By Sam Slom
President, Smart Business Hawaii and SBH Entrepreneurial Education Foundation
I’ll be celebrating Hawaii Reporter’s 9th anniversary this Friday and I hope you’ll join me. HR is Hawaii’s ONLY award winning, daily online news source who is never afraid to tell it like it is. The event will be featuring an EXCLUSIVE REPORT from Jason Stverak of Watchdog.org and the Franklin Center who will unveil the way several states including Hawaii have come together to report the real news, keep a close watch on government and dig into state house reporting.
Waialae Country Club 4997 Kahala Avenue
5:30 p.m. beachside for cocktails at sunset
6:30 dinner and dessert 7:15 program 8:30 It’s a Wrap.
Contact Linda O’Grady:
linda@siriuseventplanning.com to reserve your seat.
Our Hawaii Super Ferry vessels, the Alakai and Huakai, were both sold at auction in Norfolk, VA to the US DOT Maritime Administration. A sad ending after bankruptcy and the end of what could have been a very bright business future for Hawaii.
Tourism continues to improve in Hawaii; the singular bright economic benchmark. Retail, construction, manufacturing all suffering.
The State Tax Department reports state General Fund tax revenues declined 14% 1Q 2011 (July-Sep 2010) from the same period in 2009.
New Koa Pancake House coming to Hawaii Kai Towne Center.
Peter Carlisle is the new Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu and we wish him well. He’ll need all the good wishes since Honolulu faces a record budget deficit and looming infrastructure repairs in the BILLIONS.
Keith Kaneshiro is the newly elected City Prosecutor, a post he held previously. Kaneshiro wasted no time in firing veteran and experienced deputies who had supported his opponent Don Paccaro. His prosecutorial skills lag his political agenda.
A Texas woman won a $5.6 million federal jury verdict against McDonald’s in Kahului, Maui in a slip and fall case.
On October 7, Governor Linda Lingle named George Burnett, a Civil Defense telecommunications officer with the state Department of Defense, as State Manager of the Year, and Lynne Kazama, a social worker with the Department of Human Services, as State Employee of the Year. The Governor also named the “Quarantine First Responders” with the University of Hawai’i as the State Team of the Year. The three winners were selected from 52 exceptional group and individual nominees who were chosen by their colleagues as their respective department’s employee, manager, and team of the year. A volunteer selection committee of five individuals from non-State government organizations carefully reviewed the 52 nomination packets and rated them according to defined categories. The committee presented their recommendations for the three awards to Governor Lingle. Because there were so many outstanding nominees this year, for the first time, at the judges’ request, the Governor also named a runner-up in each category.
A House-Senate state legislative investigating committee looking at student loan backed securities by the Lingle Administration’s Department of Budget & Finance, met for the first time yesterday. The panel is composed of 4 Democrats and 2 Republicans, 3 members from each house.
The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) encourages more than 21,900 Hawaii real estate professionals to renew their licenses online at pvl.ehawaii.gov/renewals. The department is offering a 40 dollar discount on the real estate education fund fee for all renewals and an additional 25 percent customer appreciation credit on the renewal fee for online renewals. Real estate professionals are required by state law to renew their licenses every two years. During the last renewal cycle in 2008, more than 16,600 licensees (about 96 percent) renewed their licenses online. A renewal postcard notice with instructions for completing the online renewal and details of the online discounts have been mailed to each current license holder.
Real estate professionals who prefer to mail in their renewals may call 586-3000 to request an application or they can pick up an application form in person at: DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division335 Merchant Street, Rm. 301 Honolulu, HI 96813. Neighbor island residents may call the following numbers followed by 6-3000 and the # sign: Kauai: 274-3141 Maui:984-2400 Hawaii: 974-4000Lanai & Molokai: 1-800-468-4644 (toll free). Online renewals will be accepted until midnight on December 31, 2010. After this date, renewals will not be accepted online, and persons wishing to renew their licenses must submit the forms by mail or in person.
Friend of small business in our community, Caroline Kim of the Small Business Development Center SBDC, retires October 31. Caroline has helped many businesses and individuals. We wish her the best. Her contact information is as follows:e-mail: caroline@3155alani.net. Phone: 808-780-6197
Don’t forget to go and see, “GET A JOB!,” the hilarious, high-spirited motion picture comedy starring Willie K and Eric Gilliom and filmed and produced entirely on Maui. The film will have its World Premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival at the Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 thyis Saturday, October 16, 7:15pm and again will be shown on Saturday, October 23 at 3:15pm. Tickets are on sale now for both screenings. (Check www.HIFF.org for information on ticket sales.) “GET A JOB!” is a contemporary comedy set on Maui. William (Willie K) is a successful employment agent whose own career is jeopardized when, over the course of one week, he repeatedly fails to find work for a 40 something year-old, Merton (Eric Gilliom), a simpleton who surfs everyday in a spot where there are no waves. He needs to “GET A JOB!”
The 2010 Children and Youth Summit will take place tomorrow, Thursday, October 14, 2010 from 8:30am to 1:30pm in Washington Place. For details and an agenda, contact Alisha Leisek, Office of Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, State Capitol, Room 226, Phone: (808) 586-6130; Fax (808) 586-6131; emaila.leisek@capitol.hawaii.gov
The CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Hawaii Industrial MarketView details these developments in the third quarter of 2010:
– Average asking rents declined by $.04 to $1.01 a square foot
– Landlords and tenants are focused on length of lease issue
– Industrial vacancy rate rises slightly to 4.7% statewide.- Industrial property transaction activity was highest in Kalihi and on MauiThe complete CBRE Industrial MarketView Honolulu 3rd Quarter report is available from CBRE, the largest commercial real estate services firm in Hawaii.
Final Call: SBH Office Furnishings Liquidation: SBH is downsizing its office and making way for new uses of existing space. Looking for BARGAIN prices (really bargain prices!!) on used office equipment? Desks, file cabinets, book cases, computers, water cooler, etc.? Come see what we’ve got. (Hawaii Kai Corporate Plaza, 6600 Kalanianaole# 212 – above Roy’s Restaurant)Cash and carry only. Phone Darlyn at 808-396-1724 for appointment.
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.
Former schools chief Pat Hamamoto, now principal of St. Louis School, has come out in support of an appointed school board. The BOE currently has a budget of nearly $800,000, a staff od 10 and an executive director’s salary of $123,000. If I had my choice, the ballot November 2 would give the voters the choice to, “abolish the Board of Education.” But then that’s only me.
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
Sam Slom is the President of Smart Business Hawaii and SBH Entrepreneurial Education Foundation. SBH Is the only completely private, independent, statewide business association operated entirely by business owners, for business owners.