Look Homeward, Voter

GRASS IN REVIEW

GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII

Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society.

WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW - January 30, 2008

Look Homeward, Voter
By Paul Jacob

Super Tuesday is nearly upon us. Hillary is up; Barack is down. Or is that vice versa? Mike is up; Rudy’s down.

Many Presidential campaigns have their ups and downs, until only one remains “up.”

But the real story is: you are up.

It’s now your turn. Vote!

But as sly economists and clever mathematicians like to remind us, no one voter usually makes a difference. Our votes may be counted (if we’re lucky), but they don’t count — not like our dollars do. We voters don’t decide elections, individually. Certainly not Presidential elections, which are designed to tally up preferences from huge pools of voters; it’s the ratio of the divergent streams of those pools that decide elections. Our individual votes are like drops in the bucket.

But, closer to home, our power — even as individuals — increases.

There are fewer voters, locally, so when we convince a friend or neighbor of the wisdom of X, or the justice of Y, or the pure thrilling statesmanship of Z, our influence can really amount to something.

So, if you are concerned with, say, the growing instability of our non-invested national pension system (Social Security), keep tabs on the issue, keep asking questions, keep needling the complacent. But don’t stop there. Look closer to home. Have your county, city, or state politicians enacted non-invested or even unfunded pension systems?

They have in many areas around the country. And citizens have fought back. They’ve made a difference.

You can, too.

Paul Jacob is a member of the GRIH Board of Advisors and Senior Advisor at the Sam Adams Alliance and Foundation.

IN THE NEWS - HIGHLIGHTED COMMENTARIES
Grassroot Institute is regularly featured in news articles and broadcasts around the state. Here is a sample of some of our recent articles, research stories, and other articles of interest.

John Was Right, Rudy Was Wrong
By John Hood

John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani are both smart, accomplished attorneys. Neither is going to be President of the United States. But on the question of how their respective 2008 nomination battles were going to unfold, Edwards had the right answer and Giuliani had the wrong one.

(To read more, click here.)

What We Need Most In A President
By Gary Palmer

When it comes to the characteristics Americans consider most valuable in our next President, honesty and integrity are at the top of the list of attributes. In other words, voters are looking for a candidate with genuine character, someone that has their values, speaks their language and understands their problems.

Americans are not looking for the perfect candidate; no one expects to elect a President who has never had a lapse of judgment or failure of character in their past. Those people do not exist in everyday life -- in any profession -- much less in politics. Consequently, what a candidate did in college or even 10 years ago should be weighed against who the candidate is today and how their past failures and mistakes form and shape what they think, say and do presently.

(To read more, click here.)

HONOLULUTRAFFIC.COM

The mission of HonoluluTraffic.com is to seek cost effective ways to reduce traffic congestion on Oahu. Add your name to the list of supporters. Here are the most recent posts/additions to the site:

The average light rail line uses more energy than autos
Dulles Corridor Users Group says, "Good riddance"
Shanghai citizens revolt against Maglev
Parsons Brinckerhoff settles Big Dig lawsuit
DC's Dulles Airport rail extension dying
Council still gets to choose the fixed guideway technology
New busway gets FTA's New Starts fixed guideway funds
Teleworking's prospects more important than transit
Why high gas prices do not affect driving that much

You can read these and more at HonoluluTraffic.com.

FRESH PERSPECTIVE

Opportunity for Young Adults:
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii created the Fresh Perspective column exclusively to publish the work of high school and college students. In addition to work appearing on GRIH’s website, their work is also submitted to Hawaii Reporter. Submissions are welcome from any interested young adult, and we will publish work that is clearly written and grammatically sound. For earlier Fresh Perspectives please click here.

Contact: wendy@grassrootinstitute.org for more info.

TRY OUR BLOGS
Use these links to access various topics.

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Honolulu 4th least affordable housing market in 2008 report

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Green Sand Inc. makes donation to offset carbon footprint

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Asia just latest to take a hit as U.S. economic problems go global

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Tiny Macau entering new gambling era

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Maine opposes cruise ship rule aimed at helping in Hawaii

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Marriott teams with school to test changes

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Laissez-faire City

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>The Collective Punishment Model

The Mystery of Hawaiian History>>>Blog Archives>>>The Most Important Issue Facing the Hawaii Legislature for 2008

Read what others have written or add your own thoughts by clicking here.

LIBERTY NETWORK

GRIH seeks one or more individuals willing to endure up to six months of clerical work (to learn the center-right think tank business) who could then be promoted to handle some amount of program work. Funding for program work in the youth program and government/tax areas is available now. Funds for programs in other areas forthcoming. We seek college graduates or individuals with an equivalent amount of work experience. Applicants must be able to type and format Word documents; send, reply to and forward Outlook e-mail with various attachments; enter data in Excel work sheets; and have fair understanding of Windows XP file management and experience with standard office equipment. We are looking for individuals who have something to show from their life experience that they can bring to the job, good writing skills, and knowledge of current events or American government. If this sounds like you or someone you know, call Wendy at the GRIH office -- (808)591-9193 -- or email resume to wendy@grassrootinstitute.org.

How fast does the state spend your money?
State spending is out of control. Watch the dollars fly out the window.....

Have an Institute speaker at your next meeting!
From taxation to education, from health care to transportation, the Institute’s staff is ready to address your group regarding the important policy issues facing all citizens of Hawaii. Call (808) 591-9193 to check availability and make arrangements, or e-mail us at wendy@grassrootinstitute.org .

Grassroot Institute is a proud member of the State Policy Network and Townhall.

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