ADB payback bill sent to Senate

Associated Press

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $5 million to reimburse the city and state for security costs associated with the Asian Development Bank conference in Honolulu in May.

"I recognize this provision may meet resistance in the House, but I will do my best to hold firm on this number throughout the appropriations process," Sen. Daniel Inouye said yesterday in a news release issued by his Washington office.

The federal government is not obligated to provide any financial assistance.

The Honolulu Police Department has said providing security for the ADB meetings cost $3.5 million. The conference cost other city departments more than $314,000, city spokeswoman Carol Costa has said.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority spent about $2.1 million on the conference, with $336,250 of that total provided by private business, said Robert Fishman, the authority's chief executive.

The $5 million appropriation is among $73.5 million in Hawai'i and Pacific projects included in the fiscal 2002 Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Bill, Inouye said.

The measure now goes to the full Senate for approval.

Correction: Private business provided $336,250 of approximately $2.1 million spent by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority on the Asian Development Bank conference here in May. A previous version of this article reported a smaller amount for private business.