A state forecast puts the recovery at a faster pace than expected, thanks to strong visitor numbers
The state forecasts a speedier recovery, thanks to strong visitor numbers
The four headlines above trumpet the Star-Advertiser’s top business story today and were a little repetitious (“thanks to strong visitor numbers”), but if the news is this positive, it can’t hurt to shout it out more than once.
Even the visitor-number rebound is starting to sound repetitious, inasmuch as it’s been happening for months.
You have to believe the improving economic climate will be reflected in the current governor’s $300,000 study on Honolulu rail’s financing plan. She has refused to sign off on the Final Environmental Impact Statement until her Maryland-based consultant assesses Honolulu’s ability to pay for the system.
Since rail is planned to operate for the remainder of this century and beyond, the consultants undoubtedly brought a crystal ball with them.
The one dark note in today’s story concerns the construction industry, which is still lagging the tourism sector.
“Hawaii construction jobs, which peaked at 40,000 workers a month in 2007, continue to hover around 28,500 per month today, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,” the Star-Advertiser reports.
Anti-railers are fond of saying Honolulu rail is a “jobs project." It’s not; rail is a mobility-restoring, traffic-avoiding reliable-transportation project, but it will create tens of thousands of jobs during this decade.
That's exactly what Hawaii's economy needs now. Surely our Maryland visitors will notice.
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