Small Business Hawaii | Volume 24 Number 3 | March 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
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
Where is Jesse Ventura when we need him? There is a lot of wrestling around Hawaii but none of it with the leadership, wit, or commitment demonstrated by the new Governor of Minnesota. This independent politician is truly independent. Imagine, telling people that it is their responsibility based on their choices to change their lives and not the responsibility of the government and the taxpayers who support government to support them. Jesse is making waves big time. At a recent state senate hearing, on the subject of raising game birds (nee fighting cocks) a witness referred to them as "athletic fowl." This could create a whole new industry for Hawaii: locally manufactured mini boxing gloves, athletic wear and cups for the fowl. Hawaii Democrats sure know how to recycle: defeated former state senator Rey Graulty is now a Circuit Court Judge appointed by the Governor, even though he ws the least qualified of six applicants; defeated previously appointed senator Wayne Metcalf is again appointed State Insurance Commissioner, a safe haven for failed politicos. Mike Wilson, hero of the Sierra Club and rabid environmentalists, was replaced as head of DLNR after carefully orchestrated guerilla theatre in January by Mr. Cayetano. Not to worry, Wilson, a loyal worker, was given the post of DCCA Consumer Protector vacated by Chuck Totto. For the Sierra Club and other radical environmentalists, this is the 2nd slap in the face by the Governor they so warmly embraced during the campaign; the first was his support and refusal to veto the automatic permit authorization measure. Linda Lingle vehemently opposed it from the beginning but the environmentalists trashed her. Further, Susan Chandler will be reappointed as head of Human Services even though she has an abominable record with the services and the children to be served, and the state Attorney General Marjorie Bronster who spends more time with the Bishop Estate, tobacco settlement and assaults on petroleum refiners than her state defined responsibilities will likely win though there is growing opposition to her reconfirmation. Former senator Mike McCartney now heads human resources as labor negotiator. Governor aide and campaign co-chairman Charlie Toguchi is back as a high paid consultant after a two-month "retirement." Watch for the reappointment of election chief Dwayne Yoshina. And the beat goes on. Troubles for the Jeremy Harris City Administration continue to mount as the investigation into the Ewa Villages housing scandal turns up more illegally dispensed taxpayer money. More than $6 million has been discovered to date. A newly formed organization, the Coalition of Small Business Owners, headed by small business owner and energetic advocate, Annie Jackson, held a meeting at Ko Olina February 20 to "unionize" business organizations together. This is the grass roots group that ran effective ads during the past election campaign and is not connected to Small Business Hawaii in ANY way except we all support an improved business climate and recognize the contributions of small business. The State Ethics Commission, its exec Dan Mollway and the Governor, try in vain to pin the conspiracy tail on SBH. Viva la difference! Dun & Bradstreet came out with a favorable ranking for Honolulu in terms of the percentage increase of new businesses, ranking Honolulu as the 6th best city in the country. Democrats and union bosses seized on this as proof that they have turned our economy around. But wait, that 27% increase was for 1996-97; this is 1999 and business failures abound. Besides, the data did not track how long those businesses remain in business, nor did it take into consideration that in Hawaii, every activity-including school fundraisers-are subject to taxation and registration as a business activity. Want to see how well we are really doing? Just look around and see the vacant sites where former benchmark Hawaii businesses existed or talk to retailers, restaurant owners and those in the visitor or construction industries. Meanwhile, the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University and Governing magazine ranked Hawaii a C- overall in management with an F in technology recently. ABC-the Associated Builders and Contractors who held their 49th annual convention on Maui last month were met and jeered by union members, many of whom flew over from O'ahu and a state senator to taunt the nearly 1,800 delegates and families. Signs read, "No Aloha for ABC," "Go Home" "ABC Hurts Union Families." Great message for these companies that believe in and practice choice in hiring and in construction jobs. Grover Norquist, dapper and witty head of the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., was in town in February. He wowed a crowd at the annual Lincoln Day dinner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, explaining why conservatives, small business owners and Republicans have reason to have hope for the future. Norquist has a long and accurate record as a political strategist on the Potomac. ATR initiated the effectiveTax Pledge for elected officials at the federal, state and local level. Beware, the Ides of March and political promises; watch for fireworks (not banned) this month. It will be wild at your Legislature.
 Small Business News comments can be addressed to:
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:macpro3000@yahoo.com Be sure to include the letters SBH in the subject header of any email sent to Small Business Hawaii. This requirement is due to the growing number of unsolicitated commercial email spam that the webmaster does not like.
Editor: Sam Slom
Hosted on: H4, Hawai`i's Data SuperHighway
Top of this Page | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 4 | Page 5 Copyright 1999 Small Business Hawaii. All rights reserved. |