Big Island Organizations & Programs Losing Funding

[Moderator 2]

Let’s keep comments focused on examples of Puna, Big Island, Hawaii lost funding, or wasted federal funding.

Specific examples better prove your point than economic theories and generalities. 

[Wao nahele wahine]

But throwing people out of work with no warning? 

I experienced that first hand in 2008, along with 90% of coworkers in my department.  My only warning was watching my boss walk down the hallway with a cardboard box of belongings.  All you could was sit and wait your turn, and wonder if you would make the cut and still have your job.

[HiloJulie]

While not trying to ask you to divulge too much personal information and I am perfectly fine if you do not desire to answer, but would you be willing Ms. Wao, to first say if you were indeed laid off and what was the reason for such an prior unknown mass layoff?

I'm just curious as to why any employer, government or private would do such a thing that was unknown to happen until the minute it happened. Granted, there are such employment matters that fluctuate in employment such as the construction industry, farming, etc., but those industries generally come with an understanding that when the last nail is driven or the last corn cob is picked, the jobs over. Until the next building or harvest.

Having said that, regardless, I am going to assume and correct me if I am wrong, but I assume you and your co-workers were treated with a modicum of compassion considering people are losing their jobs. The way these sudden and immediate funding cuts and employment terminations are being handled, quite frankly, to me, with screams of a "F&%K YOU get out" mentality coupled with aspects of glee and excitement at those doing the firing is some sick stuff and its being done with "No shame whatsoever"

[Wao nahele wahine]

I'm just curious as to why any employer, government or private would do such a thing that was unknown to happen until the minute it happened.

This wasn't the first time this had happened at my former company. Once we were bought out by a large corporation, the occasional layoffs with no warning started within 6 months. The 2008 layoff was about 5 years after we were bought out. No reason for the layoff was given when I asked. We had a lot of work scheduled for that year, and I was told during my exit meeting that contracts with customers would be reneged.

FWIW, many in upper management had a FUGO mentality towards us. For example, some of the people laid off were escorted out of the building and not allowed to get their property. They were told it would be boxed up and they could retrieve it later.

I was 2 weeks shy of 25 years there. When I got home that day ALL of my company jackets, shirts, etc. went straight in the garbage.

My current company was also bought out, but we have not experienced layoffs.

[HiloJulie]

Thank you for sharing Ms. Wao. I am sorry you were treated that way. No one deserves to be treated like that. 

One of the partners in the law firm I worked for was also a partner with a venture capitalist firm that invested money to allow various companies to buy out other companies, similar to your situations.

One day he calls me into his office and asks me to attend this one rather large construction company's Board Meeting as his proxy. His venture capital firm had invested heavily into this company. He told me to just be there to represent him and if any matter came to a vote to vote my "conscience."

So, I go to this meeting expecting it to be just boring stuff when during the meeting the Chairman and President of the company is directing a division manager of one of their operations to lay off people and reduce head count due to them having a revenue decline. This particular company was "self-insured" for its employees' health insurance program. The Chairman directs the division manager to lay off the "older employees" as they are more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes that could cost the company millions of dollars.

Before I could even blink an eye - and even digest what the Chairman just said, the division manager retorted right back at the Chairman, "well you better resign immediately! I mean you're already 66 years old and the stress and responsibility of running this company must be so tremendous that could cause you to have a massive heart attack or even a stroke - and we could be out millions!"

Believe it or not, the Chairman died of a massive heart attack at his desk two months later. The division manager was named the new Chairman and President.

He bought back the investment my boss had put into that company one year later.

Unfortunately, the old Chairman's ways of thinking are still way too prevalent today and are on full display right now.

[leilanidude]

Federal money represents a significant funding line for Hawaiʻi’s $700 million agricultural industry, which lawmakers continue to promote as important for the islands’ self-sufficiency and sustainability.
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The provisioning of federal money has been ongoing so long, for the state's agriculture industry, that one could easily argue that it is a failure and there is no self-sufficiency or sustainability.

[Durian Fiend]

Federal money represents a significant funding line for Hawaiʻi’s $700 million agricultural industry, which lawmakers continue to promote as important for the islands’ self-sufficiency and sustainability.
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The provisioning of federal money has been ongoing so long, for the state's agriculture industry, that one could easily argue that it is a failure and there is no self-sufficiency or sustainability.

How significant?  Last year it appears the figure was $525k.  https://www.ams.usda.gov/content/usda-an...op-growers

[leilanidude]

Federal money represents a significant funding line for Hawaiʻi’s $700 million agricultural industry, which lawmakers continue to promote as important for the islands’ self-sufficiency and sustainability.
----------
The provisioning of federal money has been ongoing so long, for the state's agriculture industry, that one could easily argue that it is a failure and there is no self-sufficiency or sustainability.

How significant?  Last year it appears the figure was $525k.  https://www.ams.usda.gov/content/usda-an...op-growers

HOPTE provided the comment that I was responding to.

[HiloJulie]

"The provisioning of federal money has been ongoing so long, for the state's agriculture industry, that one could easily argue that it is a failure and there is no self-sufficiency or sustainability."

From 1995 to 2023, the Federal subsidy funding of the agriculture industry for Hawaii was ranked at 47th out of 55. (The other 5 being Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands)

Check out this website. It's kind of eye opening on the topic of the Federal subsidy funding of America's agriculture industry. Not just the page that this link opens on, but you can play around with all the other links on the website itself for some very informative information.

I'd love to discuss all this data, but its way beyond being Puna, Hilo, Big Island or Hawaii related.

So, go see for yourself. Imagine the impacts if a significant amount of all this funding was just suddenly turned off.

EWG Farm Subsidy Database || State rankings for Total Subsidies in the United States

[MyManao]

Blah blah blah...

What does anything you write have to do with PW?

Seriously, why do you continue to push your non-hawaii non-Puna agenda? Over and over.. what's your point? Come on, you post everyday out on the edge.. adding your national bias, your national angst, and yet every time your posts are deleted, edits, and still you don't get the message.. all day every day you have to inject your hostility.. your anger, your hate.. 

Maybe, if you can't keep it local, you should go away..