Volta to offer nonprofits free advertising
Volta Industries, a Honolulu-based electric vehicle charging company, said Monday it will be renewing a community outreach program to provide free advertising for local nonprofit and community groups.
Volta will select three semifinalists, and the public will vote for the winning group to receive a minimum of three months of free advertising at one of Volta’s EV charging stations, valued at $6,000. The runner-up will receive a minimum one month of free advertising valued at $2,000.
"We understand so many Hawaii nonprofits operate on very small budgets and marketing dollars are often nonexistent," said Arden Penton, Volta’s director of media and operations. "Awareness Powered by Volta can give some kokua to our nonprofits and allow them to share their messages more effectively."
Nonprofits can complete a short application form at www.voltacharging.com/contact-us. The deadline is Jan. 26.
Social Security debtors get tax reprieve
WASHINGTON » People who owe old debts to the Social Security Administration are getting a reprieve this tax season: The federal government won’t be seizing their tax refunds. Acting Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin suspended a debt collection program last spring in which thousands of people had tax refunds seized to recoup overpayments that happened more than a decade ago. Members of Congress complained that some people were being forced to repay benefits they got decades ago as children.
Following a review, the agency said Monday it will continue suspending the program this tax season while officials explore possible changes. But the debts won’t go away. Eventually, when debtors start receiving retirement benefits, Social Security can deduct the debts from their payments.
Last spring, the agency said it had identified 400,000 people with old debts totaling $714 million. About 300,000 people still have old debts. The rest were resolved, either through payment plans or, in some cases, when the person died.
About 55 percent of the debts were for less than $1,000.
Kaiser mental health workers go on strike
SAN FRANCISCO » Kaiser Permanente mental health professionals throughout California went on a strike Monday to protest what they say is a lack of staffing that affects care.
The health care provider’s 2,600 psychologists, therapists and social workers began the weeklong walkout to demand that Kaiser Permanente (the parent company of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii) offer timely, quality mental health care at its psychiatry departments and clinics, said Jim Clifford, a union member and San Diego psychiatric therapist.
Clifford said some patients have to wait up to two months for follow-up appointments, which prolongs the recovery process.
John Nelson, Kaiser’s vice president of government relations, denied there is a shortage of mental health staff. He said the health plan has increased staffing statewide by 25 percent in the past three years, while membership grew by 8 percent during the same period. He said the false claims are part of the union’s bargaining tactic.
McDonald’s walks fine line with new ads
NEW YORK » An ad by McDonald’s is testing the fine line companies need to walk when referencing national tragedies.
The ad by the world’s biggest hamburger chain that aired during the NFL playoffs and Golden Globes on Sunday featured a montage of signs outside McDonald’s restaurants, including messages of support after devastating events.
Among them were "We Remember 9 11" and "Boston Strong," a reference to the bombing that killed three people at a marathon. Other messages thanked veterans or wished individuals in the community a happy birthday, all intended to illustrate the role McDonald’s restaurants play in communities. The ad was set to a children’s choir singing a version of "Carry On" by the rock band Fun.
The commercial provoked strong reactions, with some saying they were moved by it and others saying it was tacky for a company to use tragic events to burnish its image. The ad is part of a new campaign by McDonald’s to highlight the "loving" in its "I’m Lovin’ It" slogan and associate its name with that positive emotion.
Oil prices fall 5% to $46 per barrel
NEW YORK » Energy companies are leading a decline on the stock market as crude oil continues to tumble.
The price of oil dropped another 5 percent Monday to $46 a barrel. That’s far below its recent peak of more than $100 a barrel in June. The slump means much lower profits for energy companies, even though consumers benefit by paying less for gas. The steep drop in oil prices over recent months has investors second-guessing expectations for the quarterly earnings season.
ON THE MOVE
Outrigger Enterprises Group has promoted Simeon Miranda to corporate director of operations, Pacific. He was previously general manager of the Outrigger-managed Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort. Miranda has more than 25 years of executive hospitality management experience in Hawaii and on the mainland, including working at the Airport Honolulu Hotel, the Best Western and the Plaza Hotel, and was resident manager of Hilton Waikoloa Village.
The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has announced that Page Gaylord is director of B2B marketing. She has more than 30 years of marketing and advertising experience and was previously director of advertising and promotions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii. She also was vice president of media at Anthology Marketing Group and chief media officer for Ogilvy & Mather Hawaii.
Prince Resorts Hawaii has announced the appointment of Greg Dickhens to vice president. He was previously a president and senior adviser of Kyo-ya Co. as well as chief financial officer of Vail Resorts Development Co. and vice president of development for Hilton Hotels Corp.
