June 2007 | Small Business News
Small Business Views
By Sam Slom, President and Executive Director of Small Business Hawaii
Hawaii's economy is slowing and the rate of inflation is accelerating. It is pegged at an estimated 4.5% for 2007. The added tax and fee burden on Isle residents and businesses will become more pronounced in future months. Plan ahead.
Visitor arrivals also have slowed with the hammer coming from a continuing decrease in Japanese visitors. Could the state's year old smoking ban have anything to do with it?
WalMart had its worst sales tally in 28 years in April. Could part of this be the company's recent decision to support government intervention into employer health care (like Hawaii's Prepaid Healthcare Act?) and other concessions to unions?
Just when you thought the Legislature was pau, there probably will be a Special Session (to correct badly crafted last minute versions of a few bills and to override more of the Governor's vetoes) on July 10.
Governor Lingle selected Kauai businessman, Allan A. Smith, of Grove Farm, to be the interim director of the state Department of Land and Natural resources after director Peter Young was not reconfirmed by the 2007 Senate.
The Arbitron radio survey was received by numerous local residents last month and the first thing noticed? The primary language is Spanish throughout the entire survey.
Top national awards for Honolulu magazine: The publication was a finalist for two Regional Magazine Association awards in Denver last month. It won a bronze award for General Excellence and the John Heckathorn dining column was also awarded a bronze. Congratulations to editor Kam Napier and Honolulu staff.
Hooray! The Governor selected the winning design for Hawaii's new quarter, the 50th state quarter which will debut next year."Hawaii, the Island State," features King Kamehameha I, an Island map and the state motto. Some Native Hawaiian groups already expressed their displeasure for putting their King on American money. Meanwhile, the divisive Akaka Bill (version 7.0) continues to stumble through Congress.
A new growth industry? Sue Kamehameha Schools and gain a hefty settlement for the plaintiff and attorneys.
Honolulu may soon out-source its garbage to the Mainland; but only after assuring it keeps its tipping fees and flow rates.
It is with great sadness that I report the sudden deaths in early May of two longtime and active SBH members, L.A. Jones, and Levi Lake of TAGS Auto Registration Services. L.A. 78, had been a classmate of Dr. Martin Luther King and was active in many Honolulu civil rights activities. We'll miss his smiling face at Sunrise and other SBH activities. Levi, only 48, was a man for all seasons and likewise, had a ready smile and vibrant personality.
Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist was in Hawaii for several speaking engagements with the Grassroot Institute and the SPN Pacific Rim Conference last month. He also appeared at a special SBH Leadership Circle meeting and the Hawaii Reporter 5th Anniversary on May 25. Norquist has a new book coming out in January about right and left coalition movements and is considering another book about the Bush Administration and some wrong decisions.
Speaking of Hawaii Reporter, the daily Internet newspaper and its president (SBH member) Malia Zimmerman, making national headlines and possibly precedent setting judicial notice. Subpoenas were issued in a case brought here in Honolulu seeking compulsory disclosure of confidential sources involved in the James Pflueger Kauai Kaloko Dam case that resulted in 8 deaths. Zimmerman was also a consultant to ABC-TV's"20/20." She's asked to give up her sources and her paper is being treated differently for First Amendment purposes than print media. Media folk following this case across the country, with little reporting here.
Former Campaign Spending Commission Chair, and father of anti-war soldier Lt. Ehren Watada, Bob Watada and wife, moved to Oregon last month to be near his son.
What's with the AT & T/Cingular/AT&T cellular switch? Several years ago, with great fanfare and billions of dollars, Cingular, bought AT & T, switched names, logos and colors. Last month Cingular became the"new AT & T." With all the purchase and marketing bucks spent, they could have given all of us the top of the line phones for $1 a month.
Join us Thursday, June 28 at the Pineapple Room Ala Moana for the monthly SBH Sunrise Networking Breakfast featuring tax and fiscal expert, Lowell Kalapa of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, 7 am.
Please check our website at www.smallbusinesshawaii.com for the most updated employer alerts and events.
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