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Probably need warm bodies to start 'dialing for dollars'. Seriously, the tax base is being strangled, and there isn't much coming into the state coffers.
As an aside, something that has been under/not-reported is the debt service on state issued bonds. Wonder how that is
starting to look.
It isn't that - reporting to their office - The State has plenty of people to draw upon for unemployment, they just didn't have the infrastructure/systems to handle it
Some group of State workers is being redeployed right now to work for Unemployment. Supposedly they will go online Thursday to relieve the overwhelmed system.
Some group of State workers is being redeployed right now to work for Unemployment. Supposedly they will go online Thursday to relieve the overwhelmed system.
Just that fact also points at another issue.... You have state workers that are idle, who are getting paid in full, that "volunteer" for unemployment work. Probably "volunteering" because they figure job security is better if they're providing an essential service versus couch surfing. Utterly ridiculous.
You have state workers that are idle, who are getting paid in full
I suspect most state workers sitting at home would rather be working than sitting at home rather than being idle - shoot, I'm incredibly bored and I am working.
What is tragic, and I don't blame Ige, but all the previous administrations, is the 1980's IT infrastructure that doesn't allow many of the State workers to actually work at home effectively - many of the state systems workers need simply can't be accessed from home. New flash Hawaii - it is 2020 not 1985
I suspect most state workers sitting at home would rather be working than sitting at home rather than being idle - shoot, I'm incredibly bored and I am working.
What is tragic, and I don't blame Ige, but all the previous administrations, is the 1980's IT infrastructure that doesn't allow many of the State workers to actually work at home effectively - many of the state systems workers need simply can't be accessed from home. New flash Hawaii - it is 2020 not 1985
True. But if people aren't doing their jobs, they shouldn't get paid.
That's only true for the oldest mainframe systems that don't allow emulation on normal pcs. Not sure which systems fit that description, but there can't be many. VPN and laptops enable people to work from home. Government does love their paper processes though, and management in key departments have strongly resisted moving to electronic over the decades.
I'd agree that ige isn't solely to blame, the real problem is you have all the management and administration that's totally unmotivated towards change, just doing the bare minimum to collect paychecks. Then when one retires, they promote another worker that's equally unmotivated into the position to make their "high 3" and the cycle repeats. It's why so many IT projects have failed in the state over the years. The average long term civil service employee is probably among the worst to try to lead any sort of project, which is why administrations love trying to pull execs from the private sector. But it's pointless to do unless they get rid of all the deadweight manager and supervisors as well.
While this is true in terms of spending for those military personnel (and dependents) on island, military response measures have and will continue to hurt the State's economy.
For instance--tied to tourism and dollars spent in hotels and the like--there are no more port visits by ships at Pearl Harbor for the time being, which means thousands of fewer Sailors and Marines spending money at hotels, bars, Uber/taxis, etc.
Additionally, I foresee RIMPAC 2020 being canceled (yes, the word as of 30 MAR was that it was "still on," but truth is that they don't know and even if it does happens, so long as Hawaii has the quarantine restrictions in place, this will mean nobody leaving base to spend money out in town. Note, RIMPAC 2018 saw 47 US and foreign Naval ships operating off the coast of Hawaii, which contributed at least $50 million in economic impact: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...des-in-hawaii/ ; https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/...ontribute.html That represented 25,000 personnel across 46 surface ships and numerous other Naval and land platforms to include military personnel from 26 countries.
Then you have military related travel to Hawaii affected (mission essential travel is still on, but the bulk of travel has stopped), which hurts the State's bottom line as well.
For what this means for the State's economy (even assuming that the State has reopened for business), I don't know. The article stated that the shore events associated with RIMPAC are canceled, but I don't know if this means that ships will also not be able to make Pearl Harbor port calls before and after the exercise, which is where the true economic impact of RIMPAC is felt anyway.
For what this means for the State's economy (even assuming that the State has reopened for business), I don't know. The article stated that the shore events associated with RIMPAC are canceled, but I don't know if this means that ships will also not be able to make Pearl Harbor port calls before and after the exercise, which is where the true economic impact of RIMPAC is felt anyway.
It won't mean much for the state economy because much of the boost is from all the sailors and military personnel from around the world getting shore leave. I'd guess they'll make port calls in a limited fashion, much as the cruise ships were making port calls just to refuel and take on supplies.
It won't mean much for the state economy because much of the boost is from all the sailors and military personnel from around the world getting shore leave. I'd guess they'll make port calls in a limited fashion, much as the cruise ships were making port calls just to refuel and take on supplies.
If I had to make a guess, I would think the same thing. But its not clear from the press release and news article.
Department of Tax employees abruptly told to go into work Wednesday, 4/22 - Wonder what they are up to
Subsequent to this post, I suggested the Dept of Tax employees might be going to work in order to dial for dollars. It was really a 'tongue-in-cheek' reply, however some people might be suggesting there maybe is some effort being considered about implementing research of the possible non-payment of GET (general excise taxes) by non and/or part-time residents. As state tax revenues decline and uncertainty of federal relief funds available to states will be avaialble, many, if not most, will in all likelihood consider 'dialing for dollars'. Here in Hawai'i, the recent success in pursuing payment of taxes due on the online vacation rental industry may be an incentive. We'll see. Apparently a lot of unknowns floating around.
As an aside, there is also concern going forward about states being able to fund ongoing liabilities such as state issued bonds and pensions. Paying the interest due on those bonds determines the state's ability to borrow and interest rates on future borrowings. There was a default that occured in Washington state fifty or so years ago which set some sort of history how this affects state borrowing. In addition, how pension payments to recipients are characterized could be much more uncertain in states or localities with a history
of past and ongoing unfunded pension liabilities. Potentially, an unfortunate and truly difficult situation.
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