[ OUR OPINION ]
Image of isle growth
more than a mirageTHE national economy shows signs of recovering and Hawaii looks to be emerging boldly from the doldrums of the mid-1990s and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of two years ago. By all accounts, Hawaii is entering a period of unprecedented growth, spearheaded by an enormous level of military construction during the next decade. Public officials are concerned about how to handle the growth, but this is a problem that Hawaii should not mind having.
THE ISSUE
Economists predict that Hawaii's economic growth will surge in the decade ahead.
Don't worry about bachi. As economist Leroy Laney says, the military construction projects are "in the pipeline." So are plans by Norwegian Cruise Line to fill 2,000 jobs so it can sail three ships in Hawaiian waters by the middle of next year, bringing tourists to neighbor islands. Ambitious designs are afoot to rebuild Waikiki to attract higher-income tourists.
Laney, a Hawaii Pacific University economics professor and consultant to First Hawaiian Bank, describes the state's economy this year as "very good" and expects it to continue. "Hawaii has one of the healthiest economies in the nation," he told the bank's business outlook forum.
"There is no reason at this point to expect that Hawaii's good health shouldn't continue into 2004," he said, "although some marginal slowdown might occur just because 2003 turns out to be a very good year and growth rates are hard to top."
Virtually every economic sign supports Laney's rosy prognosis. That includes such statistical indicators as job growth, construction permits, home sales and prices, auto sales, job creation and unemployment rates, bankruptcies and personal income. Tourism appears to be stable, with domestic tourism increasing strongly after being crippled by the terrorist attacks of 2001.
The Japanese economic slump may drag on, and the potential for large increases in tourism from Korea and China will be harmed by new visa requirements that make travel to the U.S. from those countries difficult. Still, Laney predicts that Hawaii's travel industry will continue recovering because of domestic visitors. With all the other activity, Hawaii should be able to prosper for years to come, barring an unforeseen catastrophe.
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Charter schools and
board at an impasseTHE state Board of Education's determination to follow the letter of the law has delayed appointment of an executive director for public charter schools. In this case, the letter is "s".
THE ISSUE
The Board of Education has asked the attorney general to clarify a disputed process for appointing a director for charter schools.
The new law, approved by the state Legislature earlier this year, states clearly that the director be chosen "upon the recommendations" or "from a list of nominees" submitted by the charter schools.
The board interprets this to mean that it get to choose one person from among others and wants a list of at least three names. Leaders of an umbrella group for the charter schools contend that plurals are irrelevant and have submitted to the board the name of only one person, their unanimous choice for the job.
State Sen. Norman Sakamoto, chairman of the education committee, backs the Hawaii Charter Schools Network in the conflict, saying it was not the intent of the legislation to require more than one nominee. However, what lawmakers intended is not reflected in the wording of the law and the board has asked the attorney general to clarify the matter.
All of this is seen as another power struggle between the board and the charter schools group that has struggled for autonomy, which it says is vital to its mission, according to Donna Estomago, network president.
The law is intended to give charter schools more leeway to take on and resolve problems and issues particular to the schools' philosophies and to loosen the strings of the board, which the schools had viewed as too restricting and cumbersome. Charter schools also maintain that the board tended to place their interests as secondary to those of traditional public schools.
The executive director would be responsible for the operation and management of the schools, a kind of sub-superintendent overseen by both the board and the network. Estomago says the director's duties are to "champion the interests and development of charter schools" and provide accountability to the community, elements thought missing in the previous structure.
The dispute has allowed an Oct. 1 deadline for appointing a director to lapse and has delayed preparation of the schools' budget requests, service contracts and other organizational matters they need settled before the State Legislature convenes in January.
Neither the board nor the network appears willing to give in. Unfortunately, both may have to hold their breaths until a ruling from the attorney general.
