BIG ISLAND READY FOR DRUG-RAID MONEY

Hilo, Ha wai'i - After hours of testimony and debate, the Hawaii County
Council Finance Committee voted 5-3 yesterday to accept more federal money
for marijuana eradication.

The final vote by the full council is scheduled later this month. Council
Chairman Jimmy Arakaki did not vote yesterday and is expected to join the
majority.

The finance panel heard from seven witnesses opposed to accepting more
federal money for marijuana eradication. They included several people who
are trying to impeach six Council members and Mayor Steve Yamashiro, whom
they accuse of failing to regulate police behavior in the marijuana raids.

The three Council members not targeted in the impeachment effort voted
against accepting the federal money - Republican Curtis Tyler and Democrat
nanacy Pisicchio of Kona and Green Party member Julie Jacobson of Upper
Puna-Ka'u.

The committee voted 7-1 to accept the Hawaii County auditor's study of the
marijuana raids. That study concluded that the missions are successful and
conducted in an orderly manner, despite inconsistancies in the number of
plant seizures reported by raiders and the actual amount confiscated.

The Big Island's marijuana eradication, called "Green Harvest," has been
conducted for two decades. The audit said the effort has stemmed the flow
of the illegal crop to the Mainland. The county spent approximately
$992,000. in federal money in the eradication program in 1993-97.