Small Business News
May 2005 | Online Edition
Small Business Views
By Sam Slom, President and Executive Director of Small Business Hawaii
The final days of the 2005 Legislature are marked by arrogance, alleged ethical violations and business intimidation. (See separate stories this issue.)
Mahalo to Rick Hamada and KHVH for again spearheading a pro taxpayer, anti tax rally at the state Capitol on Tuesday, April 26.
Those budget busting Union Arbitration awards amounted to $97 million just for the HGEA with UP and HSTA to follow—an estimated $150 – $200 million bill in total. The UPW was running commercials on KHVH that invited the Governor to pick up rubbish with them (“everyone loves the rubbishman”) They do provide a valuable service and do a good job; how much we can afford and why an increase at all, are the issues. Many private sector employees — whose employers pay for public raises — are just happy they continue to have a job with fair wages and benefits. The Legislature doesn’t pay .
As I have said previously, it seems lawmakers meet at the capitol just to kiss beauty queens and raise taxes to give more pay to public employees. And there’s fewer queens.
Meanwhile, substitute teachers, screwed by the DOE and HSTA, took the offensive by filing lawsuits and become more vocal. There are more than 5,000 subs and on any one day, about 1,000 of them teach our kids. They were lied to by the DOE and the union and they deserve better but HSTA and DOE should not be rewarded for bad behavior with more money, yet that’s what they get.
Remember those mandatory ethics training requirements this year (the result of Democrat legislation and speeches last year)? Apparently Senators Clayton Hee, Kalani English and Brian Kanno — all Democrats —had a lapse during the training. All are under a cloud for activities deemed “inappropriate” by some and “unethical” by others. Both Kanno and Hee have been asked to give up their Senate Chairmanships (Labor and Higher Education, respectively) but neither did. Action is pending.
Senate President Robert Bunda appointed Bank of Hawaii executive Wes Imamura to the Judicial Selection Committee. Days later, Bankoh fired Imamura and others for falsifying documentation that they had attended required Insurance education.
Additional sanctions may come from the State Insurance Commissioner. After Hawaii Reporter broke this story, Imamura submitted his resignation in late April.
Fifteen years ago, Small Business Hawaii and PAYCHECKS HAWAII, our independent political affiliate, became the first organizations in Hawaii to call upon elected officials not to schedule fund raisers during the Legislature. Our position, then and now, is that to solicit money from individuals and businesses while you are debating legislation affecting them, is unethical, inappropriate, a conflict at best and extortion at worst. Now with the scandal surrounding Sen. Hee, there is a new call by many more organizations to ban these fundraisers next year between January and May. SBH continues to support this meaningful campaign reform.
The Governor indicated she will veto the so-called “Clean” Elections bill which forces taxpayers to fund politicians’ campaigns; even those they disagree with. Many politicos who lack the backbone to vote this down publicly and cower before the well-financed special interests supporting this looting of the public, would heave a sigh of relief for the veto.
The $15 million proposed state upgrading of Queen Street is a blow to many small businesses in the area who worked with the state seeking a reasonable relief plan. They feel they didn’t get a fair shake from the Governor and may take legal action. SBH supports these small owners led by Cliff and Jim Garcia of Tropical Lamp & Shade.
Some people wonder why Small Business Hawaii and SB News get involved in exposing government corruption and intimidation of business. Some would prefer if SBH stuck to just reporting awards and noncontroversial business profiles. The answer is that the public — including small business — has a right and responsibility to know what their government is doing because business helps pay for it. Further, since the mainstream media — print and TV — report less about government’s role in the business climate and what happens, SBH has partnered with HawaiiReporter, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, Grassroot Institute and others to bring you this information. What you choose to do with it is your business, but SBH won’t allow politicians and others to ever say, “Oh, is that what it means?; we didn’t know.”
Wally Amos, our March Sunrise speaker, reenters the cookie business, Sunday, June 5 with opening of his store in Kailua
Many in the public (and Capitol) still don’t understand why forced minimum wage increases hurt business — and employees. Your membership referrals are welcome.
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