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Other than ag and tourism what does Hawaii have to generate income? The government is the single largest contributor to Hawaii's GDP. Absent spending by the Federal government, federal grants and transfer payments like medicade and welfare how could the Hawaiian economy survive? Don't say reparations because that isn't going to be much if anything and don't say rent for Pearl Harbor and other military bases. Look what happened to Subic Bay and Clark Field when the Filipinos started demanding more money for the basing rights. Within a year both bases were deserted. So where does the money come from?
No matter how thin you slice it, its still balony.
No matter how thin you slice it, its still balony.
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Surely thou jest?
The military is the largest monetary contributor to the islands.
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
The pillaging of the native Hawaiians continues to this day. Some of them may resent haoles and may even have reason to, but some of their own people and the local Japanese have their hands out all over this.
This is a huge problem. Take a look at the contracts for those lot and infrastructure improvements, and you will see a select group of well connected companies routinely getting preferential treatment at cost levels twice what even the county pays. A few years ago one telecommunications contractor was chosen despite being two and a half times the cost of the low bidder, someone who had a better quality track record.
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My hypothesis, after long observation, is that we are starting to see the effects of Future Shock. There are large segments of the older population that could never see the need or use for mathematics, science and technology during their youth and chose to pursue old ways that seemed to be better, like organic farming. This wallowing in nostalgia, looking to the past as better times, is growing.
For Hawaii, it may be true, the pre-contact Hawaii seems idyllic and it probably was. The problem is there is no practical way to reset the Earth time machine to 1780. This is the delusion of the more radical Hawaiian kingdom supporters, they think if a kingdom is restored, the Hawaii of 1780 will be restored. This delusional thinking is just another symptom of Future Shock. The best thing that could happen is if the kingdom promoters would sit down and do a reality check, facing the fact it is 2015 and thinking like adults about how to move forward.
The nostalgia narcotic is understandable. There are photos and paintings from the 1800's that show what Hawaii once was and it was incredible. We should try to restore as much as possible, yet somehow deal with the reality that the human population is going to keep increasing at a geometric rate.
Waikiki beach in 1920
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uei2HPlE9s/Uh...e+(19).jpg
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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"restored" can also be looked at from a demographic standpoint, as post-contact hawaiian population fell from order-of-a-million to tens of thousands, (the real cause of the political power shift). The Numbers (of Hawaiians) have bounced back... with interest.
***Still can't figure out how to spell 'car' correctly***
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The problem with the military situation as I see it is that the U.S. is unlikely to retain all of the assets in Hawaii it currently has. More likely is that CINPACFLT would move to San Diego and Pearl Harbor would become a forward deployed base with no permanent fleet stationed here. Much like the U.S. bases in Germany after the wall came down. I think most of the smaller bases like Kaneohe would be closed and Pearl, Schofield and Hickham would become supply and maintenance depots like K-Town in Germany. Lots of material but not many personnel. Might keep a brigade at Schofield and some divisional support units but not much else. Pearl would become a port of call that ships would rotate through and use for R&R and a supply base but Guam would become the major base in the Pacific. Same goes for the marines, they already have the facilities at Guam to receive all the marines in Hawaii and it is closer to the potential trouble spots. Also the air force, huge air base there. On top of losing much of the military money all other federal programs would dry up. Don't know how much Hawaii gets in highway funds but most of the new saddle road was built with federal money. Same goes for ports. Most of the improvements for Hawaii ports get a large share of federal money, usually about 50% but can be as high as 100% in some cases. Bottom line I would think an independent Hawaii would receive less than 50% of the federal money it is getting now and possibly much less than that.
quote:
Originally posted by rainyjim
Surely thou jest?
The military is the largest monetary contributor to the islands.
No matter how thin you slice it, its still balony.
No matter how thin you slice it, its still balony.
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I don't see why an independent Hawai'i would be getting any federal money.
