Cash those Clunkers!

Ho, Mistah Prez,

Mahalo for da ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program, brah! 1,850 new vehicles been bought in da aina, makin’ fo’ a huge increase in da kine aut-mo-beel sales in Hawaii. Good fo’ da kine environment too. Eh but…any mo’ ideas fo’ helping da kine car sales, brah? Could use some help!

Aloha,
Cuz

Thanks to the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program, it’s true, a whopping 1,850 new automobiles have been released onto the streets of Hawaii in the past month. As could be predicted, truck sales are down (as people are trying to be environmentally friendly, and save their wallets from the gas monster), and Japanese makers have outsold all other makes. Brands including Hummer and Land Rover are suffering, though Korean makes are enjoying the largest percentage increase.

Given the state of our economy, it’s expected that the car industry would suffer since cars are luxury items. When times get tough, a family trying to save can easily just not buy a car. Plus, gas prices are horrendous! Statewide, Hawaiians are paying 85¢ more per gallon of gas than the rest of the U.S. That’s an average of $3.36 per gallon! With prices like that, who would spend the money on a new car? So it’s a truly pleasant bonus when car dealerships (even if only Toyota and Kia) can experience a good month, and all thanks to a government program.

A good month, however, says nothing about the future of Hawaii’s car industry. Bill van den Hurk, president of Aloha Auto Group Ltd., says,

“We had an incredible August…[but now] we’re back into reality world.”

Despite the boost from ‘Cash for Clunkers,’ no vehicle in Hawaii has seen a year-to-date sales increase. And with furloughs on the way, plus a possible rail system on the way, what will happen to Hawaii’s car industry? Van den Hurk says that,

“All we can do is hope now.”

Well, in my opinion, hoping is a little passive. President Obama helped the industry out– maybe it’s our state government’s turn to do the same. Times are definitely rough, but perhaps some out-of-the-box thinking could turn “hoping” into “doing.”

Here is my out-of-the-box idea of the day:

I remember a man spoke to my class one day in 8th grade assembly about an outreach program he was spearheading for the homeless. The concept was to take old busses and turn them into homeless shelters and/or soup kitchens. I think this could be turned into a ‘Cash for Clunkers’ type of government program, encouraging people with extremely old cars to get new ones. The government would assist in a type of rebate for these people, who would feel compelled to help the homeless as well as get a discount on a new car. Also, the quality of the car wouldn’t be too much of an issue, as the shell of the car is the main part needed to make the project work.

But this idea is just to get you thinking. Because while van den Hurk is hoping, the economy isn’t getting better. What we need are innovative thinkers to propel us forward in ways we wouldn’t think possible. So no matter how outlandish the ideas, please come forward with them, because they might actually help. So kids, the lesson for today is: be creative, and be brave about it. Shoots cuz, we go.

Ono (Delicious) Kine Sites

So I was just introduced to social bookmarking tools (Diigo, Delicious, Digg, Stumbledupon, Trailfire, etc.), and boy, they are really handy in terms of finding cool articles and material! First, I made an account on Diigo (where you can download a toolbar to make bookmarking and organizing easy) and searched “Hawaii Economy”, since I was looking for blog inspiration. However, there were no specific articles listed under that tag, only under “Hawaii” and “Economy” separately, which gave articles about the best tourist spots on the islands and the world economy in general.

I then moved on to Delicious, which you can conveniently link to Diigo and share all of your bookmarks between the two sites. When I searched “Hawaii Economy” in Delicious, the same results came up as in Diigo, however, there were suggestions for other tags to click right underneath my search. I clicked the tag “Hawaii Economy Tourism,” and the fun began.

Delicious is such a helpful tool to help find relevant articles to your personal topics of interest. My search pulled articles from major news sources such as CNN and the Honolulu Star Bulletin. The best part about the search, I thought, were the articles and posts from websites I didn’t know. I stumbled across a blog about Hawaii (whose most recent post, “Prices in Paradise”, discusses the hits Hawaii’s economy has taken in relation to the rest of the nation) that I would never have found if searching on my own in Google. I found another blog that discusses different energy options that had one post about Hawaii and oil.

The first blog I found from Delicious, Hawaii Blog, is written by Ryan Ozawa (you can read more about him at this website that is all about him). He posts about Hawaii and lots more, including a bunch of posts about the television show “Lost” (filmed in Hawaii), local events (“Free Admission on Museum Day!”), and economic issues similar to what I like to discuss (“Prices in Paradise”). In the latter article, Ozawa uses a familiar item, milk, to compare the effects of inflation on Hawaii and other mainland states. He brings up a valid point that as a local, paying $7 for a gallon of milk seems normal since that is the only price we see. But as a college student at USC, I buy my gallon of milk from Ralph’s for only $2.50. People tell me all the time that the economy is hitting everyone hard, but it’s apparent that a $5.50 price difference for a gallon of milk is quite a stretch. This inflation not only effects locals—tourists must also pay extravagant prices when visiting the islands. This is bad news because they will spend less and be discouraged from visiting, which doesn’t help our economy any more than the high price of living.

Another article that was very relevant to my blog was from the Honolulu Star Bulletin which presented a convenient bar graph of tourism rates through 2008 (and trends only continued into the current year). Hawaii saw June tourism rates drop 14.5% in 2008, and the percentages only rose this past summer.

Using sites like Diigo and Delicious help to find relevant articles quickly and painlessly. Blogs like Hawaii Blog would have taken me hours to find on Google, and the millions of articles from the Star Bulletin would have taken a lot of time to weed through as well. I would definitely recommend these sites for those researching, in need of inspiration, or if you’re just bored. Shoots cuz, we go.

Furlough Fever

Government employees throughout Hawaii (and nationwide) have been taking pay cuts, fearing layoffs, and suffering from furlough fever. And in a recent article in the Honolulu Advertiser (“Furlough dates set for Hawaii public school teachers”), 17 furlough dates have been settled for public school teachers in Hawaii. We know what this means: parents will adjust their schedules and find day care for furlough days, teachers will tighten their personal budgets, and children will learn 17 days-less of information per year. Everyone needs to take a hit for the team.

But speaking of team…

Coconut wireless (aka the grape vine) has it that athletic directors may be exempt from these furlough dates, since many sports games take place on Fridays. While the trend of favoring athletes over scholars has taken over America and the world, should it really trickle down as far as our public school system? I don’t think so.

Perhaps a lesser discussed aspect of economics is the moral aspect, but I think it sends the wrong message to our keiki that when times get tough, your parents, teachers, community, and education take a back seat, but oh wait…football, that’s okay to continue. Why can’t Friday’s games be moved to Thursdays? Public schools don’t play private schools in most sports anyway, so there would be no time or date conflict. And haven’t you heard? Thursday is the new Friday.

Maybe I’m just a bitter musician who sat in the old recital auditorium while the track and gym got renovated every other year. But in all fairness, if everyone is taking one for the team, I see no loophole for athletes. Shoots den, we go.

"Buy Hawaii"

In reading JohnfromBerkeley's blog today, I remembered an old, local campaign called "Buy Hawaii". Here's the comment in regards to his wonderful post about supporting local retailers:

It’s such a great and economical idea to buy locally made products during your vacation in Hawaii. In fact, there was a government campaign back in 2001 called “Buy Hawaii” to help promote buying local goods over imported mainland ones! A nifty “Buy Hawaii” sign, with the Hawaiian flag, was made and distributed to all retailers supporting the campaign and who sold local products, which would let buyers know where to shop to support the cause. The goal, of course, was to keep local money in the local economy instead of filtering it over seas.

When I googled the issue to find pictures of the sign and the government page about the campaign (which I used extensively when I wrote a middle school speech about “Buy Hawaii”), I COULDN’T FIND IT! No sign pictures! No government page! Where did it go? Where did our support for “Buy Hawaii” and local retailers disappear to? In these horrible economic times, it is more important than ever to support each other, to support our fellow kamaaina by choosing their stores and products over others and keep their jobs and shops alive. We need to keep our money in our state and “Buy Hawaii”.

I am so grateful for Hawaii lovers like yourself who, as you said, “want to honor hardworking Hawaiian businesses”. Our culture is so unique, and in order to preserve it we need to work together. Understandably times are tough and money is tight, but when we do take out our wallets, if we “Buy Hawaii”, we are helping to save not only jobs and businesses, but our culture and way of life. Mahalo for your support.

So remember keiki: live, love, and "Buy Hawaii". Shoots cuz, we go.

Try Transit into Tourism...

“WE WILL RIDE!” The crowds of high school and college students shouted this at a rally last summer, after a congressman gave his motivational bit:

“What do we want?”
“Rail!”
“When do we want it?”
“Now!”
“What do we want to do?”
“Go?”
“Go…FAST!”

Honestly, it was comical how surprised the congressman really was at his audience’s confusion after his third motivational question. He proceeded to chant “Go rail, go!” with such syntax that the crowd began to sound like they were reading a “See Spot Run!” book.

This was before the rail project was approved. Since last summer, it’s a “go” for “go rail, go”. Still yet, rail transit in Hawaii has been a controversial topic plaguing voters from eighteen to eighty. Many of my friends and peers are involved with this cause, which is why I attended that particular rally. The pros and cons have been stated and restated: the rail will save people commute time, reduce traffic and pollution, and give construction workers jobs, but will cost all tax payers (even those who “would not” benefit from the rail) money and would take FOREVER to complete, if at all.

And as I am interested in Hawaii’s economy, I question the rail through this lens: how will/can the rail help to raise or support Hawaii’s economy? Can it? I believe so; thus, I support the rail.

How? First, it would create job opportunities, which is always a great stimulus for the economy. The construction industry is in need of a boost of business, and the rail project would definitely help.

Second, I believe the rail would bring tourists to branch out further than Waikiki (the tourist town in Oahu). In our current rail-less situation, some tourists use the bus system, but not all are comfortable with it since riding the bus often requires a lot of transfers. This makes bus riding inconvenient for heavy shoppers, which keeps the tourists who want to spend close to Waikiki and town. It’s fair to assume that the tourists who currently use the bus systems would also use the rail. Not to mention that Japanese nationals are familiar and comfortable with the concept of rail, since that is the main means of transit in Japan (I focus on Japanese tourists because they bring the most money to Hawaii’s economy). With more tourists using the rail, and visiting other parts of Oahu, local vendors and stores would prosper and expand, creating more jobs and currency flow.

And hey, will we have little rail stations? Or rail stops? Because around and/or in rail stations and/or stops, realistically, would be food vendors and convenience stores, creating, again, more job opportunities and flow of money.

Every chance Hawaii gets to create opportunities such as these, we should take. I view the rail as an investment. Though it will cost tax payers roughly 50 cents a day, totaling $4000 over 15 years, it will save them money in the future. If they use the rail, they will pay less to commute. If they drive, they will pay less for gas because traffic will decrease. And whether or not the area their local traffic is affected by the rail, the economic benefits will help them to get a job or make more money.

Can the rail help our economy? Yes. There are many other questions regarding rail transit that, however, remain unanswered. As my pro-rail friend says: “we’ll see”. But no worry beef curry, the rail will prevail. Shoots cuz, we go.

At Least Voices Can't Be Stinky

It's been the hot topic of local news in Hawaii: "let's make sum kine law weah we kick da kine stink buggahs off da bus". In common terms, the Honolulu City Council is attempting to create a law slapping potent bus riders with a fine or jail time. However impractical or improbable, you have to admit that it's a "fresh" concept.

This was Howard’s most recent blog topic (titled “Stinky bus rider bill is delayed”), as well as many other local blogs I came upon. One aspect of the funky, future law that Howard picked up on, compared to other bloggers, is the humorous side. His natural comedic voice emerges, especially while discussing this topic. A combination of local vocabulary, colloquial flow, and rhetorical questions create Howard’s unique blogging voice.

In one paragraph especially redolent of the local culture (hah!), Howard describes a scenario that the “stink law” presents:

Can you imagine the arguments if an officer (sweating profusely under his or her heavy uniform) tries to charge a conspicuously unbathed passenger while some tutu across the aisle is twitching noses for five rows in either direction with her industrial strength perfume?

In fact, I can imagine! Thanks, Howard, for the riveting image of smelly people on the bus. But in all seriousness, the reason that I understand and enjoy this paragraph-long sentence is the way Howard describes the situation. His informal comment about the sticky po-po made me chuckle at the likely irony. A “tutu” (which means grandma in Hawaiian), not a “grandmother”, is scrunching her nose, which hints toward a local grandma (stereotypically loud, blunt, and fluent in pidgin) saying "Eh, you stink you know". Her perfume is INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH (that must be more than maximum!) which presents another irony because (what if) her perfume is not an appealing scent?! Howard easily uses local humor in an casual way to display his voice.

He also uses one-sentence transitions to move between paragraphs.

In a post called “Council on Revenues: ‘Look out below!’”, Howard opens with a crafty metaphor when:

The dark wizards of the Council on Revenues [met], murmuring incantations and waving their hands over a crystal ball while dry ice filled the room…

His next paragraph says (in italics, no less):

“Economo confundis!”

(And that’s it.) Besides a clever Latin phrase inferring that a magical spell was cast on the governor, this sentence serves as a transition from the council meeting to revenue forecasts. Howard effectively uses this as both a change in topic and a presentation of his voice (not to mention a shout out to all Harry Potter fans). It’s just another way his voice emerges through the blog and out your computer speakers.

In my opinion, Howard’s take on current events through a local, comical voice makes these (sometimes) uninspiring issues relevant and fun to read about. It’s the spoonful of sugar to my medicine. And as the goal of my blog is to create “an optimistic on Hawaii’s economy,” I am inspired by Howard’s voice and blog.

Shoots cuz, we go.

Da Kine Profile

People often overlook the significance of airfare in relation to Hawaii’s economy. When stopping to think about it, however, the concept is simple: if the cost of a flight to Hawaii is too expensive, less tourists will fly over to visit. Similarly, the higher the cost of transportation over seas, the higher the cost of living becomes, also affecting the number of tourists who visit the state each year. And with the recent pikes in air prices, transportation to Hawaii is a hot topic to those who evaluate the local economy.

Jeff and Rob (and Muley the Mule, the blog’s mascot), authors of the blog “Beat of Hawaii and Beyond: Travel Deals, Tips, Culture, and Analysis”, discuss the topic of airfare for the benefit of local readers and tourists who plan to visit the islands. While there is no economic analysis involved, the two Hawaii residents include very detailed updates on local and national airlines, as well as weather forecasts, food recommendations, and even one intriguing post about a fleet of planes whose lavatories broke with 6 hours left in the flight (drink services were halted immediately).

Both authors have traveled around the world and were not born in Hawaii, though Rob has been living in the islands for six years, and Jeff for ten. (Muley was born and raised in Hawaii–a true expert.) This creates more of a “traveler’s” point of view, as opposed to a “local’s” point of view, but since they mostly report on findings and do not apply (for example) airfare to the possible outcomes of the economy, there is no significant difference. Jeff and Rob make posts 5-7 times a week on the latest airline trends, culinary suggestions, and raves about the one and only Hawaiian culture.

One post that I found both interesting and relatable to my future blog was called “Our Hawaii Fall Airfare Predictions” posted on the 17th of August. Here, Jeff gave his opinion on how air prices would affect tourism from different regions of mainland America. Some of Jeff’s predictions included that the Pacific Northwest (Seattle and Portland) would contribute a large amount of tourists, followed by the Bay Area in Northern California. While it is still too early to measure his accuracy, what I find most interesting is the emphasis he placed on American tourists. While over 50% of Hawaii’s tourists are from other states, Japanese tourists (who contribute to 20% of tourists) spend 60% more per person than American tourists. Specifically speaking about Hawaii’s economy, the Japanese are much more important.

Another interesting post was called “When TravelZoo Calls It A Deal, Should You Listen?” about “hot Hawaii airfares” on a travel website. Here, Jeff researched the advertised air prices and compared them to ones offered by other airlines. His results found cheaper flights (with less layovers) from the other carriers, and he concluded that consumers should research before buying tickets. This caused me to think about the extent online ticket sellers affect travel to Hawaii by not advertising the cheapest prices.

These blog posts relate fairly well to my own blog topic about Hawaii’s economy and culture. Jeff and Rob write in a report style as opposed to an analytical style, and I hope to take my blog one step further by using similar details but predicting how the economy will be affected through my point of view (similar to the first post I mentioned). The content is accurate, though not particularly scholarly or academic, which is fine for the audience of the blog that consists of potential tourists and curious locals. The airfare trends will benefit my blog because that information is vital in regards to Hawaii’s economy.

From mules to flight costs, “Beat Of Hawaii” provides another insight to Hawaii. Hopefully my blog will as well. Shoots cuz, we go.