Friday, March 29, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, February 2, 2012
HB2318: Support Veteran-Owned Businesses
By News Release @ 3:30 AM :: 5170 Views :: Energy, Environment

Support veteran owned businesses at the State Capitol

WHAT: HB 2318

Where and When: Thursday, February 02, 2012 Room 309 9:00 A.M. 

HB2318 is being heard in Public Safety & Military Affairs tomorrow at 9 a.m. The bill requires the Governor to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide continued support for the military's presence in Hawaii.

* * * * *

Alika Wietecha capped more than two decades of service to his country with a 14-month deployment to Iraq. But when he returned to Hawaii and launched a commercial and residential landscaping company, the retired U.S. Army reservist struggled to gain traction in the business world.

Wietecha's situation is far too common, unfortunately. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13.1 percent of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan were unemployed last December, compared to 8.5 percent of the general population.

Fortunately, Wietecha's hard work was eventually rewarded when he earned a state government contract that forms a key part of his AM Landscaping business in Kapolei.

Now Republicans in the Hawaii Legislature want to help more residents like Wietecha by introducing four bills that give preference to military veterans – especially veterans with service-related disabilities – when they apply for government business.

America's servicemen and servicewomen possess great skills, integrity and discipline. Helping them compete for government contracts, as 23 states already do, is a fitting way to demonstrate Hawaii's support.

Our state gives an edge to veterans who apply for public service jobs. And we offer contract preferences for small businesses that sell made-in-Hawaii products, products containing recycled materials and products created by community rehabilitation agencies. We are remiss, however, in not providing preferences when veterans compete for government contracts.

Nationwide, veterans own an estimated 3 million businesses, including 10,300 in Hawaii. By dedicating just three percent of our state contracts to companies operated by qualified military veterans, Hawaii would provide $33 million in much-needed state support each year.

HB 1996, HB 2057, HB 2318 and SB 2582 are four bills that would help our veterans win state contracts. Tomorrow, HB 2318 will be heard in the House Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee. You can support this bill by submitting testimony online or coming down to the State Capitol to testify in person. If you would like to submit testimony online, please visit: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2318.

If you would like to testify in person, the hearing will be held tomorrow in State Capitol Room 309 at 9 a.m.

With America's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, an increasing number of our servicemen and servicewomen are returning home and entering or re-entering the private sector.

Many of these veterans made extraordinary sacrifices on our behalf. Helping them succeed in business is an appropriate – and long overdue – way of expressing Hawaii's gratitude.

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT