September 30
Geoff Segal

Tuesday, September 14
East Oahu Breakfast Club
Hawaii Kai Golf Clubhouse
7 - 8 am

Saturday, September 18
Primary Election

Tuesday, September 21
Aiea-Pearl City
Biz Association
Pearl Country Club
Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 30
SBH Sunrise Breakfast
Geoff Segal
Macy's Pineapple Room
7 - 8:30 am

SBH TV
Sundays 7:00 pm
Channel 54

PAYCHECKS HAWAII Endorses
Mufi Hannemann for Mayor

PAYCHECKS HAWAII, the non-partisan, independent political action affiliate of Small Business Hawaii, has announced its endorsement of Mufi Hannemann for Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu. The mayoral post is non - partisan. Small Business Hawaii (SBH) does not make any political endorsements.

Hawaii's Primary Election is Saturday, September 18 and the General Election, Tuesday, November 2. In the race for Mayor - there are 10 candidates - if one wins 50% plus 1 of the vote on September 18 he (or she) will be elected outright; otherwise, the two leading vote getters will compete November 2.

PAYCHECKS HAWAII, founded in 1984 by Lex Brodie and Sam Slom, usually focuses its major endorsement activity on statewide offices - State House, State Senate and Governor. (Note: PAYCHECKS HAWAII endorsements for these offices for candidates with a primary election opponent, appear on page 3). In selecting Hannemann over Duke Bainum, the PAYCHECKS HAWAII Trustees said they were disappointed that neither of the leading candidates would sign a No Tax Pledge, but that because the position of Mayor has gained importance and impact on small business with more projects and more money in recent years, it was important to endorse a candidate.

Both candidates have supported government rail transport, a costly inoperative boondoggle, though Bainum went much further in his strong initial advocacy and support for the $1 billion destructive Bus Rapid Transit scheme (BRT). Bainum's tax proposals also have hurt island farmers and agriculture business. The number of union endorsements for both candidates was a concern, but PAYCHECKS HAWAII felt that taking all things into consideration: breadth of past business and government experience; voting records on tax and spending proposals, attitude on role of government vs. business and accessibility of the candidates, Mufi Hannemann was the best choice for small business entrepreneurs and the best candidate to work with in the future.

PAYCHECKS HAWAII urges small business to support Hannemann's candidacy.

SELECT THIS LINK FOR MORE PRIMARY ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS

Hawaii's New and Improved Welfare to
Work Program set for October Launch

By Richard Rowland, President
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Inc.

For the past year, American Institute for Full Employment (AIFE) has had a team working with the Department of Human Services to streamline and improve our state welfare-to-work programs. They started from a base that had Hawaii 50th of the states in effectiveness. The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been supporting and helping them.

The new restructured program is now set for rollout Oct. 1, 2004. It will require, if it is to be fully effective, business owners and managers to participate in a big way.

In broad terms, here is what is available.

Employers who choose to allow a person on welfare to work for them can get the employee for six months (possibly up to 12 months) with virtually no cost to the employer. The state handles pay, assists with transportation, health care, child care, etc. The employer and his existing employees train, mentor and develop the new worker. The employer remains in control in hiring and firing.

This is a great opportunity for participating employers to have new employee training and development virtually cost-free. Many of these welfare recipients are capable, willing and have potential to develop into great long-time participants in the business.

To get the new program started, Ted Abram, Executive Director of the American Institute for Full Employment, was in town August 19 to 26. He was available for one-on-one meetings and two formal events.