Small Business Hawaii | Volume 24 Number 11 | November 1999
How many times have you muttered to yourself, "I wish the government was more pro-business." If you're a small business owner in Hawaii such sentiments are understandable. But remember the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for. You might get it." Hawaii's government is pro-business in many unfortunate ways. The State's fat CIP budget is a great example. Our State spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year doing business with private contractors, architects, engineers and consultants of all kinds. I think I remember hearing that they spend 55 million dollars a year on consultants alone. Now isn't that "pro-business?" Or how would you like to get the engineering contract for portable school rooms. The contractor can build'em for $60,000 but the State ends up paying $500,000 each after all the engineering studies are done. Of course those school rooms are for our keiki. You wouldn't want your kid to attend school in a classroom that hadn't cost five times as much to design as it did to build. The point is it is impossible for the government to be pro-business in the abstract sense. Government help for business invariably means rewarding politically favored businesses at the expense of the community as a whole. Small business, aside from the construction industry, are not in a position to get favors given to large firms with plenty of money to give in campaign contributions and plenty of employees concerned about their jobs. So any active pro-business agenda means you subsidize them. Small business is best served by a government that is neutral. A government that lives by the rule of equal protection under the law and refrains from meddling in the economic affairs of the community will only occur through the Libertarian Party's success. So if you've ever wondered why you should consider supporting or joining us now you have the answer.
By Ken Schoolland, What do presidential candidates and elephant dung artists have in common? Both want taxpayers to pay for their exhibits. Politicians want taxpayers to pay for election campaigns and artists in New York want taxpayers to pay for a display of elephant dung art in the Brooklyn Museum. Presidential candidates say they have a right to freedom of expression. Fine. Let them express any way they want‹but with their own money, not the taxpayer's. Elephant dung artists say they have a right to freedom of expression. Fine. Let them express any way they want‹but with their own money, not the taxpayer's. Why is there a problem with this? While politicians and artists claim to have a right to "freedom of expression," they should recognize that taxpayers have the same right. Freedom of expression includes the right not to pay for ideas that are repulsive. In 1777 Thomas Jefferson wrote, "To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical." Surely Jefferson would be surprised to see what people are compelled to pay for today. Some people say that forcing taxpayers to pay for political campaigns will clean up politics. I think not. Politicians will always sell favors so long as they have valuable favors to sell. Some people say that forcing taxpayers to pay for art will serve up great culture. I think not. Artists will always sell elephant dung so long as they have taxes to promote it. Presidential candidates and elephant dung really have too much in common. I say, free the taxpayer from both.
Teens At Work - An Underused Resource By Helene Robin, HR2 Consulting About one in four American high school students has a job at any time, according to the US Department of Labor. To make the most of young employees and to give them the most valuable work experiences, employers have to overcome concerns about teenagers' commitment, productivity, appearance or skills. Employers who have worked with teenage employees say the key to success is showing young workers how their job contributes to the business as a whole. Most young people are not interested in running a Ferris wheel or filling orders at fast-food restaurants. This is not a long-term job for them. These jobs have nothing to do with the teenager's later life, so they look at these jobs as just ways to earn spending money. Employers are well aware of, and frequently complain about teenagers' lack of commitment to their jobs. To remedy the situation, employers should tell young people more about the business side of the organization for which they work - the management, the industry and the decision-making process. Young employees need to understand how their jobs, often menial, fit into the whole of the organization. Teenagers come to the workplace very much like adults come; believing in themselves, having a sense of who they are and certain kind of expectations about the work is like. Rules must be clearly communicated and universally applied. Employers also need to provide teenagers with feedback and support. Students have the technical skills but we have to teach them how to apply those technical skills. Ultimately, helping your employees become familiar with the workplace and confident in the role they play can be extremely rewarding. The U.S. Department of Labor prohibits teens under the age of 18 from holding these types of jobs: Manufacturing, driving a motor vehicle or being an outside helper on a motor vehicle, mining, logging and sawmilling, packing or processing meat, wrecking, demolition and shipbreaking operations, roofing, excavating and working jobs with exposure to radioactive substances and ionizing radiations. Federal laws limit the jobs that 14 and 15 year olds may do. Hours are restricted to three hours on a school day or a total of 18 hours in a school week. When younger teenagers are not in school, they can only work for eight hours in a day and the maximum of 40 hours. Work must be performed between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Employers must be aware of laws and regulations related to teens in the workplace and ensure that they are in compliance with those laws. For more information, please call HR2 Consulting at 526-0000.
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