Small Business Hawaii | Volume 24 Number 12 | December 1999
Sam Slom is also a State Senator from the 8th District (Waialae Iki to Hawaii Kai)
and has a website at this URL: http://hotspotshawaii.com/sam/slom.html
Small Business Hawaii | Volume 24 Number 12 | December 1999
Sam Slom is also a State Senator from the 8th District (Waialae Iki to Hawaii Kai)
and has a website at this URL: http://hotspotshawaii.com/sam/slom.html
The Governor named the newly imported, neutered Guam brown tree snake (for dog training purposes), "Sam." He says it refers to another "Sam." Of all the names that could have been attached to the reptile.... I don't mind if the Guv did call me a snake, but it's the NEUTERED part I object to. State Rep. Bertha Leong at the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board meeting described the neutering process for snakes in graphic (and painful) detail. Ouch! Several already have died in the process. Guess I am now your small business advocate and public serpent! First Lady Vicky Cayetano, President and CEO of United Laundry Services, Inc., won the laundry operations of Queens Medical Center. This will cause 70 unemployed workers. Interestingly, United Laundry is NON-UNION. Mrs. Cayetano was invited in October as a major speaker at the SBH Annual Conference, but an employee declined for her. Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, who adjudicated the Microsoft antitrust monopoly case, reportedly has no computer literacy, but does it matter? As a nation - and a state - we now punish success and extort money from business for the government. SBH joined the efforts to "Save Our Star-Bulletin" for a non-monopoly news voice. The resignation of State Rep. Paul Oshiro for a high paying lobbying job with GTE, and Rep. Bob Herkes' threat from the IRS to work for a Bishop Estate affiliate or resign, prompted him to leave politics, is just the beginning; a number of long time Democrat incumbents will not seek office next year. Several Councilmembers will challenge others. 2000 will be a good opportunity for legislative change. At a recent speech, I chatted with a former Council powerhouse who told me how much better it was in the old days without "sunshine" (open meeting) laws. "We got things done," he said; "we would meet at a bar and tell the others what we wanted. Not as much B.S. as today with everyone involved." You bet, Councilman; if we could just get those pesky citizens out of the way, government could function much easier! Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Trustee Mililani Trask's attack on U.S. Senator Dan Inouye ("...a one-armed bandit...") sent shock waves through Hawaii. Trask refused to apologize, but did say she meant no offense to the disabled or AJAs; she's silent on "bandits." While critical of Trask, media and politicians were careful not to press the radical activist too hard, while continually complementing her energy and support of "her people." Contrast this with statements made by any non-Democrat, conservative, Caucasian, independent small business owner, or male, about government in general in Hawaii. It then becomes an example of "hatred," "racism," or "bigotry," as charged by State Administration flacks. Doubt it? Ask John Pritchett, PBN, KHON, letters writers, or yours truly. Double standards abound. Former PBN Editor, Bernie Silver, returned to San Jose and wrote a scathing commentary on how bad Hawaii is and his experiences with heat, humidity, ants, and the Aloha Spirit. He won't win any HVB awards. First came Tamigochi, then Digimon, now its Pokémon as the Japanese continue their frontal marketing assault on America's keiki heartland (and stomachland, like Burger King) Nintendo's Pokémon is awesome: trading cards, clothing, toys, games and movie ($32 million opening ) translate into billions of yen. Traffic was snarled here at BKs. Demand surpassed Disney characters. Shouldn't there be Justice Department intervention for this "monopoly?" Amazing how popular Pokémon is across the U.S. and how the youngest child in Hawaii can effortlessly recite all 152 names of the pocket monsters. Why can't we use the same techniques to get our reading, writing, geography and English skills improved? Because government runs the schools and private industry markets the toys! UH football coach June Jones was the powerful keynote speaker at SBH's Tradeshow. If leadership is indeed the key (as SBH has insisted for a decade) to any major turnaround, then there is no way our State Administration could "turn Hawaii's economy around" after a devastating decade it created. More fallout from the failed Hawaiian Super Grand Prix auto race that never happened. Small business suffered most with no insurance and major vendor loss. Lawsuits coming. The commercial, "Better Pizza, Better Ingredients" by Papa John's, provoked rival Pizza Hut to sue, claiming "deceptive advertising." Let's have a pizza and get meaningful tort reform in 2000. Stop the suing already! I feel good with Warren Beatty and Donald Trump exploring a run for President. Trump's "one-time" net assets tax to cash out the national debt is great except the Donald would be exempt by accounting definitions. Waiting to see how many PAYING riders will use the state's "WikiWiki" Ferry to work, and how many will want to finance Mayor Jeremy Harris' latest Streetcar transit scheme. Time to reflect on another year, the end of the Century, and to give thanks for our beautiful aina, our creative, hard working people, and the strength to make things better. SBH's Silver Anniversary begins with our 24th Annual Business Conference at Ala Moana Hotel, January 12. You must come (and bring friends and associates) it's Y2K safe! Happy Holidays and Good Health to all.
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Small Business Hawaii SBH also accepts articles relating to small business issues about its members and Hawaii. Submit your articles to SBH by the 10th of the month for publication into the next month's issue. E-Mail: smallbusinesshawaii@yahoo.com
Editor: Sam Slom
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