EDITORIAL
Take a close look at good economic news

Over the past decade, Hawai'i has become so accustomed to dull economic news that we sometimes don't recognize bright news when it pops in front of us.

But a number of stories in recent days suggests that while there is much left to do in restoring Hawai'i's economic luster, we are on the mend.

The trick here is not to become lulled by a handful of good-news stories. The work of re-invigorating and diversifying Hawai'i's economic climate has a long way to go. Still, there are substantial signs. A few examples:

• The huge boom in privatized military housing that is about to sweep across O'ahu. Literally billions will be spent in building or rehabilitating housing for military families and civilians.

In fact, the big worry here is that there will not be enough trained construction workers to handle the job. The state will need to launch a rush program of job training or retraining to get folks prepared with the skills that will be needed. The state should also keep a close eye on subcontractor awards so that as many as possible will go to Island firms.

• The ever-more-likely possibility that an aircraft carrier group will be stationed in the Islands at Pearl Harbor. Such a move would present substantial logistical problems (schools, housing, dock space, etc.). But if those problems can be resolved, the move of a carrier group here would be the equivalent of putting an "instant" high-tech industry with a payroll of thousands on our shores.

• On the civilian side, Norwegian Cruise Lines is pushing ahead with the expansion of its interisland cruise business, offering as many as 2,000 interesting and well-paid jobs to local residents.

• Recent stories report that at least two big, expensive high-rise condominiums are now planned for the Kaka'ako area, with more possibly to come. Also in Kaka'ako, the University of Hawai'i medical school and bio-tech research center is being built with the prospect of more businesses and research facilities likely to gather around it.

• Agriculture, once a mainstay but in recent years a faltering part of our local economy, appears to be rebounding. Sugarcane and pineapple are stronger than they have been in 11 years, and the variety and quality of diversified agriculture appears to increase almost monthly.

• Tourism, which suffered multiple blows following the Sept. 11 attacks, war in the Middle East and a faltering Japanese economy, is more than holding its own. Hotel occupancy is running a sturdy 84 percent, a figure that many destinations would die for.

True, you can find bleak spots in the economy if you look hard enough. But the signs are definitely there: Hawai'i is coming back. The task now is to continue the push for a truly sustainable, robust economy.