Have there been positive changes in Hawaii since it became a state?

Question

I was just wondering if Hawaii would really be any different if it was not sold.
What is your opinion?

Answer 1

Don't know what Colin did when he went to Hawaii; I just got back from a 2 week trip to Oahu and the Big Island and didn't sit in the sun for even 5 minutes there. Went snorkling; kayaking, saw the Arizona Memorial, hiked to waterfalls, ate Hawaiian food, took tour of coffee farms and macadamia nut factory, hiked to volcanoes, etc.

But to answer your question, at the time Hawaii became a state it had a strong US presence from the military already, and I'm not sure that there would have been a huge difference if they had been a territory versus a state. Tourism and US military presence would have remained strong forces; perhaps US statehood made others more comfortable with financial investments in Hawaii...hard to speculate on that. I do know that Puerto Ricans have resisted becoming a state as they didn't want to pay taxes, but it seems that overall Puerto Rico is not as prosperous as Hawaii, even though both are heavily dependent on tourism.

Answer 2

I think it needed to be a state to make money and get money from US. I don't like that island because i find all you can do is sit in the sun. Not much fun for a person like me.