GRASS IN REVIEW

GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII

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

 WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW   -    April 23, 2008

Rail is Not the Answer
A Note from the Editor

Last week’s Grass in Review looked at some of the problems with rail transit and explored possible alternatives. Since then, the Honolulu City Council met and held a vote to determine what type of technology to use for a new rail system: steel on steel, rubber tires, or magnetic levitation. They deadlocked, so another meeting and another vote are pending. Unfazed by the decision (or lack thereof), Mayor Mufi Hannemann seems intent on going forward with or without council approval. Hannemann said in a press conference, “"They failed to make a decision. Our decision is steel on steel.... Legally, I can do it. There's nothing that can prevent me from what I'm doing."

Meanwhile, on Monday, April 21st, the newly-launched STOP RAIL NOW organization held a press conference and rally in front of City Hall. Their goal is to put the rail issue on the ballot initiative and let the public vote on whether the following should be a city ordinance:

"Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail transit."

They need nearly 45,000 signatures to get the question about rail on the ballot. More information can be found at www.StopRailNow.com.

In our goal to educate the public on this complicated issue, GRIH is issuing a new Policy Brief which highlights an important new study by Professor Panos D. Prevedouros and the University of Hawaii Congestion Study Group (UHCS). The study examines various ways of reducing Oahu’s traffic nightmare, and concludes rail is far from the best solution. Please click here to learn more about more effective ways of easing congestion on Honolulu’s roadways.

TRY OUR BLOGS
Use these links to access various topics.

Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>China ‘now top carbon polluter’

The Mystery of Hawaiian History>>>Blog Archives>>>International Recognition of Republic of Hawaii Discredits Apology Resolution and Undermines Akaka Bill

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

LIBERTY NETWORK

1. GRIH Board Member Dale Evans had an article published in Hawaii Reporter on April 17, 2008: "Mineta's Pet Transportation Project Dubbed the Nation's Worst Managed Transit Agency, So Why is the City Listening to His Suggestions on Honolulu's Proposed Rail?"
   

2. GRIH President Jamie Story was in Michigan last week attending training sessions at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. This week she travels to Atlanta for the State Policy Network/Heritage Foundation/Atlas Foundation Resource Bank meeting.
   

3. The www.LUV-Hawaii.org website was the subject of the main message of the January 16 Grass in Review. Since then, over 225 people have signed the petition and 160 have posted comments. A few of the comments were published in Hawaii Reporter on 2/8/08, 2/23/08, 3/1/08, 3/11/08, and 3/29/08.  Please read them and sign the petition if you have not already done so. The comments are anonymous and cannot be viewed on the LUV-Hawaii website at this time.
   
   If you have not already signed the petition or gone to the website to learn more about it, please do so today.

4. Brandon Bosworth, GRIH's Publications Editor, had an article published in MidWeek on April 23rd: "Bear Necessities" and April 7th: “Playing Ball with Robots.”

5. An important new web site has made its debut, www.HawaiiConCon.org which its founders say is a grassroots community effort to engage the public in a discussion about the Hawaii Constitutional Convention (this election, the public will decide on whether to hold a constitutional convention before 2010 – no concon has been held for the last 30 years). Visit the site for more information. Also see the editorial by former Hawaii Congressman Ed Case that appeared in Hawaii Reporter on Sunday: “This Hawaii Election, To ConCon or Not To ConCon.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

All of the Institute’s events, research publication dates and speaking engagements are available on our website.

1. The Small Business Hawaii Awards Banquet will be held on Friday, May 9th at the Waialae Country Club.  The awardees include:

• SBH Business Person of the Year -- John Garibaldi, Hawaii Superferry, Inc.
• Civic Leader --Victor Lim, McDonald's of Hawaii
• Young Entrepreneur – Bernadette Baraquio, Just a Girl Productions

The banquet will also celebrate the new SBH Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.  There will be a silent auction, prizes, entertainment and a special speaker.  Tickets are $100 per person and are tax-deductible in part.  Call Darlyn Evangelista at (808)396-1724.

2. The Small Business Hawaii Economic Summit will be held on Tuesday, May 13th, from 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM at The Kahala Hotel. Speakers include Dr. John Rutledge, Senator Sam Slom, Dr. Paul Brewbaker and Lowell Kalapa. The $50 cost includes a buffet lunch and parking. Call (808)396-1724 to register or for more information.

3. The 2008 Preserving the American Dream conference: "Preserving Freedom and Mobility"
May 16-18, 2008 in Houston, TX

GRIH will be co-sponsoring the sixth annual Preserving the American Dream Conference in Houston (Omni Hotel near Galleria District) on May 16-18, 2008. Registration is $249 regular or $175 student and low-income. There is an optional lunch and tour of Houston on Friday the 16th (8:30 am – 4:30 pm) for $25. Last year’s attendees really enjoyed the tour of San Jose.

For more information or to register, please visit the American Dream Coalition website.