Here’s a question from reader Michael Peters:
I got on the #52 Bus at Ala Moana Saturday morning (4-16) for a quick ride downtown. Was surprised to see the Star-Advertiser being given away for free.
Why is the Star-Advertiser giving away their paper on buses when they are the only daily newspaper left in town? I thought this practice ended when they merged with the Honolulu Advertiser. Did it ever end or just come back?
I’m certainly not complaining. As a regular bus rider I hope to see a free paper being offered on more bus routes, like my regular Express C in the morning.
Does the giveaway under the current circumstances make financial sense? How would you calculate such things? Any ideas?
I see that the Hawaii Tribune-Herald got a bit writeup at Lexology.com, which describes itself as “an innovative, web-based service that provides company law departments and law firms with a depth of free practical know-how that would be impossible to produce internally.” But it’s probably not the kind of attention the company wants.
A Hawaiian employer was recently taught a tough lesson by the pro-labor National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with respect to employees secretly recording meetings with management. In Stephens Media, LLC d/b/a Hawaii Tribune-Herald -and- Hawaii Newspaper Guild Local 39117, a Hawaiian newspaper publisher was found to have violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) for terminating an employee who secretly tape-recorded a meeting with his supervisor.
This was a big case for the Hawaii Newspaper Guild, and apparently one with coattails.
Still on newspaper issues, a reader pointed me to this April 20 column by Jim Hightower, “A morally untenable corporate system,” in which Hightower uses Gannett as an example of ugly corporate practices. Cutbacks and furloughs for the rank and file, big paydays for top execs. He makes the point well.
But then I noticed the New York Times story by David Carr published on April 10, which sounded awfully familiar.
Perhaps Hightower didn’t lift enough words for his column to be considered plagiarism, but the similarity, the flow of the argument, the order of points being made, all seemed to flow from the NY Times story. It reads as if Hightower just summarized the NYT piece and then added his characteristic zingers now and then. If so, a nod to the source would have been appropriate, I would think.
Would you believe that I very seldom agree with Sam Slom? Really, it’s true. But this is one of those times. His SmartBusiness Hawaii email newsletter this week began with this observation:
We have finally found the way to cut government costs and reduce public employees: just appoint First Hawaiian Bank CEO Don Horner to very major public agency in the state. Horner is experienced, qualified and full of energy but does he have to do everything? Last week Horner was confirmed as chair of the newly appointed State Board of Education. Yesterday, the Mayor appointed Horner to the Transit Authority. He also serves the Hawaii Tourism Authority. YIKES!
Yikes, indeed. Chair of the BOE. Chairman of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Now member of the Transit Authority. Plus, of course, chairman of FHB. That’s a bit too much power in one person’s hands, I’m afraid.
Just FYI…I took a quick look at the Federal Election Commission’s list of contributions to federal campaigns and candidates.
Horner contributed $1000 to John McCain’s campaign in 2008, $4600 to Dan Inouye in 2007, $1000 to the Democratic Party of Hawaii in 2006 and again in 2007, $500 to Clayton Hee’s congressional campaign in 2006, $2000 to Friends for Menor in 2006.
Horner’s contributions to Neil Abercrombie go way back, with $1000 in 1997, another $1000 in 1998, $1000 in 2003, $500 in 2004, $1000 in 2005. I haven’t checked Neil’s most recent campaign yet.
Horner contributed $1000 to Bush-Cheney in 2004, $500 to Colleen (Hanabusa) for Congress in 2006, $1000 to Hanabusa 2010 in January 2010, $500 to Brian Schatz in 2006, and $2000 to Ed Case in 2005, and $1000 to “Case for Hawaii” in January 2010.
This doesn’t put Horner in the big leagues of political contributors, although it shows that he has been active.
And so it goes on this beautiful Thursday morning.
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I find it scary too that Don Horner is on all these major committees. I don’t know the man at all, nor do I follow the ins and outs of the political machine other than this blog, but even *I* noticed that he was appointed to two major committees in the course of a month. And that just doesn’t seem right to me — where’s the diversity of thought and opinion and knowledge?
I totally agree with you about Don Horner. So does the rest of the islands except Abercrombie and Carlisle. It is too incestuous for my comfort.
This stinks. I’ve been contemplating to shut down my accounts with FHB to make a statement.
Wait a minute! Neil appointed Horner to the BOE and several weeks later Carlisle appointed Horner to the Transit Authority … so how come both Neil and Peter did wrong??
Hard to believe there is only ONE person out of a million to be able to do this job effectively. Makes no sense to double up this way. These two roles are HUGE and will need all of his attention if education is going to improve in the short term and we all know the hurdles in the short term facing rail. One person?? Ten people would still be short.
The SA is handed out for free at some local supermarkets as well. Freebie means paid SA circulation is continuing to decline.
Since advertising provides more sales revenue than circulation, and advertising is dead without circulation, freebie is the sad reality, and it is not a permanent fix to the ongoing demise of the publication industry. Freebie newspapers have less value to advertisers. Why? Because of the quality of a paying customer to the advertiser. So the advertiser goes elsewhere for their marketing, to save money and reap rewards. Advertisers are in it for the money, not for the journalism.
I remember back when the Advertiser used to give many of its subscribers two copies of the paper, so it could boast of an increased circulation, which would impact its advertising rates.
I thought I let one of my magazine subscriptions lapse a couple of years ago, but I keep getting it. I suspect the same motivation.
I thought the same thing about Horner when I saw the story the other day. He seems to be spreading himself too thin, and I’d prefer to see someone focus *solely* on education (or on rail, which I’m against).
ok…..so if freebies are no good to advertisers, then maybe you can explain Midweek? It’s several inches thick every week and has tons of advertising in it. Just sayin…
As for the free SA’s at local supermarkets, please tell us all where? I will go there in the morning to get mine. Oh wait, that’s not true so you can’t.
Good point about Midweek.
I catch a city bus to and from work. If i ride a hella early bus (before 6:15 am) sometimes there is a basket w/ Star-Advertiser newspapers near the driver, sometimes not.
The Horner dude can always say “No thank you, find someone else please.”
But he isn’t. Many execs are on boards and commissions but to be in charge of several important boards is not a good thing. In my opinion.
There is so much ego involved with that type of power, it attracts egomaniacs.
I can’t wait to take sell my car and take the bus.
I wish I had Ian’a fortitude and could set this great example. Taking buses anywhere is just such a hassle for me. I can’t remember which number to take anywhere. What is the secret to successful bus taking? I really want to know. Ian, how do you do it?
Horner is involved with 24 different groups!?!! Great article in today’s paper at http://www.staradvertiser.com/business/20110422_CEO_steps_up__for_community.html and especially see the three sidebar boxes. Amazing. And he’s a widower with two kids to take care of! Although he does say that most of his 24 groups meet during the daytime so he gets to spend evenings with the kids.
Today’s article is very enlightening. The only association of his that gives me pause is his affiliation with the Hawaii Pastors Roundtable, whose membership includes conservative Christians who have led the militant campaigns against civil unions and the like.
It is not just his involvement with the Pastors Roundtable which should concern you. It was Don Horner and Mitch D’Olier who used their influence on the Business Roundtable to drag that organization into the fight against civil unions. Because of the counter-moves by advocates for civil unions, who pressured the other Business Roundtable companies to distance themselves from the stance, it gave the organization a black eye. But few people knew it was Horner and D’Olier who were responsible, so his image escaped largely unblemished.
YIKES indeed. I’d forgotten about that despicable episode.
The highest levels of banking are pretty much indistinguishable from politics. FHB is woven into the warp and woof of Hawaii politics. Ask Walter.
The point of belonging to a bazillion advisor positions is to have first strike access to whatever information comes out of these entities. As an advisor, one gets the minutes, gets to influence committee and membership composition, gets the straight skinny on inside information – all this the lifeblood of banking.
I, for one,would like to see some specific time commitments to things so important as tourism, rail and the BOE. Tell me that Horner will dedicate 10 hours a week to each of these jobs and I’ll be impressed. Tell me he gadflies on 24 organizations and I assume he’s in it for the good of FHB.
YMMV.
Banks are given a license to get money cheap from the Federal Reserve, then turn around and lend it out at a huge markup. It pays to have good politicl connections.
But beyond that, Horner is a very energetic executive for the ruling class. They get good value from him. The banks and large corporations in general, want to control government as best they can, lest middle and working class people gain too much influence and turn the government towards people-friendly policies.
Many of us hoped Abercrombie would push people-friendly policies, but the guy is a lot less liberal than his image suggests. Neil wants to balance the budget by cutting salaries and benefits for public employees and taxing their pensions. What about raising taxes on upper income folks first? What about ending Hawaii’s GENEROUS tax breaks for capital gains?
Don Horner is probably a lot happier with Neil’s policies than a lot of Neil’s original supporters.
I’d watch Horner and the open meeting and sunshine laws. Coming from the private sector he may see them as speed bumps, rather than as democracy.
These appointments will, if the press is not toothless, come back to bite Neil in the butt.