All of the suggestions, so far, seem to have merit. I have heard them suggested in conversations on the street corner, on The Bus, and in restaurants. Many people are concerned about the present state of the economy, and Hawaii's economic future in general.
Perhaps Kalona actually isolated the big problem, and that is diversity. For many years we had agriculture to depend on; Pine, cane, etc. But, because of costs in production they have almost disappeared. Now our basic reliance is on Tourism and Military.
The recent attacks against military training are going to consideration, in Washington, of moving the greater portion of the military from Hawaii. Sen. Inouye has done a wonderful job in keeping that from happening, but he won't be around forever.
Tourism is dependant upon the economies of the locales where the tourists come from. Right now, and even immediately before the Sept 11 incident, world economies were becoming shaky. It impacted on Hawaii tourism.
There have been reports on fewer tourists coming to Hawaii (measured by counts each week), fewer rooms being filled, etc.. The Sept 11 tragedy just put the icing on the cake, and I am afraid that there is no quick long-term cure. I read about the visitor downturn and, yet, on the same page of the paper, or in the same newscast there is information on new Hotels or additions to Hotels being built. When is it going to end?
I am a displaced haole that has lived in Hawaii for many years, and call it my home. I am concerned about the welfare of the state. The questions come to mind include: 1) The recent emphasis on coffee production seems to be going very well. Why dont we improve the growth and production of coffee and build it into one stable facet of our economy? (Hey, Hawaii coffee, whether it be from Kona, Maui, Kahuku, or Kauai tastes great. If you haven't tried it, please do). 2) The new pineapple that is being introduced here in Hawaii seems to have quite a potential as a major agricultural crop. Why not put more emphasis there? The raising and picking of this new breed of Pine, from what I have gathered, is less expensive than the old Pine, so lets bring Pine back to Hawaii. 3) On Islands other than Oahu there is the potential for a sound timber industry. Why hasnt the state looked into that and encouraged efforts in that area? 4) Why do we continue to build in Waikiki? It is almost a cement jungle now, and it is certainly not the paradigm tourists have of Hawaii it doesnt even match the tourist posters of open areas, swinging palms, and beautiful beaches. Those are, in my opinion, what the average tourist wants. I once heard a lady remark, in the lobby of one the Waikiki Hotels that the only difference between Waikiki and Miami Beach was that women wore furs in Miami. We need to keep Hawaii unique. 5) Shouldnt we consider, at least temporarily, curtailing the development of more Hotels and resorts? Is it that we want more people to enjoy Hawaii, or is it greed that is behind the development? There is an old show-business saying to be a success you should always leave the audience wanting more. And lastly 6) have our Hotel/Motel and tour, and car rental, and restaurant, and entertainment rates increased proportionately with costs, or are we attempting to charge whatever the traffic will bear? I dont know the answers to the above questions, but I do believe that the experts should address them, and with some soul-searching at the same time.
I respect the state government and the local business communitys effort to stop the present fast downward trend. But it seems that the effort does not depart from putting all of the eggs into one basket. It appears that the eggs in one basket routine has had a great impact on bringing us where we are now. I believe that diversity must again be included in the equation and sound, long term planning is absolutely necessary.
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