TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Zero or hero, depending on
who you askHawaii got more bad grades for business last week. The Washington D.C.-based Small Business Survival Committee called Hawaii's congressional voting records one of the nation's worst on small business issues.
The committee's scorecard rates lawmakers according to 15 votes on small business each in the House and Senate.
The votes included issues such as reducing or eliminating taxes and regulations, expansion of U.S. markets overseas, reducing dependence on foreign energy and making health care more affordable.
Lawmakers casting pro-business votes at least 80 percent of the time are considered "Champions of Small Business" by the committee.
Rep. Neil Abercombie scored 27 percent, the late Rep. Patsy Mink scored 7 percent and the two Daniels, Sens. Inouye and Akaka both came in at 0 percent, the committee said in a statement.
Inouye and Akaka were not alone. The senators from Maryland, Michigan and Minnesota also received scores of zero percent.
Hawaii's delegation claimed an average score of 8 percent, which tied with Rhode Island for 48th place, ahead of last-place Massachusetts, which netted a 3 percent score. At the top of the committee's pro-small-business scale are Idaho at 97 percent, Alaska a 95 percent, New Hampshire and Wyoming at 93 percent and No. 5 Kentucky with a 92 percent score.
The Small Business Survival Committee at www.sbsc.org, describes itself as a nonpartisan nonprofit small business advocacy group with more than 70,000 members.
Unfamiliar with the organization's criteria or the specific legislation used in its ranking, state Democratic Party chairwoman Lorraine Akiba felt it was unfair to make a blanket statement about it.
That is not to say she didn't have something to say.
"Hawaii's congressional delegation led by the Democrats has always brought home discretionary funding and other opportunities and resources from the federal government ... and that's why they've been reelected time and time again. The proof is in the results."
Akiba believes that per capita Hawaii receives a greater percentage of such discretionary funding than other states.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com