GRASS IN REVIEW

GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII

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

 WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW   -    October 3, 2007

SCHIP of State
How Do You Explain 59 Republicans Voting For This Monstrosity?
By Chuck Muth

SCHIP in Washington-speak stands for “State Children’s Health Insurance Program.” It’s a program originally created by Republicans in Congress designed to help provide health insurance for low-income children. But in typical Washington fashion, it turned out to be the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent.

SCHIP is up for renewal this year. And this year, the Democrats are in charge of Congress. So naturally instead of merely reauthorizing SCHIP, the House voted yesterday to greatly expand the government program, with the ultimate goal of using it as a backdoor means of ushering in Hillary Clinton’s national healthcare nightmare.

If passed, the new SCHIP-on-steroids program would reportedly add an additional 4 million kids from supposedly low-income families to its rolls. Problem is, the Democrats are redefining what constitutes “low income.” In fact, families making up to $83,000 a year would now qualify for Super-SCHIP. The inevitable result will be families perfectly able to afford health insurance dropping their private policies and hopping onto the new taxpayer-funded government health insurance gravy train. All aboard!

Oh, and if that’s not enough, there’s a huge tax hike included (of course) in the Democrats’ plan to pay for it all, plus critics say the new program could end up actually providing taxpayer-funded health insurance to illegal aliens.

For all of these reasons and more, Republican President Bush has promised to veto the bill if it reaches his desk, as well he should. If Democrats were interested in providing health insurance to poor kids and not in scoring political points while growing government bigger, they could have simply re-authorized the current program. But that’s not what they’re all about. They’re Democrats. By definition that means raising taxes to make government bigger, more expensive and more intrusive in the private lives of American citizens.

But how do you explain 59 Republicans voting for this monstrosity?

Chuck Muth is President and CEO of Citizen Outreach and a member of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Board of Advisors.

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LIBERTY NETWORK

Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a member of an extensive international liberty network of organizations that promote more individual autonomy and less governmental involvement in human affairs.

• GRIH president Dick Rowland will be out of the office October 3rd through 13th. From October 4th through 9th, he will be at the Defending the American Dream Conference and attending meetings in Washington, D.C.; and from October 10th through 12th he will be attending the 2007 State Policy Network 15th Annual Meeting in Portland, Maine.
  
  
• An article by Dick Rowland was published September 19 in the Grassroot Perspective section of Hawaii Reporter: "Setting the Record Straight on Grassroot Institute's Position on the Akaka Bill."
  
  
• In September, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii mailed more than 3,000 copies of “Scientific Consensus on Global Warming,” published by The Heartland Institute earlier this year. It takes a look at two significant surveys that climate change scientists conducted in 1996 and 2003. The later survey was comprised of nearly 100 questions and completed by more than 500 climate scientists from 27 countries.
  
  Those who feel people should significantly change their lives in order to stop climate change, speak as if there is overwhelming consensus among scientists and that the debate for all purposes is over. The booklet GRIH mailed shows the lack of consensus among the scientific community as to the cause of climate change, predictions about future climate change and the effects that even the most draconian changes to the way we live, what we eat, how we travel, how we conduct business and what taxes and fees we pay can make much difference.
  
  The debate is not over. Do not give in to the hysteria of the media story of the decade. Educate yourselves and make your own decisions. Talk to your children. Do not let them be terrified by dire predictions spoken as truth, by otherwise well-meaning educators.
  
  If you did not receive a copy or would like additional copies, the GRIH has a modest supply of the black and white version in the office.  Additional copies of the color version are available from Heartland at no or low charge for a very short period of time. You can also download the full text here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

REGISTER NOW!!! Saturday, November 3, 2007
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Annual Meeting and Dinner
5:00 - 9:00 PM
Hale Koa Hotel, Waikiki

You are cordially invited to join us for our 2007 Annual Awards Dinner honoring Ken Schoolland and Unsung Heroes The Pacific Legal Foundation, State Representative Colleen Meyer (47th District), and Paul Vierling . The keynote speaker for the evening will be Paul Jacob, a member of the GRIH Board of Advisors and Senior Advisor at the Sam Adams Alliance and Foundation.  An acclaimed multi-media commentator, Paul hosts an online, radio, and print opinion program, Common Sense, which reaches a growing list of over 15,000 e-mail subscribers and is aired daily by more than 150 stations in 48 states.  For more information about Paul Jacob, click here.

Click here to learn more about this event, and to register for what promises to be an unforgettable evening.

November 10-12, 2007
The 2007 Preserving the American Dream Conference
"Recovering from Smart Growth"
Wyndham Hotel, San Jose, Calfornia

Does the high cost of rail transit have you down? Are heavily subsidized, high-density developments infesting your city? Is utopian urban planning making housing unaffordable in your region?

If so, you need to attend the 2007 Preserving the American Dream conference, cosponsored by the Grassroot Institute. This conference will give you the opportunity to meet dozens of expert speakers and activists from all over the world. It will be held November 10 - 12, 2007 at the Wyndham Hotel in San Jose, California. Click here to learn more.