lenders are in a quandary. If a buyer is not found by the end of the year, the owner might lose the property and make it even more difficult for the state to step in.

Bill Paty, chairman of Lingle's Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group, says don't count on state bucks going for a Turtle Bay bailout.

“;It is not interested in acquiring the property. That takes money and the state doesn't have any money and we don't expect a great deal of monetary support given the economic times,”; Paty told Consillio.

Monetary support, indeed.

Between plane rides, the governor will have to touch down in Honolulu long enough to make some tough decisions.

  Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin. Reach him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)