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I have a process for converting waste stream materials (automobile tires and HDPE plastics) into building materials. I calculate that there is currently sufficient waste material available to locally produce approx. $14 million per year in product.
Angel Pilago is the only council person, over the course of ten years, that has shown actual interest in the process. We are in discussion on how to overcome the general apathy and corruption on Oahu to bring this into production.
Just the facts.
My first meeting with Angel Pilago was on the topic of developing local manufacturing to meet local markets. One of the primary reasons I support him for mayor is his approach to diverified economy and local business development.
Come by the house sometime and I'll show you the stuff.
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Punafish, I’ll answer a bit out of order to pull it together:
3. Government (State and County) is an industry unto itself. Government grows as people grow. More people equals more government services. More people, more roads to be maintained. More people, more workers to handle permits. More people…… It’s not a question of big government being good; but on Hawaii government is a major player in the employment arena. If tourism and it’s infrastructure ended on the Big Island, how many government workers from cops to clerks, from roadway workers to restaurant inspectors would no longer be needed?
2. Military is here and there’s nothing we can do about it, or is there? With BRAC, how many people who moaned and groaned, pissed and griped about the military presence suddenly switched to moaning and groaning in hopes of stopping their base from being closed? It does us no good to complain about what will come. We need someone who can channel the military’s presence into a positive. Let’s not have people come here, blow up the top of a hill and leave with little put back into the community.
1. Tourism can not be made second to anything. The most valuable resources Hawaii has is its land, sunshine, ocean and weather. Those equal tourist. Face it, Honeywell isn’t going to build a missile component plant on Hawaii. Monsanto isn’t going to move their R&D to Hawaii. Bank of America isn’t going to open up a processing center on Hawaii. Verizon isn’t going to move their load center to Hawaii and certainly Travel America isn’t going to build a state of the art truck stop on Hawaii. On the mainland, those 5 companies in one community alone employ more people than the Big Island has in population. All those companies offer jobs from highly skill to entry level porters under their one roof and they are not here and will not be here. But, there are opportunities. However, if those limited opportunities are met with resistance because they may not fit neatly into the environment, the aloha, the papayas, the ocean waves, well lets hope Wal-Mart gets their super center!
4. “Made in Hawaii” is indeed the only unique resource to Hawaii. But if we can produce one of the world’s best coffee and people still go to one of the 66 Starbucks on Hawaii, lets face the music. Even those dancing dashboard Hula-Girls sold at Hilo Hatties on the mainland has a Made in China sticker on the bottom. Do you really think people care if it’s Hawaii made or from some polluting factory in China? Look at all the Hawaiian aloha shirts made in Singapore or the Philippines sold right here on the Big Island. Honestly, I don’t think anyone looks at the “Made In” label, just the price label.
So, what does any of the candidates have to offer in terms of real economic development instead of a sound bite?
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Bob, you're a very smart man, and I am definitely no match for your wits and depth of knowledge (if you can get yourself to think out of box a little more, you'd be dangerous...in a good way.) For what it's worth, here are my comments to your thoughtful post. If you want the last word, it's yours, my friend:
3. Point taken that government is an industry. Unfortunately too much is non-value added, not the kind of jobs we want. What's important to me is the amount of value/contribution-to-society per head. Indeed, a hard thing to measure. All I know is that as a citizen, I am currently not satisfied with the value I'm getting from my government. (At least I don't pay outrageous property taxes here in Puna.) Bottom line, they could do so much more with what they have. Instead they waste our tax dollars.
2. No argument on the military, just a question: Who will work harder to prevent the military from blowing up the top of a hill and leave with little put back into the community, Pilago or your guy Kenoi? Would either of them even have the power to do it? Please enlighten me, because I'm trying very hard to see both sides of the issue.
3. "Tourism can not be made second to anything." Maybe not. But perhaps second to a bunch of other entrepreneurial ideas taken collectively? Maybe not. Assuming gas prices remain high, tourism as we know it in Hawaii today will not survive unless it re-tools to cater to the very rich and exclusive or the very low end campers, hikers, hippies, etc. (Not that there's anything wrong with the "low-end")
4. Believe it or not, "Made in Hawaii" has value in key niche markets globally. Not just "things" but education, culture, even research (I'm currently working on several projects that fall outside your 4 categories.) No, it's not gonna replace tourism ever, but for a savvy entrepreneur, opportunities are there. It just requires imagination.
"What does any of the candidates have to offer in terms of real economic development instead of a sound bite"? Great question! So I'll throw it back at you: You started this thread by endorsing Kenoi. So please tell us, what is Kenoi going to do in real economic terms? I truly want to know. I'm just as interested in hearing what Pilago has to say.
Bob, I am honestly less interested in being "right", and more interested in hearing different opinions and information about the candidates so I can make an informed decision on who to vote for. Do you share the same outlook or are you already locked in? Just curious.
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
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punafish, I had a chance to mull all the available info and this is my belief
Military.
Billy will put out the welcome mat, sell maps to the best mountaintops, sell snacks and refreshments to the military, and sell tickets to tourist to watch the military blow the tops off the mountains. He will charge the military a use fee but they can blow the tops away all they want. He will charge them a cleanup fee but the mountains will be gone.
Angel will erect a barrier to keep the military out, will organize community opposition and sit ins at the tops of mountains. He will rally the people to oppose blowing the mountains away. He will also refuse to take a penny from the military.
The military will come, they will blow the tops off if they want and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Do we make some money or do we make nothing off the destruction?
Government:
Neither can do anything about it. On the flip side, if any of them moves to reduce the size of government workforce it will be popular until someone is, knows, or is impacted by that job loss. At that point no matter who the person is, people will raise a stink and consider that person the devil. It's only popular until it impacts a person after which it will be viewed as a bad thing
Tourism:
If they want more resorts in Konafornia, let them have it. Nothing we can do abut it.
Angel will probably work to balance tourism with the environment. He will most likely attempt to diversify the tourist trade into a more evenly dispersed industry through specialized tourism aimed more at nature and environment versus beaches, hula girls, and luaus. I believe this will not increase the economic impact by much and the jobs will be too limited to make any impact.
Billy will just aim for jobs and tourist dollars. He will probably concentrate on large dollars on the west side and hope it has a trickle down effect to the east side.
Hawaii as Hawaii:
The island is a remote rock in the ocean. Neither can expect much in the way of real industry. Even Kona coffee isn't on the mainland scales anymore. Gee there are over 50 Starbucks in the state; do you really think the people care anymore if something is local or just cheap? Nobody cares anymore if the sticker says “Product of Hawaii” or “Made in China” The only sticker mainlanders and many Hawaiians care about is the price sticker. Neither candidate can do anything about Hawaii's remoteness so they can't offer anything. But if industry does want to come, the candidates may just abandon their election position and let them do what they want, even if it's not the best. Angel will be tortured by it, and Billy will just say “what the heck”, but both WILL let it happens because there is nothing else viable in the wings. Would the people rather have a pristine tropical island producing welfare checks or a job even if it's not the best environmentally for Hawaii? This is evident in the feelings towards the SuperFerry. Use to be the majority opinion was the people don't want it. Now, all you hear is when is it coming and bring the tourist dollars with it?
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Bob wrote:
Military.
Billy will put out the welcome mat, sell maps to the best mountaintops, sell snacks and refreshments to the military, and sell tickets to tourist to watch the military blow the tops off the mountains. He will charge the military a use fee but they can blow the tops away all they want. He will charge them a cleanup fee but the mountains will be gone.
Somehow this reminds me of Napoleon's army in Egypt using the Sphinx and Pyramids for target practice. Or the Taliban blowing up ancient sculpture in Afganistan.
Does selling snacks to the artillery corps make this attitude acceptable?
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quote:
Hawaii can not survive without tourism and the military. Take those two away and this place will become just another third world tropical island with people abandoning it like rats from a sinking ship.
Aaaah... a tropical island without the rats.
Now that would be paradise!
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
Does selling snacks to the artillery corps make this attitude acceptable?
No.
But let me ask you this. Let's say you had property with a legal easement that gave any person the people the right to cross your land to get to the other side. Do you sit on and watch, cursing them out the whole time? Do you put up a barrier just to have it legally torn down? Do you spend your money trying to maintain the road for their use? Or, do you pave the beginning and end of the road but leave the middle a rut infested water logged bog, and charge the people $150 to pull them out when they get stuck?
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Multiple choice..... I'll get back to you. A busy campaign day today. Not sure I get the point. I thought we were talking about a rather sacred mountain as one of the most unique natural features on the planet Earth. This isn't some flat ass stretch of the Nevada Desert (where the Feds have 95% of the land already.)
Aloha
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If one candidate or the other has an actual plan to stop the military from destroying what they will destroy anyway, tell me who that is. If neither candidate has the ability to stop the military, there are people who would want to know which candidate is the best to extract the most from the military in return for what they are going to do no matter what we wish upon a star for. Which candidate? I think Billy is probably the best in that regard.
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Bob, interesting take on what the candidates might do. It's as good a guess as any. Sure wish I knew...before tomorrow.
I'm disappointed that Pilago never found the time to respond to this thread. It could have clarified some questions and concerns. Don't reckon it's gonna happen before tomorrow. Bummer. (I never expected an answer from Kenoi.)
Tim
Tim
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions--Confucius
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