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Education? Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Now, Cathy, if I said, 'food, fiber, and fuel industries that increase market share of local products, would that be better than 'farming'? 
Really, the land is what we have. Plus,
one other assessment I have seen about Hawaii is that our resources are 'sunshine and seawater.' Think carbon sequestration, very low food miles, a reef you can eat food from without hurting the reef ecosystem and still be safe from toxins, and other such do-gooder stuff.
There is a lot of buzz about 'Green Economy'. Surely a term sufficient to cover enough healthy sins to do some good. Let's see: Organic Gardening? Yes. Nuclear waste dump? No.
...bet other folks can put something in between these two extremes...
p.s. an idea that appeals to me is "livelihood" -- it may be a job and it may not; it may involve $ and it may not; but, it does mean anyone able takes care of them and theirs and anybody around who's not able to do the same.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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I'm guessing that as long as people live here, there will be a decent need for:
Most any kind of mechanic - auto, equipment...
Home Repair - reliable, attention to detail
Building trades - I doubt the market will dry up and blow away anytime soon.
Medical - from receptionist to Dr, I doubt any local person would have too hard a time staying fully employed with the right attitude.
Teachers - name your level
Business owners - combine realistic desire and work ethic
I guess my point is that there is suitable opportunity, just we need to see the opportunities for what they are and be less "pie in the sky". Opportunities abound for scientist - but limited for rocket scientists. Wide open for doctors, but kinda narrow for highly specialized brain surgeons. Perhaps we adults can instill a feeling that success isn't a white collar vs blue collar choice.
David
Ninole Resident
Ninole Resident
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Human resources and finance. I know of young people who work in Hilo in these areas and make about $50K. Of course, they have degrees. There seem to be want ads for social workers on a regular basis, as well.
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Here's some hypothetical numbers:
(miles to Kona from Puna = 125
25mpg car = 5 gallons/ $4 gallon = $20 per day
time to Kona 4 hours)
There is an offset to the $20 per day. They still spend the same time on the road but can sleep while the County provides the ride by HELE-ON
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David M said,
quote:
I'm guessing that as long as people live here, there will be a decent need for:
Most any kind of mechanic - auto, equipment...
Home Repair - reliable, attention to detail
Building trades - I doubt the market will dry up and blow away anytime soon.
Medical - from receptionist to Dr, I doubt any local person would have too hard a time staying fully employed with the right attitude.
Teachers - name your level
Business owners - combine realistic desire and work ethic
David's right about this wide range of service jobs requiring diverse skills. What a rural community like Puna has to have is the economic base to pay for those services.
In one model, that has often meant such things as: a plantation, a mine, a factory. All of which have a consistent history of boom and bust.
In another , which I recommend for Puna, sustainable/full-cycle/closed-loop/non-destructive use of the local natural resource base to serve the local market and nearest regional-center/urban markets (Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Waimea, Honolulu).
What do we need, in order to have economic opportunity in Puna, and the rest of rural East Hawaii?
Sustained natural resources, competent human resources, and regional/urban markets.
p.s. Cathy, I know you did not originally ask only about Puna or rural communities, but that is where I am (physically and mentally!)
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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No worries James! I get where you are coming from. I appreciate all the comments and thoughtful responses! Lets keep thinking!
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If we want our children to be able to stay here and be able to aford a house and children of there own. hawaii and especially east hawaii needs to do something to attract business and industry ( no its not a dirty word) Tourism and real estate development for offshore money are way to susceptilbe to economic downturns. think how many more people live here than the last time it happened.
We need to provide a service or product, or grow somthing that somebody needs or at least make here what we now import
Edited by - seeb on 12/13/2007 11:51:50
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The issue is "service" vs "manufacturing" & "producer vs Consumer".
Service jobs don't pay $16 an hour but a "manufacturing" job might. I doubt 60% of the island makes more than $16 an hour. How much does Walmart pay ?? 7$ or 8$ an hour ?
The best job an "average" person in Hawaii County can get is Government at this point.
Lets face it, These kids are not going anywhere.
They are going to live in our houses, eat all our food,make big messes all over the place, crash our cars, date losers, eat the half-a sandwhich you left in the fridge and were thinking about all day at work, ruin their credit, try to ruin yours, ask if their fat ass friends can stay over for a "few" days, come home drunk, break the washing machine, leave every single "got dam" light in the house on, sit in your chair drinking the last beer when you come home from a hard days work, and beg for every little thing that their grubby little minds can think of.
LOVE YA KIDS!!! "who drank the last of the milk and left the empty container in the fridge?"
quote:
.........They are going to live in our houses, eat all our food,make big messes all over the place, crash our cars, date losers, eat the half-a sandwhich you left in the fridge and were thinking about all day at work, ruin their credit, try to ruin yours, ask if their fat ass friends can stay over for a "few" days, come home drunk, break the washing machine, leave every single "got dam" light in the house on, sit in your chair drinking the last beer when you come home from a hard days work, and beg for every little thing that their grubby little minds can think of.
LOVE YA KIDS!!! "who drank the last of the milk and left the empty container in the fridge?"........
Is that why my mom kicked me out of the house at 18?
You know legally you don't have to anything for your kids after they turn 18.
The attitude expressed above could easily be changed with a little discipline earlier on in lives.
Kids tend to be a product of there parents and there environment. You allow them to get away with that stuff, then they are going to run with it.
I guess now that I'm older I really appreciate my mom kicking me out when I turned 18. I've learned a lot and my relationship with my mother has grown tremendously. Of course I was pissed at first.
Pampering kids does not help them.
A little tough love in the early years can go a long ways.
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Coming home soon!
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I second that point, we need to diversify our economic base from real estate, construction,
tourism and the military. For the most part these industries are susceptible to downturns.
Also they are not very sustainable.
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