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Another reason why Denmark is different is that the population is almost entirely homogeneous.
The concept of inequality doesn't tend to exist when everybody is exactly the same racially, economically, similarly educated (and taxed), same opportunities, etc.
Comparing a single 5.8 million community, 0.4% size of the USA, to one with 50 states, each with dozens or hundreds of different municipalities of a 350+ million melting pot isn't an apples to apples, or even apples to oranges comparison, it's more like comparing an apple to a wrecking ball.
The same stats could be said more or less for any Nordic country.
This is the problem when trying to say "Why can't we be like a Nordic country?"
We can't become a Nordic country any more than Norway can swell from 148,729 to 3.8 million square miles.
Yeah, I switched from Denmark to Norway there at the end because of Greenland.
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The great thing about our constitution is it reserves many powers to the states, so they can try different methods of governing. So we're really not comparing the whole US, just Hawaii. In any case, all of this is to say that Hawaii can and should invest in its people and technology, since countries that do tend to be more successful in the long run. Anything we do to reduce dependence on imports will help too. Green energy and local (high tech automated) farming would be great things for our government to reward with tax incentives. Attracting more well-off retirees, exceptional teachers, and young medical professionals should also be high on the list.
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(06-29-2020, 10:09 PM)hankie1 Wrote: (06-29-2020, 04:06 AM)Chas Wrote: Retirement benefits are taxed. Only government retirement benefits are tax free. Sorry most retirement are not tax but your social security is. ???
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07-01-2020, 11:55 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-02-2020, 12:20 AM by HereOnThePrimalEdge.)
From the July 2020 PISCES Newsletter, an excerpt about Hawaii as a location for aerospace research and business opportunities:
While not all aerospace ventures may be suitable for Hawaii, the geographic positioning and geologic features of the islands offer among the best opportunities found in the U.S. to create an Aerospace In- dustry cluster. This includes: small satellite manufacturing, testing and in-orbit operations, small vehicle orbital launch, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (UAS) testing, applied research in dual-use technologies, technical training, and planetary surface test and training programs.
Though Hawaii’s main industry will surely continue to be tourism, Aerospace opportunities also have the potential to complement it. Space Perspective, a new human spaceflight startup, recently announced their plan to begin ferrying tourists to the upper edges of the stratosphere aboard a space-balloon. The company has already established a launch operations center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and has plans to set up operations in Alaska and here in Hawaii. Sight-seeing tours in space would be a totally unique experience, and offer more incentive for tourists to visit Hawaii.
http://pacificspacecenter.com/wp-content...INAL-3.pdf
Edited with a link on details and photos for Space Perspective and their high altitude balloon flights:
(we already have the Kalapana Space Port, right?)
https://www.space.com/space-perspective-...ights.html
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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I say no to a spaceport. I grew up near spaceX boca chica and spent time there this past winter. I follow the updates of starship everyday. It is totally, daily, amazing!
But, There is just NO WAY that Hawaii and Hawaiians will tolerate that level of NOISE, BOOMS, Traffic, high speed everything that it takes. I admire Musks endeavors but not here.
In many ways, I am sad for boca chica. As far as environment, boca chica is a NWR. For the Rarest ocelot in the world, for Rare butterflies, for rare birds, for the rarest turtle in the world, And on! It has MANY things in common with Hawaii. Including low wages, few good jobs, etc.
I am happy that it will bring a few good jobs (Most hires are imported), deeply sad that it WILL destroy the Forever place That God created, that we love. And at some point, spaceX will move on leaving a ravaged environment behind.
I think spaceX could have built someplace else.
NIMBY, again!
Sincerely,
Ccat
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If we can't build telescopes to look at space they certainly won't allow the construction of the means to actually get there.
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(07-13-2020, 09:41 PM)terracore Wrote: If we can't build telescopes to look at space they certainly won't allow the construction of the means to actually get there. “Who” won’t allow?
The *county* gave spacex boca chica huge incentives to win them and setup an eminent domain agency to assist in evicting the residents!
(thank god for the Hawaiians who will stand their ground.)
SpaceX Boca chica had plenty of worthy opposition due to its seriously endangered wildlife, etc. But the offer of a few good jobs and budding high tech industry for a poor area overcame it all.
BTW, the jobs are not primarily going to locals.
Local residents lost their houses to eminent domain but those houses are being repurposed for spacex employees (! s/b Illegal!)
spaceX has been proceeding at a furious, mind bending rate! Booms, explosions, endless TX 4 road closures (Getting worse) so they can test! TX 4 is the only road to the beach And we are guaranteed that right of way! Same as HI, like blocking Pahoa-kalapana 130 for days for private purposes.
I don’t see anything different for a space port Hawaii.
I think Musk is a genius. I admire his grit. But some places are off limits.
They could have moved north a few miles and it would have been perfectly OK. Better, in fact, for a lot of reasons. Boca chica was a cheap shot and a low blow to the earth.
Save Earth First.
sincerely,
ccat
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Ccat,
If you were responding to my post about Space Perspective, they are unaffiliated with SpaceX. They fly people to the edge of space in a large balloon, so no rockets are used. The balloon makes no sound, it simply rises into the air. There is more info at the links in my post above.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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"Same as HI, like blocking Pahoa-kalapana 130 for days"
Or the Mauna Kea access road?
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We're not getting "economic alternatives". What we need is an "alternative economy" that's not based on unions, retirees, and tourism.
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