When political leaders and multinational CEOs arrive for the APEC Conference in November, Hawaii will have its big chance to show half of the world that we are more than just a pretty face. It's our best shot at proving Hawaii is…
I don’t know if I’d have the guts to do it, but I’m glad some people are brave enough to hire ex-cons. In this issue, writer Janel Lubanski reports about three local companiesthat regularly hire former criminals and about the employees…
I’m a little scared, and that’s a good thing. In fact, if you have any sense, you should be a little scared, too. I’ll let comedian Chris Rock describe part of why you should be scared and let Andrew Jackson…
Dump the D.O.E., Allow Vouchers I don’t believe it’s everyone’s responsibility (“Businesses Help Public Schools,” May). People and businesses meet their responsibilities by paying taxes. Why should parents who are already burdened paying private school tuitions be forced to pay…
If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, Hawaii has already taken the third step on its most important modern journey. And the pace is about to pick up. The journey began on Nov. 2, when…
Students who clustered around the Hawaii Business table during February’s career fair at the UH Shidler College of Business were especially focused on one issue of the magazine. They were checking the list of companies named in our annual Best…
As editor of this magazine, my greatest obligation is to stimulate a discussion about big economic issues in Hawaii and how local businesses can succeed. I am honored to have that duty. The discussion begins with the magazine’s stories, with…
When financial services companies show a magazine or TV ad, they don’t entice you with a pile of money. Instead, they often show a retired couple walking along a beach, enjoying life in a tropical paradise after years of hard…
To the Office of the Governor State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii Dear Gov. Abercrombie: I must admit that I had my vote reserved for someone else when we chatted in August at the Dole Ballrooms. You may not remember our brief…
As a board member of Aloha United Way and publisher of this magazine, I have been engaged in many conversations about AUW and its future. While it is clear from the November cover story, “The New Culture of Giving,” that…
If I promised you an extra hour of productive work time or leisure every day without cutting back on sleep and family time, would you take it? By the way, this productivity boost would also reduce your stress, save you…
Appointed board will help schools I attended the symposium sponsored by the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs and Hawaii Business magazine on the topic of appointed vs. elected school board (Sept. 30, Waikiki Prince Hotel). As I listened to both…
It’s time for a reality check on affordable housing in Hawaii. We are fooling ourselves if we think that current policies and incentives will eventually create enough homes for the tens of thousands of working families who want places of…
Hawaii’s people have lost control of their economy, but this election campaign is a great opportunity to begin taking back control and restoring common sense to our future. If we succeed, we can preserve what is precious about Hawaii, because…
Magazines occupy a privileged position in the emerging media landscape. Nationally, newspaper readership has declined by close to 9 percent over the past five years, while magazine readership has increased by 4 percent. Surprisingly, one of the strongest increases is…
Eye-opener on state investments Just wanted to commend you on your article about the state of Hawaii investments (May). It was quite the eye-opener and, as I’m currently working on creating an investment policy for a local nonprofit, you couldn’t…
People love to blame politicians for the problems our country faces. “They’re all crooks” and “Throw them out” are the most common solutions in casual political conversations between friends and neighbors. The problem is that, Republican or Democrat, all of…
That’s me, the luckiest journalist in the state. And not just because I got out of the newspaper business in January 2009, after 22 years with the Star-Bulletin and Advertiser. No, my luck is much more about what I came…
Education may not seem like a cover story for a business magazine, but I’m convinced that the biggest economic crisis facing Hawaii is our public schools. I’m not alone: A Hawaii Business survey of business leaders in December found a…
People tell me that I’m a lucky guy because I got out of the newspaper business a year ago. True, I have a lot more job security now than my friends at the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the two…
When people find out that I’m the managing editor at Hawaii Business, they often ask, “How do you come up with stories for your magazine?” So this month, I’ve taken over the Editor’s Note to explain how each story evolves,…
People who grew up on a Hawaii plantation often have fond memories of that time. Their families were poor and there was hardship, but the sense of community was so strong that people acted generously, cared for each other and…
One of the great benefits of being a journalist is that you get to meet lots of different people — and not in the way that a police officer gets to meet lots of different people. I listen and learn…