[Oldeconomybuyer]

[hal ogen]

All liberal-run hellholes deserve what they get. Unfortunately, those not so inclined politically must also suffer. The president, mr. i’m-on-vacation-mode-all-the-time, seems oblivious to all around him. Loser.

[Sacajaweau]

Went there about 40 years ago. The ride to the hotel was through a huge slum. The Marketplace, weather and beach were wonderful...a great vacation........

except it's in the friggin' middle of an ocean....thousands of miles from Upstate NY....while Virgina or the Carolinas are a couple of hours away.

[artichokegrower]

Hey Hawaii how’s that government mandated health care system working out for you?

[LizzyD]

What’s up with the coordinated outfits on the girls? (Did David Axelrod pick those blue shirts to make BO look good?) And where’d they hire the token white girl?

[1_Rain_Drop]

gasp! the girls are in uniform wearing blue tops and white bottoms.

[Richard Kimball]

Sonia Grimme, co-owner of Surf and Sand, a beachwear shop on the Big Island, is thinking about moving back to her native Taiwan with her husband and 12-year-old son. She's worried that her son isn't getting the education he needs in Hawaii; he now stays home and plays video games on furlough Fridays.

"The system is broken here," she said. "He can get a much better education in Taiwan."

Hey Sonia,

The Bamster traded Taiwan to Red China for underwriting the first year of BamaCare; didn't you hear?

[Tijeras_Slim]

an army of rats

They've been in the statehouse for years.

[ladyvet]

Truly comfortable in his envionment. Just a little girl hanging out with friends.

[vc79]

Before anyone blames the government about the 17 furlough days, my colleagues, ie. the teachers union, voted 81-17 to take furlough days during school days vice holidays. Does not promote rousing applause for Hawaii teachers. So much for sacrifice.
Speaking of sacrifice, until local business make the trip to paradise worthwhile, no one is going to come. How attractive is it to travel across the planet to spent up to $300 per round of golf. Mauna Kea, a premium hotel on the Kohala coast, reopened last year after years of earthquake repair. I have been there at least ten times since then to go to the beach and have only witnessed one foursome on the links. We need to make the fun aspect a bargain to lure tourists to the islands. Airfares are not killing tourism. High cost fun is the culprit.

[bgill]

She's worried that her son isn't getting the education he needs in Hawaii; he now stays home and plays video games on furlough Fridays.

No, she lets him play video games on Fridays. Probably Saturdays and Sundays and every other day of the week. But of couse, it's the state's fault and not her fault.

[bgill]

Hawaii’s “native” son comes home and shuts down a 10 mile radius of air space so the island hoppers and sightseeing helicopters are grounded for a week during the high season.

[Logical me]

Let see, didn't Hawaii go for King Obama and aren't the Islands basically RATS. Hello, stupids, you got what you voted for.

[Common Sense 101]

Let them eat ice...

[Chuckster]

From the photo caption:

"Hawaii officials hope the Obama's visit will help turn around a deep slump in tourism"

ROFLOL! Hoping for change is not a good economic strategy.

[starzed_]

Seems odd with American states being so far away the state would rely upon them; well they didn't before 2007. They relied upon Japan tourists as well. Theres a higher rate of smoking in Japan then USA; yet lower lung cancer. They can't blame Obama for the unwelcoming atmosphere witnessed by these guests. It doesn't meet the agenda, of blaming someone else, not themselves usually works.

It is critical to note that after years of steady increases in growth (except for 9/11), the first drop in Japanese tourist numbers occurred in January 2007, just a month after the start of our smoking ban. This was the catalyst that began Hawaii's march off the economic cliff and the resulting bankruptcies and unemployment hikes. more

In January 2007, just one month later, the slide began, way before today's convenient excuses of airline closures, fuel charges, mortgage meltdowns, exploding gas prices and the plummeting dollar, just to name a few. Sadly, we are now nearing the 24th month of consecutive decline in Japan numbers. Isn't it odd that Japan outbound tourism is up more than 5 percent? They're going somewhere. Hello! The painting rosy of a bad picture by the Hawaii Tourism Authority is laughable. Do we look that stupid? It's like spray painting a pile of poo with pink paint hoping nobody recognizes what it really is. more

Hawaii is very dependent on Japanese tourism for the success of its hospitality industry and even for its general economy. Japanese outgoing tourism is up by 5% at the same time that Hawaii's incoming Japanese tourism is down by 7%. podcast

Just for your information:
HB1825 of 2007 Smoking ban on the beach and in the parks was successfully repelled on Tuesday February 27, 2007. No Media coverage of course, why would they let people know the bullet they just dodged. source

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Article says unemployment rate in Hawaii is 7%! And THEY are complaining? California would love to have such a low rate.

[Chuckster]

Every time there is a thread about Hawaii the “Experts” come out of the woodwork to tell us all how bad it is and how no one should ever want to go there.

News Flash: Spending a week in a hotel somewhere twenty years ago does not make anyone an expert on the local economy or culture.

I lived on Oahu for thirty years and I have to tell you, I get a real laugh out of the “My Hawaiian name is Lay-Lonnie” clowns trying to tell all the haoles in America why vacationing in the Catskills is so much better. I am shocked; SHOCKED! I tell you to learn that there are poor neighborhoods and shuttered business in Seattle... I mean Honolulu (A city of nearly 1 million) at the end of 2009

[MinuteGal]

The Hawaiian girl on the right apparently won't be needing food stamps in the near future.

Leni

[MinuteGal]

The Hawaiian girl on the right apparently won't be needing food stamps in the near future.

Leni

[traumer]

How does the HOPE and CHANGE work for you... ?

:o)