[luau] our economy

[Jeff Zidek]

-----Original Message-----
From: luau-admin at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
[mailto:luau-admin at videl.ics.hawaii.edu]On Behalf Of Vikram Khurana
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 3:38 PM
To: luau at videl.ics.hawaii.edu
Subject: RE: [luau] our economy


> A personal observation: Nothing is done in Hawaii that can be done
> somewhere else. So, if you are a tech person, your future here will most
> likely depend on supporting an activity that is best done here. Tourism,
> the military, state and local government, home repairs for movie stars
> living on Maui.

I have lived here for nine years now and have to agree with Scott and partly
with Vikram.  Part of it is our payment in "sunshine dollars"  but the
biggest part is a good ole boy mentality with a small group of businessmen
controlling most of what goes on in this economy.  Why would they want
things to change?  They have been in control since 1900 so why rock the
boat.   It is going to take a dedicated bunch of new entrepreneur with a
vision of the future and maybe backing from the mainland to break open
treasure chest that is here for us.  I was a high school teacher here for a
couple of years an have seen first hand what we need to do to bring up the
standard of tech learning in public schools here.  That's why I am so
dedicated to HOSEF.  We have half the equation to bring good tech jobs here.
We have a great location (geographically and for recruitment), we have a
good understanding of growing Asian markets, we have people ready to work,
but are lacking a skilled workforce  (top complaint I have heard from tech
companies wanting to come here) we haven't built up the tech infrastructure
(though that is changing) and most of all we make it difficult for new
companies to do business here, leading back to my first point.  That why it
so important we break down as many of those barriers as is humanly possible.
I don't know about the rest of you but I married into a Hawaiian family and
will probably be buried in Kaneohe cemetery when I go.  The mainland is
really not an option.  For those of you who are in the same boat as me lets
make this tech industry become a reality here.  Just my 2 cents   Jeff Zidek

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