Small Business News
February 2004
Small Business Views
By Sam Slom, President and Executive Director of Small Business Hawaii
Small Business Hawaii's 28th annual conference, Wednesday, January 14, featured a great lineup of speakers, events and valuable information from Governor Linda Lingle, state cabinet level officials, Congressman Ed Case, small business success stories and nationally known investment advisor, Dr. John Rutledge. You should not have missed this economic jump start for the new year.
Missing at the Conference was State Rep. Brian Schatz, House Majority Whip- and any House Democrat. Again, they showed disrespect for the small business community by ditching business owners they claim to revere-at election time. The senate president, Robert Bunda and House Speaker Calvin Say, refused to participate in the legislative panel ( they get months of early invitation). Only Democrat Senator Colleen Hanabusa is consistently unafraid to face any audience and to openly discuss the state's top issues. She joined Sen. Fred Hemmings and Rep. Colleen Meyer.
In for the Conference was Dick Patten of the American Family Business Institute of Washington, D.C. who is a champion in trying to defeat the "Death (Estate) Tax." He hooked up with local activists to accomplish this tax cut that SBH fully supports.
Our member and Director, Jim Sharp, was named Chief Financial Officer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), last month. Congratulations to Jim - yet another example of SBH leadership in our community.
Brian Zinn, owner of member Copy Shop, and a member of the Governor's Small Business Regulatory Review Board, takes his voluntary job advocating for small business seriously and publicly took issue with the planned shutdown of a small business on the Big Island and said clearly it smacked of conflict of interest with high ranking government officials. We need more like him.
The John Hancock small business retirement forum, organized by Alan Higa on January 27 was an important educational tool for small business owners seeking an alternative to protecting hard-earned assets.
Hawaii's unprecedented recent bad weather (rain, floods, wind) cost business millions. SBA and state loans are available but it is still very costly. Loans don't replace lost sales and inventory.
Hear Bob Sigall at February 26 Sunrise.
Governor Lingle's 2nd State of the State speech, January 26, was great. It was realistic, optimistic and hopeful. The majority party, which lacks meaningful change programs of their own-other than more taxes, regulations and socialism-could only criticize. Education reform is top on the agenda. Workers Compensation reform and fraud control is number one with business, large and small.
Famed author, Bill Ouchi, "Theory Z" management guru and volunteer for educational reform, has been personally and professionally attacked by local Democrats for his support of the Governor's CARE program and his insistence on the need for educational decentralization. Democrats love the idea of his "weighted student formula," where money follows the student, but won't buy in to the whole package needed for real reform.
Cliff Slater wrote of "weighted bureaucrat formula" $$ follows politicos.
KHVH's Rick Hamada, doing his best to keep you informed during this legislative session (and all year round). Tune in (830 am) at 7 - 8 am for: Rep. Scott Saiki (D) and Rep. Galen Fox (R)(Monday); Governor Lingle (Wednesday) and Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D) and yours truly (Thursday).
Sneak Attack by City Council (except for Charles Djou); they voted Christmas Eve in a Jeremy Harris - orchestrated "special" meeting to raise your motor vehicle registration fee by 60% to pay for police raises.
Ben Dobbin of the Associated press reported that facing digital heat, Kodak scrapped 35mm film cameras in North America and Western Europe .
The $156,000 pot hole fixing machine-that never worked-purchased by the Cayetano Administration, was sold to a mainland community by the Lingle Administration.
Businesses have had to pay a fee to DCCA to show they were in compliance with state laws. Director Mark Recktenwald with the Governor's support, is ending that cost.
Major competition finally is coming here to HMSA and Kaiser. Tempe, Ariz.-based I/MX Companies' has the resources to compete with Hawaii's two major medical providers where others have failed. This, along with Medical Savings Accounts and other options, is welcome news to business owners and independent contractors shut out for affordable, comprehensive group insurance.
This year is going to be teriffic! Don't forget to regularly check our website at www.smallbusinesshawaii.com.
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