August 2006 | Small Business News
Small Business Views
By Sam Slom, President and Executive Director of Small Business Hawaii
Wow! "Broken Trust - Lessons Learned" the special SBH public forum on Wednesday, July 5 at the Hale Koa Hotel (150 attended) featuring Randy Roth, Judge Sam King, Congressman Ed Case, newsman David Shapiro, former Campaign Spending Commission chair, Bob Watada and Hawaiian activist attorney Beadie Dawson was a hit. Shapiro, former Star-Bulletin managing editor, now with The Honolulu Advertiser, had the audience rolling in the aisle with his off the cuff, candid, no-nonsense responses about the media's reluctance to print the original essay (which he did publish). HawaiiReporter's Malia Zimmerman organized, developed and moderated the forum. Members anxiously await a special SBH DVD by Jerry Stanfield of the event. See Malia's story starting on page 1.
The Akaka Bill is history but OHA (the Office of Hawaiian Affairs) with money burning a hole in their Trustees' pockets, made a move to buy KGMB-TV (the estimated cost is around $40 million) but backed down when there was a public outcry. Money, from Hawaii taxpayers of all backgrounds, is to help Native Hawaiians with health, housing and education, not propaganda. OHA first voted to explore the expenditure, then voted to end it with Trustees Rowena Akana and Oswald Stender still stubbornly supporting the effort to further propagandize OHA. Now OHA is openly pushing separate state recognized "nationhood" for Native Hawaiians even though many have expressed no interest in independence from The U.S.A.
No special legislative session or override of Governor Linda Lingle's 27 vetoes on July 11 despite whining and threats from public employee unions HGEA, UPW and HSTA. They begged their Democrat clients to meet and override all of the vetoes, especially those that harmed business and helped organized labor. Hooray for Governor Lingle for her vetoes of some very destructive anti business bills. See list on page 3.
The Hawaii State Teachers Union (HSTA) and the Department of Education have begun their annual "teacher shortage" wail ,yet it is the very HSTA and DOE who refuse to hire many qualified local people.
The bottle tax administrative fee will increase to 1.5¢ (non-refundable) next month. The tax already has million of non-refunded fees in a state special fund. Another government rip off in the name of "recycling."
Thanks to the Guv you can still harvest and eat opihi on the sandbar in Kaneohe Bay
The filing deadline for all candidates was July 25 (after SB News went to press) but some surprises were still expected. A complete list of candidates will appear in the next issue prior to the September 23 Primary.
Don't say, "ready, set, go!" around any Hawaiian Air officers or employees. HAL is still suing the fledgling go! Airline and there have been nasty words expressed. Aloha chose to fight the new competitor with lower rates. Always a consumer pleaser.
Alexander & Baldwin, dealt a blow on Kaka'ako development plans, has launched a move to repurchase a lot of its own stock.
Former Governor John Waihee in financial difficulties again. Bank of Hawaii threatened to foreclose on his home earlier in the year and now American Express has sued for $72,000 in unpaid charges in June. This is the same Governor who had several hundred millions in tax surplus during the latter days of the end of his second term (1993-94) but left incoming Governor Ben Cayetano with a nearly $250 million deficit in December, 1994. Where did the money go? The media at the time didn't seem interested in following the money or the Governor. Too bad there was no HawaiiReporter at the time.
Prediction: the .5% General Excise Tax surcharge on Oahu will not be ready for collection January 1, 2007. However, the .12.5% increase may be collected anyway and put into escrow pending adoption of rules and regs. The tax is supposedly for the Train to Nowhere mass transit not scheduled to break any ground until at least 2009.
The "enhanced 9-1-1" cell phone tax, initiated in Hawaii in July, 2004, takes 66¢ monthly from every Hawaii cell user and now has a fund balance of $12 million though only Maui County has the service. Screwed again.
Kahala Mall says the flood-damaged 8-plex theatres should reopen in late October.
A new storage facility on almost every block in all parts of Honolulu and all seem to be profitable because we all have too much stuffs and too little house space. Auwe!
I'm boycotting the new "Superman" movie, even though UH has production credit, "S" is no longer American and doesn't fight for, "truth, justice, and the American way."
SBH Sunrise August 31 features HVCB's John Monahan. Get the real scoop on Hawaii's visitor industry and its impact on small business.
Don’t forget to regularly check our website at www.smallbusinesshawaii.com .
|
