 New Legislative Scorecard
GRIH Releases Ratings for Hawaii Legislators
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has recently released its 2008 Hawaii Legislative Scorecard, which ranks state legislators based on their commitment to upholding freedom and liberty during the 2008 legislative session. The new annual report was compiled by Grassroot Policy Analyst Pearl Hahn and President Jamie Story, and is available free via the Grassroot Institute website.
"The Grassroot Institute seeks to help educate Hawaii's voters by providing some transparency as to how our state legislators vote," explains President Jamie Story. "Unfortunately, only four out of 76 legislators scored higher than 50 percent on the index, so we have a lot of work to do. Our goal is to help citizens stay informed about how their elected officials are performing, so that legislators may be held accountable for their votes."
The 2008 Scorecard ranks state legislators according to their votes in vital categories including personal freedom, taxes, and business regulations. Compiled from state records, the results are presented separately for the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives and are ranked in order of the legislators’ overall commitment to liberty and freedom. The scorecard appendix also features descriptions of the bills selected for scoring in each of the five categories.
Please view the GRIH 2008 Legislative Scorecard at: http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/Scorecards/2008Scorecard.pdf
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What Comes After Akaka Bill Passage?
A Preview from Senator Inouye
By Tom MacDonald
Over the past several years there has been a fair amount of theorizing about what will follow if The Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007, otherwise known as the Akaka Bill (S. 310 / H.R. 505), passes Congress and is signed into law. The bill has now passed in the U.S. House and is only a few votes short of the 60 votes needed to break a U.S. Senate filibuster.
Opponents of the Bill fear it will lead to a carving up of the state’s lands and imposition of a new set of civil, criminal, and tax laws that will be enforced on all people entering onto territory ceded to a new, sovereign, Native Hawaiian government. Supporters of the Bill claim little will change, except that Native Hawaiians will regain ownership of some lands wrongly taken away from their ancestors over a century ago.
(To read more, click here.)
GRASSROOT PERSPECTIVE
Nation Of Whiners - Part 3
By Brandon Bosworth
Phil Gramm touched off a firestorm when he accused Americans of being in a "mental recession" (as opposed to an economic one), and complained we were becoming a "nation of whiners." Was he right? Do we do nothing but complain these days and are we really worse off?
Take for instance food prices. Yes, groceries bills are going higher, but how high are they really in context? In 1919, an average American had to work over nine hours just to earn enough for a 12-item cart of groceries containing such basic goods as eggs, milk, sugar, meat, vegetables, and so on. Today? About 1.7 hours.
(To read more, click here.)
FRESH PERSPECTIVE
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. Please contact tom@grassrootinstitute.org for more info.
GRASSROOT TV
Videos, Comments and More
"Grassroot TV" is a new area on the popular YouTube.com video web site featuring videos relating to public issues in Hawaii and beyond, as well as statements from the Institute on various concerns facing our communities. We have new videos up at Grassroot TV!
We've also loaded up the library at the online TV station with new videos from The Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Americans for Tax Reform and more. We are also looking for more videos and ideas for the new site. Please visit 'Grassroot TV' at http://www.youtube.com/user/GrassrootHawaii.
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GRASSROOT INSTITUTE PODCASTS
'Grassroot Insight' Audio Interviews
GIR readers and visitors to the GRIH website are now able to enjoy 'Grassroot Insight', a periodic podcast hosted by the Institute’s Director of Communications, Tom McAuliffe. The audio interviews with community leaders and special guests at GRIH's monthly meetings are available for download to your iPod or for listening via the Internet.
This issue's 'Grassroot Insight' podcasts feature Emily Zanotti, Online Community Development Director at the Sam Adams Alliance in Chicago, IL, who talks about using the web to get the liberty message out to our communities; and the Bluegrass Institute's David Adams, director of their new website www.KentuckyVotes.org, who discusses how the site is helping his state's voters.
Click here to listen to the interview with Emily Zanotti of the Sam Adams Alliance
Click here to listen to the interview with David Adams from KentuckyVotes.org
Please check out our other recent podcasts with:
• Hawaii Attorney and Activist Bill Burgess
• GRIH Research Director Dr. Harry Messenheimer
• President Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity
• State Director (Texas) Peggy Venable of Americans for Prosperity
• Sam Slom, Hawaii State Senator and President of 'Small Business Hawaii'
• Dr. Ken Conklin, author of the new book 'Hawaiian Apartheid'
• Hawaii State Representative Marcus Oshiro on the state's transparency efforts
We have more great audio interviews coming your way so we hope you'll give 'Grassroot Insight' a listen! If you have any ideas for the show please let us know at tom@grassrootinstitute.org.
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LIBERTY NEWS
Oahu Mayor OK's Citizen Vote
Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann recently approved a measure that will allow voters to decide whether to move forward with the City’s massive rail system construction project.
The proposed Charter Amendment to be on the ballot this November will ask voters whether the City’s Director of Transportation Services shall "establish a steel wheel on steel rail transit system." The measure clarifies that it would not preclude the director from utilizing technologies other than steel wheel on steel rail to complement or extend the rail transit system.
The City Council voted 8-to-0 on Wednesday, August 20 to place the proposed Charter Amendment on the November 4 General Election ballot.
The Mayor also approved a separate measure from the City Council that will allow voters to decide on a Charter Amendment mandating that the circuit courts have jurisdiction over proceedings for impeachment of elected officers, in conformance with state law.
The proposed Charter Amendment was recommended for approval by the Honolulu Ethics Commission, and was also approved by the City Council by a vote of 8-to-0.
The Grassroot Institute congratulates the Mayor and City Council for allowing the people the opportunity to vote on the issues that affect their lives. For more information, see http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/main/government/.
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Grassroot Media Hits
•Grassroot summer intern and Hawaii Pacific University senior Justin Rouzaud
had a letter to the editor published in the Honolulu Advertiser on Aug. 22. Entitled "Government Wrong to Meddle in Marketplace," the letter discusses government intrusion into the real estate business. Justin has returned to school this fall and we wish him the very best.
• The Aug. 22 Advertiser also featured a letter from Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Oswald Stender who took the Grassroot Institute to task over our recent study on Native Hawaiians Poverty data. Stender's letter to the editor, entitled "Native Hawaiians - new study skews facts, ignores census study," made several baseless accusations. GRIH President Jamie Story has written a response so stay tuned. Please read the study ‘Good News: Native Hawaiians Prosper’ by Dr. Harry Messenheimer (GRIH_Study_1007.pdf) for yourself at: http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/Publications/INFO_publications.shtml.
• Grassroot President Jamie Story was quoted in the Honolulu Advertiser article "Democratic Convention Plans Native Hawaiian Recognition" by Advertiser government writer Derrick DePledge. The article talks about the 2008 Democratic Party platform which endorses passage of the racially divisive piece of federal legislation called the Akaka Bill. The Advertiser is Hawaii's largest newspaper.
"I think it's terrible that this seems to be the only option that people are talking about," said Jamie Story, president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawai'i, a conservative-to-libertarian research group. Story doubts the bill would help average Native Hawaiians, other than those in charge of the new government, and said it does not spell out how it would improve Hawaiian property rights, education or healthcare. "I think the debate needs to be framed in a different way," she said. "Rather than putting out this vague bill that no one who is being sincere can really explain how this will help anybody, let's look at specific, proven methods for increasing prosperity, not just for Native Hawaiians, let's increase it for everybody."
• Hawaii Reporter.com has published a number of articles from members of the Grassroot Institute, including "We Are All Hawaiian" by GRIH Board of Scholars member Jere Krischel; and from the Grassroot In Review newsletter, "Report From the Front: Oahu's Professor and Author Ken Schoolland Spreads Liberty Education Overseas" by Grassroot Institute Communications Director Tom McAuliffe
• The nationally recognized and popular site http://www.townhall.com has recently picked up for national distribution many of the articles you read in Grassroot in Review.
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GRIH Fall/Spring Internship Program
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is currently seeking candidates for the Institute’s internship program. The program provides undergraduate and graduate level students the ability to gain work experience at Hawaii’s only free-market think tank. Interns will work directly with Institute staff, including the President, Director of Communications, and Director of Operations.
If you know of anyone who might be interested please have them send a cover letter, resume, and a writing sample to:
Wendy Fujimoto,
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, wendy@grassrootinstitute.org,
or call (808) 591-9193.
(To read more, click here.)
GRIH Seeking Investigative Reporter
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is currently seeking an experienced investigative reporter for long- and short-term projects that expose waste, fraud, incompetence and corruption in state and local government. We seek a candidate with a track record of developing sources, breaking news and getting their hands on public records. Knowing Hawaii’s public records laws and FOIA is a plus. This individual will serve a central role in our Government Transparency and Accountability initiative.
Please send cover letter, resume, salary requirement and writing sample(s) to:
Wendy Fujimoto, Director of Operations, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, wendy@grassrootinstitute.org,
(808) 591-9193.
(To read more, click here.)
TRY THE GRASSROOT BLOGS
Join the conversation and express your views! Use these links to access our member blogs.
Dash of Calabash
http://dashofcalabash.grassrootinstitute.org/
The Mystery of Hawaiian History
http://historymystery.grassrootinstitute.org/
Read what others have written and add your own thoughts. See you there!
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NEED A GOOD SPEAKER?
From taxation to education and health care to transportation, the Institute’s staff is excited 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 tom@grassrootinstitute.org.
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SUPPORT GOOD PUBLIC POLICY IN HAWAII!
Please help us continue to provide independent research on issues important to Hawaii! The Grassroot 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.
Will you please consider becoming a supporter today? Donations are tax deductible and it's quick, easy and secure. Click here!
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Grassroot Institute is a proud member of the State Policy Network, Townhall.com,
Americans for Tax Reform, The Sam Adams Alliance and more.
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