More airline competition? Bring it on!

Executives of Southwest Airlines aren’t making any promises, but it’s nice to know that Hawaii is still in the running as a destination for the no-frills airline.

Tourism officials salivate at the prospect of additional passengers flowing into Hawaii, but we’re more interested in Southwest as another way to get off the rock. Consumers benefit when airlines compete.

Hawaii is one of 50 potential new destinations for the budget carrier. Dallas-based Southwest first floated the idea in 2010, and began acquiring the planes necessary to support such an expansion in 2012, so we expect that a decision will come sooner rather than later.

Computer snafus in Hawaii embarrassing

Hawaii has always been famous — infamous, really — as a high-tax environment. But the latest technological snafu in the collection of said taxes adds insult to injury.

Imagine being a good citizen and paying your taxes on time, only to be told you’re a scofflaw by the state Tax Department. Then comes word that it was all a big oopsie, the fault of the department’s expensive computer system. That’s where the injury comes to the rest of us: That system cost $87.5 million. And once we stop hyperventilating about that, we’ll start developing an inferiority complex. What is it about us in Hawaii, and computer foul-ups? Remember the Health Connector roll-out, everybody?