Small Business News
December 2005 | Online Edition
June Arunga to Speak on Free Market & Property Rights
Small Business Hawaii (SBH) is pleased to co sponsor this breakfast with Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and others. SBH Leadership Circle members are invited as guests of SBH (RSVP to Darlyn at 396-1724)
SBH is honored to be hosting a young lady (23) born and raised in Kenya. June Arunga is in Hawaii from London (where she attends law school) from December 8-23, 2005. One of the events we have planned is a breakfast (buffet) at the Pacific Club on December 21 from 7:00 -8:45am where June will speak about her personal discovery of the importance of the free-market and property rights to a civil society.
Click here for more: http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/JuneArunga.shtml
June and John Stossel were the kick-off speakers for the Atlas Foundation annual meeting in NYC on 11/9/2005. You will be very glad you had an opportunity to see and hear June. She is a marvelous example of blooming human potential. Co-sponsors of this event besides GRIH are The Federalist Society-Hawaii Chapter, Pacific Legal Foundation, Small Business Hawaii, and Hawaii Young Republicans.
When: Dec. 21st 7:00 -8:45am; Buffet Breakfast
Where: Pacific Club
What: Presentation and Q+A session by June Arunga
Cost: $25. $30 at the door, space permitting.
Reservations required, call 591-9193 (credit card accepted). RSVP by December 16, 2005
Dale Evans (center) of Charley's Taxi received The Brand Strategy Group's "Living the Brand" award at November 17's monthly SBH Sunrise Networking Breakfast. She is shown with the firm's Gloria Garvey (left) and Brook Gramann (right), who were the featured speakers this month. Tom Jones of Gyotaku Restaurant will be the SBH Sunrise Speaker on Dec. 29.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I Am Not a Gas Cap Scoundral
In your October issue, I was dismayed to see my name appear on a list headlined “Legislative Scoundrels Who Gave Hawaii The Gas Cap.” On the contrary, I do not support the gas cap, and never have.
Back in 2002, when the gas cap was first discussed at the legislature, I was open to any idea that might combat rising gas prices. But as the session drew to a close, I knew that the gas cap would be bad for business, disappointing for consumers, and dreadful for our economy. I heeded the advice of experts who warned us that the gas cap would result in distortions and inefficiencies in the market. After listening to all the testimony, in the end, I voted “no.” The measure passed despite my “no” vote, and was set to go into effect July 1, 2004.
In 2004, gas cap supporters acknowledged the negative consequences that would result from this sort of market regulation. Under the rationale of further studies, supporters of the gas cap removed the retail cap, changed the wholesale cap, and added various margins for transportation of product, marketing, and locations. In other words, they further distorted whatever free market principles existed in the gas industry. Supporters also delayed implementation of this misguided law, laying the groundwork for a difficult vote. As an opponent of the gas cap, if I vote against the bill and that vote carried the day, I would help sentence Hawaii to the gas cap on July 1, 2004, giving Hawaii higher gas prices through the summer months due to the seasonal increase on the mainland. If I voted for the bill, I pushed off the implementation for another year and then some. Either way, the gas cap was going to become law. If you look back in the House Journal at my remarks in the chamber, it is clear that I supported the delay, not the gas cap.
In the 2004 House Journal (p. 1257, 1258) I am quoted as saying, “I’m rising with very serious reservations, but I’m going to vote in favor of the bill because it delays the implementation date. I think that it is a serious mistake to continue with it [the gas cap]. But the one redeeming fact that the bill has is that it delays the implementation date. And for that reason, I can vote in favor of it because it’s critical to postpone that implementation date until we get some sound sense in this Chamber.”
I was very clear about my reason for voting yes, delaying the implementation of the gas cap. Up until that point, all expert testimony had expressed deep concern and doubt about the effectiveness of implementing such a regulative policy. If the gas cap was delayed for another year, there was a chance to stop this law. Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way. Now let’s work towards helping the Hawaii consumer instead of pointing fingers and finding fault in those where it doesn’t exist.
State Rep. Cynthia Thielen
Incorrect Statement Regarding Gary Johnson
On page 8 of Small Business News (November, 2005) you summarized Gary Johnson’s talk at SBH. Gary did not and would not advocate marijuana use. What he does advocate is the decriminalization of use. He recommends against individuals electing to use illicit drugs, marjuana, alcohol, tobacco and for all I know, coffee. But he does not want to put people in jail for use of such only. If use is accompanied by theft, assault, or other obvious crimes, he says “book ‘em” for that crime, promptly and even harshly. Hope you clarify that, it is an important distinction.
Richard O. Rowland,
President, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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