BY SEN. SAM SLOM –
Garden Isle Views.
We enjoyed a family staycation on Kauai, the Garden Island, last weekend. A few observations: we saw no LIVE mongoose (but two were captured there last month). We stayed at the Aston Poipu Kai. Fabulous! Great amenities, reasonable and excellent service for us local folks. Ate our first breakfast at Tiano’s on Rice Street, Lihue. It was awesome. Went back two more days. Brennecke’s in Poipu (ate there twice) ALWAYS good. Eating is very important, especially with three teenagers. First time on any Neighbor Island since all of them banned plastic bags. Bans are bad ideas generally (watch Kailua Beach in the future) and what do you do when traveling and have wet bathing suits, sandy slippahs and snacks? At the bus stops on Kauai, people have donated their own folding chairs, sofas and comfort furniture for patrons of the bus. Roads better than O’ahu (that doesn’t take much) and lot of construction. Regular gas almost uniform $4.299 EXCEPT Costco, $4.079.
Just One Lick? While on Kauai, the big news story was a local attorney in his sixties, found guilty of sexual harassment against his client in her twenties. He was fined $250 for licking her ear and the judge referred to him as a “dirty old man.” He is appealing. I’m confused: if a dog is allowed one bite under the law, shouldn’t an attorney be allowed one free lick?
Hawaii News Now. The agreement reached last week between television competitors Hawaii News Now and KITV, after KITV had been thrown off Oceanic Time Warner Cable hours before a major mayoral debate, was, as was said, “unprecedented.” Kudo’s to Hawaii News Now and a record time agreement that allowed interested voters to see that debate. Kudos to KITV for a fair and interesting format. This is private sector folks, not government mandates. TV debates among major contested races (Senate, Congress, Mayor) winding down for the August 11 Primary.
Sunrise With Case. Come hear and question Democrat US Senate candidate Ed Case. Case, a former member of the SBH Board of Directors will keynote the next monthly SBH Sunrise Networking Breakfast in the Pineapple Room, Macy’s Ala Moana, Thursday, July 26, 7-8:30 am. That’s the morning before the evening TV debate (only statewide one) with Mazie Hirono. Call Darlyn at SBH for details and reservations (396-1724)
De-Listed. Hawaii’s Hoku Corporation, voluntarily requested delisting from NASDAQ. The corporation has had several financial reverses of late and its stock has declined substantially.
Ben Says Watch Out! Fed Chair, Ben Bernanke, warned again yesterday that the still faltering U.S. economy could get even worse in the months ahead if Congress and the President can’t get together and find common fiscal ground. Current economic indicators are weakening. That is what this election is all about.
SBH Biz Awards. Smart Business Hawaii (SBH) will soon announce its 2012 Hawaii Business Awards, including Smart Business Person of the Year, SBH Civic Leader, Educator of the Year, Business Booster, Businbess Writer, SBH Business All Stars and Young Entrepreneur. We asked before; if you have any suggestions, please email SBH@lava.net ASAP. The annual awards banquet will be held Friday, September 21 at the Waialae Country Club. Details? Call Darlyn: 808-396-1724.
HAL Goes Down Under. High flyin’ Hawaiian Airlines, keeps on pumping with major new routes and announcements almost weekly. The latest alert is a direct HAL Honolulu – New Zealand route beginning next March. About 500 new jobs will be created. HAL is already the best on time airline and its new routes (including direct to NYC) are doing well. According to national investment analysts, while many companies and airlines falter with too much expansion too soon, HAL and its management seem to be doing everything right. The airline announces a new route, starts it on time but with narrow frequency, gives it time to grow and be marketed, than expands. A winning formula that is paying off. In other news, in a move designed to make neighbor island travel more affordable for kama’aina, Hawaiian Airlines yesterday introduced a new fare structure that lowers ticket prices across all of its fare classes from 4-25%. The new, lower fares are available to book starting today on all nonstop routes that Hawaiian offers between the islands.
Watada, Watada. Former respected Hawaii Campaign Spending Chair, Bob Watada, returned (on his own dime) from his Oregon home, to set the record straight. Pacific Resources Partnership (PRP), the Carpenters Union bully with plenty kala, has been airing anti-Ben Cayetano ads almost hourly on radio and TV. PRP misquoted Watada, taped and edited him out of context, and generally uses swarmy techniques. Former Campaign Commissioner, now State Representitive, Della Au Belatti, also criticized the outright falsehoods of PRP. PRP doesn’t care; they hope their negative attack campaign with lots of money will sway you. Will it work? Hopefully not.
Hawaii Securities Warns About Pilar. Hawai`i Commissioner of Securities Tung Chan issued a Preliminary Order to Cease and Desist and Notice of Right to Hearing against a former Hawai`i securities salesperson, Leoncio Prudencio Raralio Pilar (“Pilar”); Pilar dba Pilar Financial Services Investments and Tax Strategies (“PFSI”); and Pilar Investments, LLC (“Pilar Investments,” and collectively with Pilar and PFSI, the “Respondents”).
This is not the first time Pilar and Pilar Investments have come under the scrutiny of the State Securities Commissioner. In 2001, the State Securities Commissioner investigated Pilar and Pilar Investments for allegations that they sold unregistered securities and committed fraud. That matter resulted in a consent order (2001 Consent Order), whereby, Pilar and Pilar Investments agreed to pay restitution to investors and agreed to be barred from selling securities.
The present order alleges that since 2001, Pilar and Pilar Investments violated the 2001 Consent Order, sold unregistered securities and committed fraud, when they, along with PFSI, solicited investors for securities that Pilar claimed would yield high fixed rates of return. The order alleges the investors never received the returns promised by Pilar and that Respondents used the money from investors to pay returns to other investors in a Ponzi-like fraud and for the Respondents’ own use. The order further alleges that money from at least one investor was also used to make restitution payments under the earlier 2001 Consent Order. Respondents allegedly concealed their fraud from investors by issuing account statements to investors falsely showing earnings and interest payment.
Mix It Up.
Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work, is visiting Honolulu Friday, July 20 for interviews to provide his expertise and viewpoints on labor law and legislation, Right to Work, forced unionism, and union politics.
Not On Your Own. According to Prez Obama, “you didn’t get that (succeed) on your own.” Obama credits government, not private entrepreneurship, with every American success. Tell that to Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and all the other people who created products, services and jobs DESPITE government bureaucracy. No President has despised the private American free market as much and as often as the current White House occupant. Very sad.
Hanoi Jane? According to FOX News entertainment, Jane Fonda will play the role of Nancy Reagan in the upcoming film, “The Butler,” about a long serving White House butler. Fonda playing Reagan? Ronnie will turn over in his grave.
Connector Releases RFP for IT. The Hawai’i Health Connector (Obama care) seeks proposals from qualified bidders for the construction of its online marketplace for health insurance. As stated in Governor Neil Abercrombie’s declaration letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, Hawai’i’s intent is to implement a non-profit State-based Exchange, and the Connector is seeking solutions supporting this initiative.
Interested companies can find the request for proposal (RFP) as well as information about the Connector’s activities online atwww.hawaiihealthconnector.com. The downloadable RFP and detailed instructions can be found under the “Public Notices” section of the website. The direct link to the RFP is available by clicking here.
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