07-20-2007, 07:25 AM
I just love the way the Island retailers have us all brainwashed on the shipping expense scam. A few years ago a UH-Manoa ecomomics professor did an comprehensive analysis of costs in the Islands of goods produced on the West Coast of the mainland, such as lumber and California produce. For nearly everything, it cost the same or even less to ship something from the West Coast to Hawaii via container ship than it did to ship the same stuff to the East Coast via rail or especially truck. Prices here, however, were 10-25% more. He came to the conclusion that just about all of our local and most of our mainland-based retailers were gouging. That's why I was thrilled when Home Depot came to Hilo and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Super Wally World. It amazes me to see politicians and bleeding hearts want to "protect" the people who have been ripping us off for generations.