Dash of Calabash

Hawaii’s free-market blog

Archive for January, 2008

Maine opposes cruise ship rule aimed at helping in Hawaii

Jan 24

Posted by GRIH in Business in Hawaii | No Comments

Associated Press

BANGOR, Maine – A proposed federal rule aimed at helping U.S.-flagged cruise ships compete with foreign ships in Hawai’i could hurt the cruise ship market in Maine.

State and municipal officials and port businesses are working together to oppose a federal rule that they say would result in cruise ships spending less time in Bar Harbor and Portland and more time in ports in neighboring Canada.

Federal laws require ships flying under foreign flags to dock in another country before going to other U.S. ports. Cruise ships sailing from California to Hawai’i, for instance, typically make a token stop in Ensenada, Mexico, to meet the letter of the law.

Read the rest of the article from the Honolulu Advertiser here

Marriott teams with school to test changes

Jan 24

Posted by GRIH in Education, Miscellaneous | No Comments

By Rachel Kipp
(Wilmington, Del.) News Journal

In Room 114 at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the University of Delaware, it takes more than reaching over and pressing the snooze button to silence the alarm clock. In addition to bleating an ear-splitting tune at the designated wake-up time, the gadget jumps off the dresser and hides in a corner, forcing sleepy users to get out of bed.

The showerhead in the bathroom has 70 percent stronger water pressure than the average fixture, but uses 70 percent less water.

When visitors arrive, there’s no looking through a peephole. Instead of glass, the hole in the door contains a digital video camera connected to an LCD screen mounted on the inside of the door.

Room 114 is unique for now, but researchers at the University of Delaware hope it won’t always be that way. They’re using the experimental “guest room of the future” to test new technology in a real hotel environment.

Read the entire article from the Honolulu Advertiser here

Laissez-faire City

Jan 23

Posted by GRIH in Free Market Economics, Pacific Rim Perspective | No Comments

From The Economist:

Singapore is the second freest economy in the world, according to an American think-tank. In its 2008 Index of Economic Freedom the Heritage Foundation ranked the city-state a close second after Hong Kong, which topped the list of 157 countries for the 14th year running. Singapore’s efforts to cut taxes and attract foreign investment helped it increase its 2007 score by 0.2 points to 87.4. But the report also criticised Singapore’s financial and banking sector, which it claimed suffers from too much government intervention.

The Collective Punishment Model

Jan 23

Posted by GRIH in Free Market Economics, Health Care | No Comments

By Brian T. Schwartz at TCS Daily:

Remember how in grade school, the teacher would punish the whole class for the actions of just a few disruptive students? This is an early lesson in collective punishment, which is usually practiced during wartime or under martial law.Collective punishment has now arrived with compulsory medical insurance. Known as an “individual mandate,” politicians of both major parties have supported it. Compulsory politically-defined insurance is law in Massachusetts, is up for consideration in California and Colorado, and Democratic presidential candidates endorse it nationally.

Politicians peddle compulsory insurance under the guise of “personal responsibility.” The story is that the uninsured receive medical care without paying for it. Their freeloading passes costs onto the insured, which increases premium costs. Compulsory insurance, say its supporters, can remedy this problem by forcing both the insured and uninsured to purchase medical insurance – as defined by politicians.

This rationale is flawed. Read the rest of this entry »

The high school that ethanol built

Jan 22

Posted by GRIH in Environment, Miscellaneous | No Comments

Minnesota’s corn ethanol industry blends subsidies, politics and lobbying

By: Ron Way

LAKE CRYSTAL, MINN. – Brad LeMay owns the Humphrey Street Grill in Lake Crystal, a southwestern Minnesota farm community that for years tried to build a new high school. Early last year, that new school opened after voters earlier approved the long-sought referendum.

LeMay credits a nearby ethanol refinery for the voters’ change of heart.

“It’s sure helped our business,” LeMay said of the 52-million-gallon refinery, adding that POET Biorefining’s plant brought enough financial security to the community to allow voters to give their approval in 2005, the same year the plant was built.

POET’s Lake Crystal facility is one 17 ethanol plants in Minnesota and one of 134 that dot the U.S. countryside, annually consuming a fifth of the nation’s corn crop – and nearly a quarter of Minnesota’s – to produce 7.2 billion gallons of ethanol (the very same “white lightning” distilled by moonshiners of lore).

The domestically-produced “biofuel” – seen as an antidote to U.S. oil-import vulnerability – is one of Minnesota’s biggest booming industries.

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Transportation secretary pleads for road money

Jan 22

Posted by GRIH in Rail/Transportation | No Comments

By: Mannix Porterfield

CHARLESTON – No one came up with any cash cows that might be roaming about, but Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox did get some support Monday after inviting lawmakers to find money for West Virginia’s roads.

“We must look at some innovative sources of financing,” Mattox told a joint meeting of the Committees on Government Operations and Government Organization.

Not only is money short to build and maintain roads, but the secretary said the DOT is struggling to keep its workforce and needs an updated computer system.

While no one offered any suggestions, Delegate Randy Schwartzmiller, D-Hancock, agreed the money problem is critical.

“If we can come up with some alternative funding sources, I certainly would support it,” he told Mattox.

“If we don’t get on top of the roads sooner than later, we’re really going to have some problems.”

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Commuter rail plan stalls

Jan 22

Posted by GRIH in Rail/Transportation, Taxes | No Comments

Divide over funding for trains, buses means line now unlikely to start in 2010

By LARRY SANDLER

Plans for a Milwaukee-area commuter rail line have been put on hold, amid continuing disagreement over how to fund the trains and the region’s public buses.

The deadlock has highlighted a split between the area’s business leaders and their usual Republican allies. Major business groups have been pushing for public transit improvements to ensure workers can reach jobs, but GOP legislators and county executives have balked at adding or raising taxes.

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On the 2008 ballot in Washington State, 10% of car sales tax into a fund to reduce traffic congestion

Jan 21

Posted by GRIH in Rail/Transportation, Taxes | No Comments

Newest Eyman initiative aims to soothe WA traffic jams

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Initiative activist Tim Eyman’s newest target could bring hallelujahs from frustrated commuters: a special state bank account dedicated to smoothing out traffic jams.

Eyman unveiled his 2008 ballot measure on Wednesday, calling it a follow-up to 2005′s government performance audits and a wake-up call for cautious politicians.

“This is a big, big problem,” Eyman said. “And I think there is a tendency in Olympia to say, ‘Well, it’s an election year, it’s too tough, it’s controversial, and we’re just going to wait a year.’”

If qualified for the ballot and approved by voters this fall, the initiative would divert 10 percent of vehicle sales taxes to a new “Reduce Traffic Congestion Account.” Eyman said that would amount to about $85 million per year.

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Chicago mayor may raise sales tax to pay for mass transit after all

Jan 21

Posted by GRIH in Rail/Transportation, Taxes | No Comments

Blagojevich rhetoric changes on sales tax for mass transit veto threat

For the better part of a year, Gov. Rod Blagojevich consistently has vowed to veto a proposed sales tax increase to fund mass transit in Chicago and the suburbs.

Today, the governor didn’t repeat that veto threat when given the opportunity at a news conference aimed at heading off the CTA, Metra and Pace service cuts and fare hikes that loom Jan. 20.

Asked if he would sign legislation that increased the sales tax, Blagojevich hinted he might be able “to improve” a bill so that enough constituencies are satisfied. If it’s a bill that includes an increase in sales taxes to fund transit, then so be it, the governor said – just send it his way.

“If, however, the legislature believes in that (sales tax) bill, they ought to pass that bill and give me a chance to improve it,” Blagojevich told reporters in Chicago.

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Private toll road sector forms Washington DC advocacy group – America Moving Forward

Jan 21

Posted by GRIH in Rail/Transportation | No Comments

America Moving Forward (AMF) is the name of a group announced today to push the cause of private sector investment in roads – concessions, PPPs, longterm leases, DBFO, whatever moniker is to your taste. Executive director is Peter J Loughlin, 39, an attorney and lobbyist who has worked on the House transportation committee as director of government affairs at the Associated General Contractors and in a senior position at Koch Performance Roads.

The four steering committee members for AMF are representatives of Cintra, Goldman Sachs, Macquarie, and Transurban. Members include a variety of engineering, law, construction and toll associated companies. A spokesman says it is an advocacy group and won’t engage in lobbying.

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