Hawaii governor insists unions come up with budget-cut plan

The unions representing state workers said yesterday they want to meet with Gov. Linda Lingle on how to resolve the state's budget crisis, but the governor does not want to come to the table unless the unions present a formal plan..."We will sit down anyplace, at any time, at any date and listen to their formal proposals to us, because we have made a formal proposal as the employer group, and we are waiting for them to respond to our formal proposal," Smith said.

(This will make it difficult for the unions to continue as chaos-creating agents whose goal in these so-called 'negotiations' is to advance the election of Neil or Mufi in 2010.  The wise observer will note that NONE of the Democrats/unions  has come up with a counter-proposal to Lingle's.  Except Hanabusa, and her's depends on money falling from the heavens.)

Jodi Chai, HGEA communications officer, said yesterday that the union leaders immediately contacted a federal mediator after Sakamoto's ruling, seeking a meeting with the state.

"It was going to be for today (yesterday) at 10, and then the governor wasn't willing to meet unless it was a formal meeting," Chai said. "But the unions felt more progress would be made if it was ... an open discussion." (Irresponsible to the last)

Lingle has said she would begin laying off state workers if her furlough plans were denied.

But Smith said that Lingle wants to avoid layoffs as much as possible.

"If there are any areas that we have not yet found that we believe we could perhaps tap, in terms of dollars ... and (wouldn't) affect health and safety ... we would look at those areas first," Smith said. "And then if we have to look at positions, and people in those positions, that would be our second tier."

SB Democrat Borreca: Lingle and unions whiff on meeting

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Beijing supports Pyongyang nuclear tests to challenge the USA

China supports Kim Jong-il’s regime with food, energy and industrial products. Beijing is using Pyongyang to force the United States to compromises that will guarantee the Chinese Communist Party survival. A keen analysis by one of the “Fathers of Democracy” currently exiled in the United States.

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North Korea Test-Fires Seven Missiles, Drawing Condemnation

July 4 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea test fired seven short- range missiles, two days after launching four rockets, spurring condemnations from the U.S., South Korea and Japan.

The launches took place between 8 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. today, from Kitdaeryong in Kangwon province, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in statements.

North Korea fired the missiles off its east cost, Yonhap news reported earlier, citing a government official. The missiles are estimated to have a range of as much as 500 kilometers (310 miles), enough for the North to strike most of South Korea, the Korean-language news agency said.

WaPo: North Korea Launches 7 Missiles Off Its East Coast

North Korea has more than 200 of these missiles, which are capable of striking nearly all of Japan (and S Korea). They are regarded by the Japanese government as a serious threat, and it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years buying two U.S.-made anti-missile defense systems.

Some weapons experts in the United States say that North Korea may already have the capacity to mount a small nuclear warhead on a Nodong, and there is widespread expert agreement that the North is working on it.

SB: North Korea fires more missiles, but none aimed at Hawaii , KHON: Hawaii Takes Precaution As North Korea's Missile Tests Continue

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Hawaii County sues over Waikoloa housing project

Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida filed the civil lawsuit against UniDev on Monday. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages; Ashida declined to give a specific amount Thursday.
Ashida acknowledged filing the lawsuit and said questions about the suit could be answered by consulting the document, which he filed in the 3rd Circuit Court in Kona. He declined to offer any additional comments about the legal action.

UniDev did not submit false or misleading invoices and did get independent funding, he said, contrary to the county's claims.
Minter said he was surprised to hear of the lawsuit Thursday, because the company was already in the process of filing its own suit against the county for more than $3 million in unpaid fees. UniDev will file that as a countersuit, he said.

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Hawaii County hires delinquent trash hauler

A company in hock to the county over landfill tipping fees is one of four companies that recently won trash-hauling contracts.

In all, commercial waste haulers owe the county $2.8 million in tipping fees at isle landfills, with $1.4 million of that more than 90 days past due, said Robin Bauman, business manager for the Environmental Management Department.

The county recently awarded one-year contracts to four haulers: Business Services Hawaii, Hawaiian Roll-Off Services, Pacific Waste and Ryan's Rubbish & Roll-Off Service.

The contracts generally are less than $25,000 annually.
However, Hilo-based Ryan's Rubbish was awarded a contract even though it owes the county $91,787, of which $75,050 is more than 90 days past due.

Companies that owe the county may do better by working off some of that debt than being denied the chance to compete, she said.

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