Civil Beat: Latest Comments

Comment by Elizabeth Grossman in Discussion: Hawaii Politics

2011-06-13T08:16:33-10:00

Lobbyists should not exist. Just my opinion.

Comment by Member5958 in Malama Da Aina, Except at Kaena Point?

2011-06-13T06:41:48-10:00

Yes we must take quick action to protect thus special and irreplaceable environment, sadly this is long overdue. Education -yes, Restricted acess -yes (permits after classes with fees), Policing - yes. ! Suggestion - make a off-road entertainment park on less presicious land.

Comment by Hal Wilkerson in At Hoopili, a choice between farming and housing

2011-06-12T17:20:20-10:00

Michael- I was drawn to this article from a question on Facebook. It seems I've been in a lot of conversations with folks recently about sustainability here in Hawaii... have you guys considered an infographic regarding the topic? Here's what I'd be interested in seeing... 1. Current Population of Hawaii 2. Gross acreage of agricultural land required to support our population. (I know there isn't a hard number for this, but estimates for the average US Citizen's diet ranges anywhere from 15-20 acres per person, per year, using current agricultural technologies.) 3. Number of acres of agricultural zoned acres in all of Hawaii. 4. The difference between those numbers. I have no idea what the ratio/numbers would look like, but it would be very interesting to see. I suspect it will be an eye-opener for people interested in agricultural sustainability for the islands using current ag technologies. Unfortunately, we just don't have the amber waves of grain that the midwest of our great country is blessed with. Fortunately, we do, however, have modern advances in logistics and refrigeration which enable stores like Costco and Sam's club, and Safeway for that matter, to serve up the wonderful selection of food that they do. Regardless, what this means to whether or not another subdivision can be built on a hill in west oahu remains to be seen... but I will say this. With development comes jobs, and with jobs comes food for our families. (even if it is flown or shipped in from the mainland) On personal trips to Lanai and Molokai, I've witnessed first hand the effect the lack of infrastructure and development has had on island life. It destroys the population. I must say, reading an article in the Lanai weekly newspaper while I was there recently, there was a community meeting discussing the importance of Castle and Cooks involvement in development there. One individual, having grown up in Lanai, lived on the mainland for a while, and recently returned, summed it up with this poignant statement: "People are more important than land." I thought that was quite a simple and effective way to put it. Castle and Cook, even though vilified in some forums, has done a tremendous amount in the way of positively impacting the economy here in Hawaii. Which ultimately has helped people. I think Ho'opili will do the same. Mahalo for writing this article.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Civil Beat

2011-06-12T08:38:48-10:00

In your list of discussion topics, would it be possible to also list the last entries' dates in addition to the initiation date? To have dates too much in the past is a turnoff, not inviting, IMO.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Civil Beat

2011-06-12T08:38:48-10:00

In your list of discussion topics, would it be possible to also list the last entries' dates in addition to the initiation date? To have dates too much in the past is a turnoff, not inviting, IMO.

Comment by Member4683 in Coming Soon? The Aloha Stadium Mall

2011-06-12T08:35:50-10:00

If they do it right, this could work out so no-events days ( and nights ? ) could still draw customers. If not, the stores and businesses will be twiddling thumbs, IMO.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Civil Beat

2011-06-12T08:32:45-10:00

I wonder if you might consider having all the items re: Civic Beat all in one dedicated list, they tend to get buried with the rest of the comments otherwise.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: University Of Hawaii Athletic Department

2011-06-12T08:28:34-10:00

The athletic "tail" shouldn't wag the educational "dog" of the UH but it seems to be a big factor of school pride. If athletic importance was minimized, would that really affect the attractiveness of enrolling at the UH? I really admire Gov. Neil for his making the decision to pass on the NFL's price of holding the bowl event here. It shows political courage and makes a right priority call. Education is a long term investment; games are an afternoon thrill for an afternoon and then maybe the day-after quaterbacking and it's pau.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Teacher Compensation

2011-06-12T08:22:20-10:00

Has Hawaii figured out yet how to dislodge tenured (and maybe burnt out and too stuck- in-the-mud?) ineffective teachers yet? Are there lots of teachers alleged to be ineffective? As a sub, I heard of cases where the teacher wasn't doing their job, sometimes sleeping on the job. Keeping many ineffective teachers on is what makes taxpayers feel reluctant to pay teachers what they're worth. If all were proven effective, we'd be more beholden to raise teacher pay, IMO.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Recession and Recovery

2011-06-12T08:17:23-10:00

Consumers prudently squirrels their money with jobs in short supply and the economy not looking hopeful enough yet, the outlook isn't that hopeful. But with the economy so based on consumerism and confidence, without buying kicking in again bigtime, it looks like manufacturing is not adding to their inventories and that stymies job creation. We shouldn't give up hope and looking for creative solutions but it looks like we'll be in deep kim chee for awhile, no? But giving up is a guarantee of failing, folks! Keep paddling your canoes!

Comment by Member5952 in Discussion: Electric Cars

2011-06-11T15:52:19-10:00

Thanks for the great article Nanea I just started looking for an electric car. I install PV systems and figure with ZERO house usage and an electric car I can get past "the oil game"

Comment by Russell Castagnaro in Hawaii’s One-Sided Love Affair with GMOs

2011-06-11T15:45:36-10:00

thanks Al! Smart suggestions

Comment by Member5118 in One-Newspaper Town: 'Continued Growth'? Really?

2011-06-11T10:01:08-10:00

Interesting. For many years before the merger, we received the Star Bulletin delivered to our house each morning. We were not subscribers, as we had access to it elsewhere. However, even after informing the SB on numerous occasions over the years that we did not want the delivery (we thought that one day they would come calling for us to pay up for the entire back subscription!) we could not prevail and stop it. I suspect that these free deliveries are simply a way of adding to the numbers of subscribers they provide to their advertisers. Also interesting, we continued to get Midweek (which I believe was part of the SB stable) despite telling them on numerous occasions we did not want it - in fact each week we got two copies, one of which was addressed to my wife's long deceased mother who had never lived at our address. Go figure!

Comment by Phil Wood in One-Newspaper Town: 'Continued Growth'? Really?

2011-06-11T08:45:36-10:00

All my life I have been addicted to newspapers. When Honolulu was a two-newspaper town I read both religiously. When I travel I consume whatever is the local paper. That said, it cannot be argued that "newspaper ain't what they used to be." I've found that reading the NYtimes online in the morning nearly preempts the need to read the Star Advertiser. However, I read it for the ads and the slim coverage of local politics. The point being that like a lot of industries, newspapers simply didn't react to the new electronic threat quickly enough. As always, a stiff price is paid for not recognizes competition when it stares directly into your vulnerable face. Ultimately (except in today's swiftly moving media world, there is no such thing as 'ultimate'), the answer probably lies somewhere between Civil Beat and the Star Advertiser. At any rate, although I get angry at the S-A for being less than it could be, I'm thankful we're still, at least, a one-newspaper town. And I'm thankful for Civil Beat, even though I believe it is less than it could be. Just some random ramblings on this Saturday morning.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Hawaii Politics

2011-06-11T07:36:21-10:00

Re: the positions presented by those defending their affliations with companies that can appear if not are conflicts of interest: Like good lawyers some of them are and certainly lobbyists for the companies they recieve money from, they make debatable arguments. Their supporters who concur with their takes on their positions seem to be friends who can be expected to take supportive stands, not really objective. What it often boils down to, IMO, is that sense of what's good for the welfare of the evironment or society is often trumped by arguments by politicians that get a pass for one (debatable) reason or another.

Comment by Member4683 in Do Elected Officials With a Conflict of Interest Have a Right to Vote Anyway?

2011-06-11T07:26:26-10:00

If disclosure is part of the deal that a conflict of interest exists, I'd say that should give an audience a warning of what's presented, wouldn't it?

Comment by Member4683 in Do Elected Officials With a Conflict of Interest Have a Right to Vote Anyway?

2011-06-11T07:26:26-10:00

If disclosure is part of the deal that a conflict of interest exists, I'd say that should give an audience a warning of what's presented, wouldn't it?

Comment by Member4683 in Do Elected Officials With a Conflict of Interest Have a Right to Vote Anyway?

2011-06-11T07:26:26-10:00

If disclosure is part of the deal that a conflict of interest exists, I'd say that should give an audience a warning of what's presented, wouldn't it?

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie

2011-06-11T07:23:21-10:00

I've beome a member of AARP's MedicareAdvantage coverage and that works for me. They have lots of stuff besides insurance if you look into it. And they are a powerful influence for folks who are aging. Re: long term care: I've been enjoying NHK news programs on PBS every evening 5-7 pm, esp. the cultural stuff that comes on usuallly at 630. The other day they had a show that showed what Japan's developed re: long term care using robotics. Though still in infancy, it showed impressive stuff and their plans to expand the use of robotics in nursing homes. There's a company that is talking about feeding and caring for clients in nursing homes at $6 a day (!). I hope they can swing it and that Hawaii will be able to benefit from their services. As we know Hawaii and the whole world has a growing aging population. The long-term care biz is a huge biz opp for anybody able to offer good service at reasonable prices. Providing care for elders isn't for everyone but for anyone who can, it's a really promising career opp.

Comment by Member4683 in Hawaii's Dirtiest Beach

2011-06-11T06:54:20-10:00

I hope this headsup is a signal for folks to zero in and the beach can become one of the cleanest beaches. It's an opp for volunteer artists to make a statement with collected detritus and debris to call attn to the beach and to make lemonade from the opala. Aloha, Big Island Artists!

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: APEC Hawaii 2011

2011-06-11T06:51:42-10:00

Just a suggestion: It might be interesting to the visiting people if panels of local folks of all segments of the population could present the opp to present views on the economy, the housing situation, how they manage their everyday stuff, living in Honolulu and/or Hawaii, our concerns for the future, Haw'n affairs, etc. in a just folks kind of way. There should be time limits for the talks and a q&a period. These could be held during off time for the delegates held every what--Friday afternoon? Local folks should be welcome to the talks too.

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: APEC Hawaii 2011

2011-06-11T06:51:42-10:00

Comment by Member4683 in Discussion: APEC Hawaii 2011

2011-06-11T06:51:42-10:00

Comment by Diane Poythress in Hawaii Governor Says State 'Bribes' NFL to Hold Pro Bowl 'Scrimmage'

2011-06-11T04:25:01-10:00

I think if Abercrombie were a Deep South governor, the national media would laugh him out of office. I hope he is an embarrassment to the good people of Hawaii, and that they are able to elect a better person next time. And I hope the Pro Bowl, and other "stupid" organizations will not punish the entire state because of this one . . . man . . . who happens to represent the entire state, by shopping elsewhere for future venues. (My first twelve word choices for "man" did not meet CB civility standards.)

Comment by Laurence Lee in Honolulu Mayor At Odds With Hawaii Governor Over Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T22:10:52-10:00

And let's not forget, some of the smarter people on the new Board of Education have pointed out that Private Schools can build an equivalent building for a third of the cost. Thus, for a $10 Million building, there's a potential $6 million that could be recovered if the Department of Education can get its act together and figure out why they're paying 3 times what they should be paying for equivalent work. That's more than enough wasteful spending on Education (in a single instance) that can be used to cover the Governor's $4 Million gripe. I'm sure there's a lot more where that comes from.

Comment by Laurence Lee in Honolulu Mayor At Odds With Hawaii Governor Over Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T22:01:27-10:00

The Governor is grumbling about a $4 Million deposit to have the games hosted here, and has framed it in a way that suggests money is being taken away from Early Education. Hawaii spends about $2 Billion dollars per year on education -- that's $2 THOUSAND-Million Dollars on Education. $4 Million is peanuts compared to the Economic Benefits that the Pro Bowl brings to the islands; and it's definitely peanuts compared to the $2 Billion already being spent on Education per year.

Comment by Curtis Kropar in TSA to Fire 36 Honolulu Airport Workers

2011-06-10T18:35:22-10:00

Yes, I object. You can talk about me. I object to being stopped with an unopened drink from the manufacturer, and the grandma behind me is allowed to get on the plane with 12 inch metal knitting spikes. I object that a 6 year old girl was groped up and is a suspected terrorist ? Its all over you tube about how the 6 year old was singled out and "searched" with the TSA agents hand down her pants. I object that i and everyone in the USA has to take our shoes off and spread our foot fungus diseases around, however carrying a lighter on board is not an issue. How many terrorists have been stopped at our airports in the past 10 years ? I object that this is promoted to be about security. It really seems more like it is about control, the public begin taught suppression, and opportunist filling their pockets with money. --------------------- Forbes magazine reported, in March, 2011, that: Newly uncovered documents show that as early as 2006, the Department of Homeland Security has been planning pilot programs to deploy mobile scanning units that can be set up at public events and in train stations, along with mobile x-ray vans capable of scanning pedestrians on city streets. and that the TSA had research proposals to: bring full-body scanners to train stations, mass transit, and public events. Contracts included in the EPIC release showed plans to develop long-range scans that could assess what a subject carried from 30 feet away, along with studies that involved systems for x-ray scanners mounted in vans and “covert” scans of pedestrians. -------------------------------- --- >>> mounted in vans for PEDESTRIANS ON CITY STREETS If we are all about saving lives, then why are we not so vigilant about the more obvious things that kill thousands of people every year ? According to the American Cancer Society, each year 443,600 people (1,215 each day) in the United States die from the effects of smoking. It is estimated that about 10 million people in the US have died because of tobacco related illnesses and from these, 2 million died because of lung cancer alone. WHERE IS the outrage and why don't we stop this ? According the the CDC, food poisoning kills up to 9,000 people each year and causes roughly 76-81 million illnesses. Maybe we should have TSA (or RSA) at every restaurant ? Timothy McVeigh a former US army veteran, blew up a federal building and killed 168 people using a rented Ryder truck with a bomb made out of fertilizer To get the same proportionate “Security” response as to the airlines, Should we as a nation : Screen all former US army personnel as potential terrorists ? Screen everyone in the nation getting a rental truck ? Screen everyone in the nation buying fertilizer ? Last year, little Hawaii here has had more pedestrians get killed crossing the street than the entire TSA has had terrorists stopped at all of the airports in the USA combined. Maybe TSA should be on every street corner to ensure the “safety” of pedestrians too ? Here is another article : According to CBS : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/19/eveningnews/main6500349.shtml There's a hidden layer of airport security most people don't know about. It's called "behavior detection," and involves specially trained TSA employees whose primary mission is to spot terrorists. About 3,000 of these officers work at 161 U.S. airports -- costing taxpayers nearly $200 million in 2009. But CBS News has learned that the program is failing to catch terrorists. ---- >>>> It's never even caught one. at $200 Million a year for ONE PART of the TSA budget Government Accountability Office investigation uncovered at least 16 individuals later accused of involvement in terrorist plots flew 23 different times through U.S. airports since 2004. Yet none were stopped by TSA. THAT is what i object to.

Comment by Curtis Kropar in TSA to Fire 36 Honolulu Airport Workers

2011-06-10T18:34:36-10:00

ERRRRGGG it did it again even though i changed it. OMG...

Comment by Curtis Kropar in TSA to Fire 36 Honolulu Airport Workers

2011-06-10T18:34:02-10:00

Yes, I object. You can talk about me. I object to being stopped with an unopened drink from the manufacturer, and the grandma behind me is allowed to get on the plane with 12 inch metal knitting spikes. I object that a 6 year old girl was groped up and is a suspected terrorist ? Its all over you tube about how the 6 year old was singled out and "searched" with the TSA agents hand down her pants. I object that i and everyone in the USA has to take our shoes off and spread our foot fungus diseases around, however carrying a lighter on board is not an issue. How many terrorists have been stopped at our airports in the past 10 years ? I object that this is promoted to be about security. It really seems more like it is about control, the public begin taught suppression, and opportunist filling their pockets with money. --------------------- Forbes magazine reported, in March, 2011, that: Newly uncovered documents show that as early as 2006, the Department of Homeland Security has been planning pilot programs to deploy mobile scanning units that can be set up at public events and in train stations, along with mobile x-ray vans capable of scanning pedestrians on city streets. and that the TSA had research proposals to: bring full-body scanners to train stations, mass transit, and public events. Contracts included in the EPIC release showed plans to develop long-range scans that could assess what a subject carried from 30 feet away, along with studies that involved systems for x-ray scanners mounted in vans and “covert” scans of pedestrians. -------------------------------- --- >>> mounted in vans for PEDESTRIANS ON CITY STREETS <<< --- If we are all about saving lives, then why are we not so vigilant about the more obvious things that kill thousands of people every year ? According to the American Cancer Society, each year 443,600 people (1,215 each day) in the United States die from the effects of smoking. It is estimated that about 10 million people in the US have died because of tobacco related illnesses and from these, 2 million died because of lung cancer alone. WHERE IS the outrage and why don't we stop this ? According the the CDC, food poisoning kills up to 9,000 people each year and causes roughly 76-81 million illnesses. Maybe we should have TSA (or RSA) at every restaurant ? Timothy McVeigh a former US army veteran, blew up a federal building and killed 168 people using a rented Ryder truck with a bomb made out of fertilizer To get the same proportionate “Security” response as to the airlines, Should we as a nation : Screen all former US army personnel as potential terrorists ? Screen everyone in the nation getting a rental truck ? Screen everyone in the nation buying fertilizer ? Last year, little Hawaii here has had more pedestrians get killed crossing the street than the entire TSA has had terrorists stopped at all of the airports in the USA combined. Maybe TSA should be on every street corner to ensure the “safety” of pedestrians too ? Here is another article : According to CBS : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/19/eveningnews/main6500349.shtml There's a hidden layer of airport security most people don't know about. It's called "behavior detection," and involves specially trained TSA employees whose primary mission is to spot terrorists. About 3,000 of these officers work at 161 U.S. airports -- costing taxpayers nearly $200 million in 2009. But CBS News has learned that the program is failing to catch terrorists. ---- >>>> It's never even caught one. <<<< ----- at $200 Million a year for ONE PART of the TSA budget Government Accountability Office investigation uncovered at least 16 individuals later accused of involvement in terrorist plots flew 23 different times through U.S. airports since 2004. Yet none were stopped by TSA. THAT is what i object to.

Comment by Curtis Kropar in TSA to Fire 36 Honolulu Airport Workers

2011-06-10T18:33:03-10:00

DAN... Can you delete that post. It treated my arrows as HTML tags and hid the content in between them.

Comment by Curtis Kropar in TSA to Fire 36 Honolulu Airport Workers

2011-06-10T18:31:14-10:00

Yes, I object. You can talk about me. I object to being stopped with an unopened drink from the manufacturer, and the grandma behind me is allowed to get on the plane with 12 inch metal knitting spikes. I object that a 6 year old girl was groped up and is a suspected terrorist ? Its all over you tube about how the 6 year old was singled out and "searched" with the TSA agents hand down her pants. I object that i and everyone in the USA has to take our shoes off and spread our foot fungus diseases around, however carrying a lighter on board is not an issue. How many terrorists have been stopped at our airports in the past 10 years ? I object that this is promoted to be about security. It really seems more like it is about control, the public begin taught suppression, and opportunist filling their pockets with money. --------------------- Forbes magazine reported, in March, 2011, that: Newly uncovered documents show that as early as 2006, the Department of Homeland Security has been planning pilot programs to deploy mobile scanning units that can be set up at public events and in train stations, along with mobile x-ray vans capable of scanning pedestrians on city streets. and that the TSA had research proposals to: bring full-body scanners to train stations, mass transit, and public events. Contracts included in the EPIC release showed plans to develop long-range scans that could assess what a subject carried from 30 feet away, along with studies that involved systems for x-ray scanners mounted in vans and “covert” scans of pedestrians. -------------------------------- --->>> mounted in vans for PEDESTRIANS ON CITY STREETS <<<--- If we are all about saving lives, then why are we not so vigilant about the more obvious things that kill thousands of people every year ? According to the American Cancer Society, each year 443,600 people (1,215 each day) in the United States die from the effects of smoking. It is estimated that about 10 million people in the US have died because of tobacco related illnesses and from these, 2 million died because of lung cancer alone. WHERE IS the outrage and why don't we stop this ? According the the CDC, food poisoning kills up to 9,000 people each year and causes roughly 76-81 million illnesses. Maybe we should have TSA (or RSA) at every restaurant ? Timothy McVeigh a former US army veteran, blew up a federal building and killed 168 people using a rented Ryder truck with a bomb made out of fertilizer To get the same proportionate “Security” response as to the airlines, Should we as a nation : Screen all former US army personnel as potential terrorists ? Screen everyone in the nation getting a rental truck ? Screen everyone in the nation buying fertilizer ? Last year, little Hawaii here has had more pedestrians get killed crossing the street than the entire TSA has had terrorists stopped at all of the airports in the USA combined. Maybe TSA should be on every street corner to ensure the “safety” of pedestrians too ? Here is another article : According to CBS : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/19/eveningnews/main6500349.shtml There's a hidden layer of airport security most people don't know about. It's called "behavior detection," and involves specially trained TSA employees whose primary mission is to spot terrorists. About 3,000 of these officers work at 161 U.S. airports -- costing taxpayers nearly $200 million in 2009. But CBS News has learned that the program is failing to catch terrorists. ---->>>> It's never even caught one. <<<< ----- at $200 Million a year for ONE PART of the TSA budget Government Accountability Office investigation uncovered at least 16 individuals later accused of involvement in terrorist plots flew 23 different times through U.S. airports since 2004. Yet none were stopped by TSA. ____THAT ____ is what i object to.

Comment by Kris Coffield in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T17:08:06-10:00

Keith - The Department of Education is getting out of early childhood education, and the Department of Health runs Healthy Start. The DOE's junior kindergarten program is being scrapped in 2013, saving the state $30 million a year. It will be interesting to see what kind of strategic plan the administration, and newly appointed ECE coordinator Terry Lock, come up with in their push toward implementation of a universal preschool system. At any rate, your multiple choice question is a false dichotomy. That said, I agree with Keith, and others, that Gov. Abercrombie should be careful about this issue. If the reasoning is that the return on investment minimally impacts state coffers ($3 million in taxes on $28.6 million in spending at a taxpayer cost of $4 million), what of the APEC conference, which is estimated to cost taxpayers $28 million+, generating $55 million in economic activity and approximately $4 million in state revenue, according to recent estimates? That ratio disparity doesn't back up Abercrombie's claim.

Comment by Keith Rollman in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T16:23:44-10:00

Pick one: A) $4 million ventured (-$3 milliom rebated in taxes) = Total of $1 million invested to yield $28 million in new business to the local economy + national television exposure worth millions to our visitor industry. B) $ million sent to unionized DOE workers, earmarked for "early education" and disappears never to be seen again.

Comment by Member4683 in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T15:09:56-10:00

The Governor a nut case? There are those like me who think it's about time a local leader is taking the stances Governor Neil is taking. Games that cost millions of our taxpayer money should not trump education. Education is an investment in the future, football games are an afternoon's thrill then pau, over. Get your priorities straight and stop drinking so much alcohol.

Comment by Member4683 in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T15:06:02-10:00

I wonder if objectors to same sex marriages and gayness in general are cognizant that in Old Hawaii, the alii, males and females, often had same sex lovers (aikane). ??

Comment by Member4683 in TSA to Fire 36 Honolulu Airport Workers

2011-06-10T15:02:52-10:00

Lucky they found out about the security breach. It may be that thousands of baggage items go through w/o probs but it would only take one to blow up the airport and that part of Oahu. I also want to talk about people who object to TSA screening. When they talk about objecting to "naked body" scans, that's just false modesty and they should grow up! Nobody's going to letch over an e-ray, they can check out your hotness looking at you. Your private parts don't show up on the scan. The risk of exposure to e-rays may be a consideration if you fly that frequently. Everybody uses microwave ovens w/o thinking (they maybe should be) and submit to med x-rays probably. So.... There's a choice: get scanned or stay grounded.

Comment by Member4683 in Honolulu Mayor At Odds With Hawaii Governor Over Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T14:55:03-10:00

I'm totally for the Gov's decision. I can't think that games can trump kid's education. Maybe a lot of the sports fans don't give a hoot about it but education is a long term investment and games that cost Hawaii millions just isn't a good deal except maybe for one afternoon. Gung ho and distressed Bowl fans can hop on a plane or watch the event on TV.

Comment by Christine Lu in Off The Beat: If China Foots the Bill, Who Sets the Agenda?

2011-06-10T11:25:02-10:00

John: My assumption was that there's a lack of understanding in general amongst the local government about how to engage with China and therefore a lack of support so perhaps felt left with having to take sponsorship from the Chinese. To your points. I am totally on the same page with you there. I also don't understand why there isn't more public attention given to the importance of developing ties with China. With Honolulu hosting APEC in November and 400+ from the China delegation alone, I think there was already a strong case for the mayor to make a China trip this year as it would have set the right tone and strengthened the cross border ties between Honolulu's government and business community. In that context, since there's a lot of money being spent on getting Honolulu ready to host APEC, I see a good case for a trip by the mayor funded by the public or even sponsored by Hawaii's business community as opposed to having to rely on sponsorship from the Chinese side. If not for APEC, there are other reasons that I feel strongly about for why Honolulu (and Hawaii in general) should put more effort into building relationships with China -- with the full support of the public if they would make a case for it. Tourism -- Chinese are now outnumbering and outspending Japanese tourists worldwide. Other countries are getting ahead of the curve in setting up the right infrastructure to attract Chinese tourists and their local economies are benefiting. This comes from spending the marketing money and the budget to establish ties that lay the groundwork for it. Hawaii only spends $1 million on all their China marketing for a year. I say only because it's how much one campaign costs for a few weeks of trying to get folks from LA, SF and Seattle to visit. Clean Tech / Sustainability -- Hawaii has a lot of expertise and knowledge in this that would be helpful to China who has a big problem on their hands in trying to solve their own issues. I can see Chinese companies investing in Hawaii tech that would help them solve these problems in China -- and therefore helping the Hawaii companies find a new market to sell their technology and expertise to. Education -- Hawaii has a world class tourism & hospitality sector. Chinese's domestic tourism sector is starting to take off. They lack expertise in this area. They lack trained middle management in the sector. Hawaii could benefit from positioning itself as an education base for Chinese middle managers to learn, train, etc that's revenue for Hawaii in terms of training programs either from tourism folks studying in Hawaii or Hawaii experts consulting in China. Export -- There are a lot of great products that can do well in China if positioned and branded the right way and sold as a premium. Kona coffee, local Hawaii brands like Ocean Vodka, etc. the China luxury space is taking off and Hawaii has a lot of brands and products that can be positioned at the premium end. All this isn't new and over my last few years of researching and talking to people, these are efforts currently in place by private businesses in Hawaii who would like to engage more with China but in order to do so, you have to also have strong Hawaii government support and an ability to engage with the Chinese government to serve Hawaii's interest. This requires relationship building on the part of Honolulu's government and a better understanding on how things work in China in regards to business and government being very closely aligned. An example of this is the 30 year sister city relationship between Shanghai and San Francisco. Strong local government support of building ties in China results in good economic benefits for SF by way of Chinese investment, cross border trade, etc. Maybe the above will be helpful information if the mayor or city council is reading. It's nothing I haven't voiced before in the past. Just a bit frustrating to see the disconnect and nothing really has advanced much in the past several years regardless of who's in office.

Comment by Member5940 in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T11:12:54-10:00

BTW, I don't believe the fact check rating would change. Neil was exaggerating. But the Pro Bowl's economic impact is being overstated.

Comment by Member5940 in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T10:58:49-10:00

I think the visitor counts, spending, and revenue numbers in the story do not tell the whole picture. Because of the Pro Bowl and its visitors, some people are priced out of coming to Hawaii at that time and choose to go elsewhere, or choose to come to Hawaii at some other time. In other words, 17k people came for the Pro Bowl, yes, but how many people did not come because of the Pro Bowl. The numbers you've quoted are gross figures, not net.

Comment by Dave Kozuki in Maui Cops Cast Chill Wind

2011-06-10T10:53:25-10:00

Michael, thanks for the clarifications and additional information. I'm now more at peace with this situation now. Regarding public support, it's interesting to see that a main measure of awareness is if people will be rallying at the Capitol on the issue. I wonder how many lawmakers feel this way. Soon, if not already, savvy lawmakers will be monitoring public sentiment via social media sentiment analysis tools. This will be a much wider sample than those who show up at the captitol.

Comment by Dan Zelikman in Discussion: Week In Review

2011-06-10T10:01:21-10:00

I'm sorry, can you clarify what you are trying to do? If an email is easier you can reach me at dan(at)civilbeat.com – Thanks!

Comment by Laurence Lee in Hawaii Governor Says State 'Bribes' NFL to Hold Pro Bowl 'Scrimmage'

2011-06-10T09:54:25-10:00

Time to consider a Recall Vote. This isn't the kind of leadership Hawaii was promised, and it's certainly not the kind of leadership Hawaii can afford. Now that the LGBTs got what they want, can we PLEASE get a leader who won't squander away our Special Funds and drive away obvious revenue-generators like the Pro Bowl?

Comment by Keith Rollman in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T09:48:54-10:00

This farce is national news. Rush Limbaugh just called Abercrombie "a real nutcase," and "a big leftist." He went on to ridicule Abercrombie's statement about civil unions making more money than the NFL event. I'm not endorsing Rush, just pointing out that millions of people on the mainland just got an earful.

Comment by Keith Rollman in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T09:48:54-10:00

Comment by Chad Blair in Hawaii Governor Says State 'Bribes' NFL to Hold Pro Bowl 'Scrimmage'

2011-06-10T09:48:24-10:00

DaveW — check out our Fact Check on civil unions versus Pro Bowl: http://www.civilbeat.com/fact_checks/2011/06/09/11632-fact-check-abercrombie-weekend-of-civil-unions-will-bring-in-more-cash-than-pro-bowl/

Comment by Andrew Walden in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T09:00:48-10:00

How much of Hawaii's economy will Abercrombie wreck to take retaliation upon the HTA for hiring Mufi?

Comment by DaveW in Hawaii Governor Says State 'Bribes' NFL to Hold Pro Bowl 'Scrimmage'

2011-06-10T08:39:18-10:00

Did he just say that the state would earn more than 30 million for a weekend of civil union ceremonies? Thats just delusional.

Comment by Michael Durkin in Hawaii Governor Says State 'Bribes' NFL to Hold Pro Bowl 'Scrimmage'

2011-06-10T08:16:00-10:00

I think it still bugs him that the football players got the pretty girls in high school? And now, even though he is The Governor, these pro players are more famous, and better paid than he is.

Comment by Robert Brown in FACT CHECK — Governor: Weekend of Civil Unions Will Bring in More Cash Than Pro Bowl

2011-06-10T07:22:45-10:00

Patricia, I'm confused. Why do you think football in Hawaii is absurd?