How many jobs would rail create?
HONOLULU - Just how many jobs would Oahu's planned $5.4 billion, 20-mile rail transit project generate?
Mayor Mufi Hannemann says 4,000 this year and a peak of 17,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2013.
However, the city's job estimates are based on 2002 formulas.
University of Hawaii economics professor Sumner LaCroix says if the city's job estimates were restated using the most recent 2005 job creation formulas, the job estimates would be about one-third lower.
He says the transit project would still create thousands of jobs and have a significant impact on the local economy.
LaCroix is also a research associate for the UH Economic Research Organization. A study released by the group last year predicted the city's rail project will generate a peak of 2,000 direct jobs in 2014.
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RSVP Vacations coming to Hawaii
HONOLULU - The company that created the gay and lesbian cruise concept is commemorating its 25th birthday with a Silver Anniversary Cruise in Hawaii.
RSVP Vacation said Monday that it will be the company's first cruise in the islands.
The seven-day cruise aboard NCL's Pride of America departs Honolulu Oct. 30. It makes calls at Maui, Kauai and the Big Island before returning to Honolulu Nov. 6.
Hawaii Tourism Authority's vice president of marketing, David Uchiyama, says Hawaii is honored that RSVP selected the state for its Silver Anniversary Cruise.
The Minneapolis-based company hosted its first all-gay cruise in 1986. Since then, RSVP says more than 80,000 men and women have participated in its ship and riverboat cruises, land tours and resort vacations.
