GRASS IN REVIEW
GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII
Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society.
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WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW - June 27, 2007 |
Virtual Taxation
A Message from Dick Rowland
 Here in Hawaii, it’s easy to feel a bit cut-off from the rest of the world. We are, after all, one of the most geographically isolated places on the face of the earth.
The rise of Internet technology has been a boon for those of us in the middle of the Pacific. The Web allows Islanders to shop for goods unavailable locally, to communicate with friends and loved ones thousand of miles away, and even to work and conduct business through the wonders of telecommuting.
However, the Web faces threats, and I don’t just mean computer viruses. More like the virus of unnecessary taxation. The ban on Internet taxes expires November 2007. If it isn’t renewed, new taxes--such as taxes on Internet access or taxes on various Internet business transactions--could be implemented. This could have a chilling effect on the further growth and development of the Web, and would potentially burden Internet users with a myriad of taxes and fees.
Because of this, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is proud to have signed on to a coalition letter to Congress calling to make the moratorium on Internet taxes permanent.
This effort was spearheaded by Americans for Prosperity (AFP). AFP is an organization of grassroots leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state and federal levels.
You can view the letter to the House here, and the letter to the Senate here. The press release from Americans for Prosperity can be found here.
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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.
An Odd-Bedfellow Coalition
Republicans and (Many) Democrats See Eye-to-Eye on Internet-Access Taxes
By Kristina Rasmussen
Key congressional players from both parties have realized the potential gains of making permanent a soon-to-expire federal moratorium on Internet-access taxes. This would mean no discriminatory taxes on Internet services — a policy more and more Democrats are rightly coming around to support.
(To read more, click here.)
Speaking of Taxes...
Our friend Thomas Foley sent us this amusing e-mail. We can’t vouch for the accuracy, but it makes for interesting reading.
(To read more, click here.)
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: roz@grassrootinstitute.org for more info.
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TRY OUR BLOGS
Use these links to access various topics.
Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>The Misuse of Taxpayer Money
Dash of Calabash>>>Blog Archives>>>Ethanol is Green, Right?
The Mystery of Hawaiian History>>>Blog Archives>>>The People on the Sidewalk
Read what others have written or add your own thoughts. Click here for more blogs.
UPCOMING EVENTS
All of the Institute’s events, research publication dates and speaking engagements are available on our website.
July 31, 2007
A Luncheon
Celebration in Honor of Milton Friedman's 95th Birthday in the Card Room,
Pacific Club
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Save the date! All over
the country, events will be held on July 31st to honor Milton Friedman's vision and
the impact he has had on our society. Doug Bandow will be the main
speaker at this event. Co-sponsors include Small Business
Hawaii, The Federalist Society, The Heritage
Foundation and others. Lunch will be a sandwich buffet with salads, cookies and iced tea. Cost is $25 payable by July 20. Send checks to the GRIH office. Call or email to charge. Seats limited.
Doug Bandow is the Cobden Fellow in
International Economics, Institute for
Policy Innovation; Robert A. Taft Fellow,
American Conservative Defense Alliance;
Bastiat Scholar in Free Enterprise,
Competitive Enterprise Institute; and Vice
President for Policy, Citizen Outreach. A
former Special Assistant to President Ronald
Reagan, he is the author of the recently
published Foreign Follies:
America's New Global Empire. (Click
on the words "Check Out") His other books include The
Politics of Envy: Statism as Theology,
Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a
Changed World, and Military Manpower and Human Resources.
Doug is a columnist for the American
Spectator. Click here for a list of his columns and
links. (You will need to choose Doug Bandow
from the drop down list and click on "Show
Results".) |
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 roz@grassrootinstitute.org.
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Grassroot Institute is a proud member of the State Policy Network and Townhall..
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SUPPORT GOOD PUBLIC POLICY
The Institute operates only through the generous donations of friends and benefactors from around Hawaii and the United States, and even the smallest of donations can be used to accomplish great things for the future of our beloved state.
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CRABGRASS
In 1862, the first U.S. federal tax office, the Office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, was created to raise funds for the Civil War. The first permanent U.S. income tax appeared in 1913, with ratification of the 16th Amendment. The earliest documented use of imprisonment for tax evasion was in 306 A.D. by Emperor Constantine of the Holy Roman Empire.
(Source: University of Illinois at Chicago)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“There is a new term being used in Washington these days, tax expenditures. If you and I used that term we would be talking about things upon which the government spent our tax dollars. That, however, is not what government means. Tax expenditures is the new name government has for the share of our earnings it allows us to keep. You and I call them deductions.”
-- President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)
“Congress must act now to protect American wireless and Internet users against discriminatory taxes. If the current Internet tax moratorium were to expire without Congressional action, consumers will be hit with higher taxes on Internet access. And we'll likely see a tremendous slowdown in the next generation of the high-speed Internet, of wireless phones and mobile communications.”
-- Former Congressman Jack Kemp, Founder and Chairman of Kemp Partners
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