BY SAM SLOM – Black eye for Hawaii: The Local 5 HERE union strikers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village called a surprise kamakaze strike at 4 am last week, at Hawaii’s largest resort facility, the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel. They showed just how boorish and moronic the local 5 leadership really is.
The union was even using a national anti-Hilton playbook here. One can feel sorry for most of the workers who were forced to show up and strike their employer, make noise, and disrupt guests in our largest and so far most recoverable industry. They ended their strike after 5 days but not without national repercussions. All had their right to protest; likewise, management should have the right to fire them and replace them with the many people who want to work, to have a well-paying job, and who will respect the visitors held hostage by this selfish union.
Meanwhile the IBEW union authorized a possible future strike at Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries. Another good reason to support decentralization of electricity and to end the monopoly.
Have you noticed how little real business news is now available in Hawaii? Part of the reason is that most businesses continue to hunker down and do their best for survival, week to week.
The 9th anniversary dinner and program for Hawaii Reporter last Friday night was informative and fun. The Franklin Center’s Jason Stverak was keynote speaker and was so well received that he was asked back as a speaker for January 12th’s Smart Business Hawaii 35th Annual Business & Investment Conference at the Ala Moana Hotel.
Early walk-in voting on O’ahu began yesterday and extends till October 30, M-Sa, 8-4. Be sure to read those Con Con amendments and City Charter changes before voting. Call SBH if you need help (396-1724).
Returned from a recent Mainland trip and if you think our local political ads are nasty, try look at Mainland ads. Yikes!
More than half of likely voters describe their motivation or feelings about voting this year as either angry (33%) or disappointed (25%), and 49% disapprove of the job performance of their Congressional representative, a new Zogby Interactive survey finds.
The survey of 1,963 likely voters conducted from October 12 to 14 also found one-fourth of voters say they will approach voting this year feeling hopeful, and just 2% say they are pleased.
While Republican and independent voters are much more likely to feel either angry or disappointed, nearly half of Democrats choose one of those two to describe their attitudes.
It’s that time again! The Holiday 2010 Military Appreciation Coupon Book with Mana Means Inc.
This is a great way to show our appreciation for our military based in Hawaii. These 30,000 books will be distributed to all military personnel + their families on Oahu and there will be 60,000+ readers. Previous advertisers have got great turnovers from these books.
This space does not have to be used as a coupon. It can be used anyway you’d like (a thank you page, a list of your services/locations, an advertisement of your company or yourself, etc…). Please pass this along to any of your clients or anyone that’d be interested. If you have any questions please feel free to contact. Chantelle Lee, Office Manager, manamgr@aol.com. Space reservation deadline is this Friday, October 22, 2010
The Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) is hosting a third community workshop at the Hawaii Convention Center, Kauai Room 311, on October 28, 2010, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. to gather community input and comments on the HCDA’s Kakaako Makai – Master Plan. The parking at the Hawaii Convention Center is a flat rate of $5.
HTH Corporation and Peter Savio announced October 15, that the 359-room Pagoda Hotel and Floating Restaurant will change ownership for the first time in its 46-year history.
An agreement was reached for HTH Corporation to sell the hotel and restaurant to Peter Savio. The Pagoda Hotel and Floating Restaurant has been a landmark retreat popular among island families and visitors for decades.
Built in 1964 in the heart of Honolulu just steps off busy Keeaumoku Street, the property’s one-of-a-kind design features include koi ponds, Japanese gardens and cascading waterfalls, all the vision and creation of the late H.T. Hayashi.
Its unique design provides a city oasis with every convenience within reach. Pagoda Management Services, LLC., an affiliate of Aqua Hotels and Resorts has been retained by Peter Savio to manage the property and is expected to infuse the hotel and dining facilities with state-of-the-art technology and upgrades to further enhance guest experience, while maintaining the property’s distinct charm.
Aqua and Savio will conduct Informational meetings with the employees next week. HTH Corporation also owns the Pacific Beach Hotel, and Pacific Beach Corporation will continue to manage the Waikiki property. HTH Corporation was founded in 1975 to consolidate the diverse Hawaii-based corporations and business enterprises owned by the late Herbert T. Hayashi. He was one of the most innovative leaders in the visitor industry and died in 2005. For more information, visit www.pagodahotel.com.
On Saturday, November 6, 11 am, join the Hawaii Rifle Association for a lunch with former NRA President Sandy Froman. This will be the first time that an NRA President, past or present, will address the shooting community in Hawaii. Don’t miss this opportunity! Place: Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii Officer’s Club. Seating is limited so please sign up early. Mail your name and the names of your guests, along with $ 25 per person to: HARVEY GERWIG, PRESIDENT / HAWAII RIFLE ASSOCIATION 1039 KUPAU STREET / KAILUA, HAWAII 96734. Attendance is by pre-paid reservation only. If you have any questions, please contact Harvey Gerwig at 306-7194
New IRS Tax Data for 2008 Show Recession’s Impact on Tax Receipts Income and Tax Payments Shrank Markedly, Especially for High Earners. All stripes of the income spectrum earned markedly less during recessionary 2008 than they had during 2007, according to newly published income tax data from the IRS. As usual during a recession, incomes shrank by larger percentages at the top of the income spectrum where sources of business income dried up.
The top-earning 1 percent of tax filers were the 1.4 million tax returns out of 140 million filed who earned at least $380,354. In 2008, their share of all income was 20.0 percent, down from 22.8 percent in 2007. Their share of total income taxes paid also shrank: they paid 38.0 percent of all income taxes collected in 2008, down from 40.4 percent in 2007.
The study is Fiscal Fact No. 249, “Summary of Latest Federal Individual Income Tax Data,” by Tax Foundation Senior Economist Gerald Prante and Staff Economist Mark Robyn. “This pattern at the top of the income spectrum is the same during almost every recession,” said Prante. “Unlike middle-income wage-earners whose incomes and tax liabilities are fairly steady, high-income people have incomes that include significant capital gains that fluctuate wildly with the economy, causing their income tax liabilities to fluctuate wildly as well.
As the economy grew from 2003 to 2007, high-income people earned larger shares of income, increasing income inequality despite their payment of larger shares of tax. When the economy reversed course in recessionary 2008, income at the high end shrank, reducing both federal revenue and income inequality.”
Fiscal Fact No. 249, available online at www.taxfoundation.org, also takes a look at the top 0.1 percent of tax returns (the top 10 percent of the top 1 percent), which the IRS only began singling out in recent years. In 2008, those 140,000 tax returns accounted for nearly 10 percent of AGI earned (down from almost 12 percent in 2007), and they paid around 18.5 percent of the nation’s federal individual income taxes (down from 20 percent in 2007).
The Tax Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937.
Hawai`i Council for the Humanities presents the 4th Annual Distinctive Women In Hawaiian History Program, He Ho’olaule’a No Na¯ Mo’olelo o Na¯ Wa¯hine, A Celebration of Women’s History, Saturday, October 23rd , 8:30 am-5:00 pm. The celebration returns to Hawai`i Convention Center with its world-class theater and its embracing ‘Hawaiian gathering place’ in the adjacent Jean Charlot Courtyard. This innovative cultural program showcases the under-told stories of women in Hawaiian history in each of its presentations.
Cultural practitioners and community history presenters share these little known history contributions using illustrated lectures, chants, traditional Hawaiian storytelling, dramatic performances, film, and slam & linked poetry. Registration Form and Event Schedule are posted at: www.distinctivewomenhawaii.org
The Sunday Star-Advertiser (October 17) printed a handy Voters Guide. Generally, a lot of good information including descriptions of Con Con and City Charter amendments.
There were a few typos including Democrat candidates listed as incumbents who were not. There were plenty of ads-all for Democrats.
And of all the questions on issues in the Star candidate survey, the paper chose to highlight only one for all candidates: their position on HB 444 same sex marriages.
Not jobs. Not the economy. not taxation. just sexual preference. Says a lot about the paper’s focus and non-reporting of meaningful issues.
With the election just a few weeks away, there is still time to see where your candidate stands on a variety of issues important to local business.
Go to Hawaii Reporter.com’s Election Guide and see all the online surveys completed by the candidates.
Also, don’t forget to see the pro business candidate endorsements by PAYCHECKS HAWAII on line at www.smartbusinesshawaii.com or in the next column. To learn more about where your tax dollars go for public education visit our new transparency website shining the light on Hawaii’s education issues – www.educate808.com
Ted Peck, the state’s “energy czar,” will discuss “Hawaii’s Energy: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” at the monthly SBH Sunrise Networking Breakfast, next Thursday, October 28, 7 – 8:30 am, Pineapple Room, Macy’s Ala Moana. Call Darlyn for reservations, 396-1724.