Since 1974, Hawaii has required all employers to provide relatively generous health care benefits to any employee who works 20 hours a week or more. If health care legislation passes in Congress, the rest of the country may barely catch up.
And Hawaii has almost no high paying businesses other than the military base. It also has a disproportionate number of people living at or below the poverty line. No businesses want to locate there because of all the mandated social costs. My S.O. lived in Hawaii.. she is paid much better on the mainland than she was in Hawaii and she mentioned that jobs are much more plentiful here. Many Hawaiians are relocating to the mainland because of the jobs situation in Hawaii.[/quote]
So by your logic the businesses will leave USA if they are required to insure more employees? Where will they go? Especially the high paying businesses, the ones who can afford to pay for more health insurance coverage?
I disagree businesses are moving out of Hawaii mainly due to the health insurance issue. The bigger reason is that it’s more pensive there because of the distance from the mainland.