Rooted in Reason
January 18, 2012
Urban Rail and Terrorism
The recent article "For Transit Agencies, Terrorists Are Moving Targets" in the magazine of the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority raises many critical issues relating to the security of urban rail systems. (more)
Rooted in Reason
January 18, 2012
NPV: Not For Me
In defense of the Electoral College
In 2008, the Hawaii State Legislature overturned Governor Lingle’s veto to pass legislation affirming the National Popular Vote. This legislation, which the legislature has the authority to overturn, serves primarily as an attempt to destroy the Electoral College as the method of electing the President of the United States. The bill would have Hawaii cast its four votes in the Electoral College for the winner of the national popular vote, disregarding the vote conducted on the state level for President. While Hawaii is by no means the only state to sign on to NPV, it is certainly one of the least likely states to have signed the compact. Put frankly, the NPV disadvantages smaller states; as which, if Hawaii hadn’t already noticed, Hawaii is classified. However, the NPV should be opposed not just because it decreases the relative power of Hawaii in choosing a President, but also for three main reasons. (more)
Rooted in Reason
January 17, 2012
Second to None or Next to Nothing
Personal liberty is the second language of human society. It was never widely spoken until along came Thomas Paine. This sparked the 56 founding fathers to unleash it in the Declaration of independence in 1776. The first human language was statism in its many forms; socialism, dictatorship, monarchy, communism, crony capitalism, etc. But that first language keeps popping back up, thoughtlessly and destructively. For example President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Abercromie and many others speak it fluently. However, the second trumps the first. Individual human freedom to create and to be fully responsible for our actions and their consequences is second to none in human action history. Or, I guess you could say it is next to nothing. (more)
Rooted in Reason
January 17, 2012
Akaka or King?
Cody Hensarling's reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
I am a Native Hawaiian. I also have Chinese and German heritage, but in the State of Hawaii, my native Hawaiian ancestry is usually of the most interest to others. It is my greatest hope that I am not defined by my ancestry, Native Hawaiian, or otherwise. Perhaps the greatest feature of the structure of American society is equality under law. I am comforted knowing that, in theory, I have the same chance at justice, the same responsibilities as a citizen, and the same rules governing my conduct as every other citizen of this country. I have no ability to understand those who want to eliminate this most important feature of the American experience. (more)
Rooted in Reason
January 13, 2012
Public Apathy "Promotes" Boondoggles. Another H-3? The Obama Effect on the Rail Vote
PUBLIC APATHY. It is one of the major boosters of the ridiculous Honolulu rail, according to award winning journalist and author John Fund of the Wall Street Journal. He spoke about it yesterday at the 36th annual Business and Investment Conference organized by Smart Business Hawaii at the Ala Moana Hotel. (more)
Rooted in Reason
January 13, 2012
Individual Mandate Myths
If PPACA (Obamacare) can stand under the weight of the repeal effort and legal challenges, whether you like it or not, you will have to buy health insurance. Now, most people are not opposed to buying health insurance and virtually all people agree that having access to health care is a major priority for all adults. Others would point to requirements to buy other forms of insurance (usually auto) and wonder what the fuss is all about. Still others believe that the individual mandate is only a small part of Obamacare, and that the controversy about the individual mandate misses the point of the larger debate. I will endeavor to clear up two popular misconceptions about the individual mandate, in an attempt to ensure that the nature and impact of the individual mandate becomes clear to all. (more)
Rooted in Reason
January 09, 2012
Severability & Obamacare
With the recent decision of the Supreme Court to hear legal challenges to PPACA (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare), there is a lot of legal jargon that is slipping into the public consciousness. While a lack of knowledge of most of these terms is not a barrier to a working understanding of the legal case against Obamacare, there are a few notable exceptions. One such exception is the term “severability”, which I have heard more than a few talking heads flippantly use without an apparent understanding of the meaning of the term. Severability is not a concept that can be ignored, as it is probably the reason for the majority of the uncertainty surrounding PPACA. (more)
Rooted in Reason
December 06, 2011
While Our Leaders Doze, a National Plan to Hose Hawaii Moves Onward
Hey, I have an idea that should make the NFL season more fair and representative of which is really the best team. Instead of awarding the championship title to the winner of the Superbowl, we should abolish the Superbowl and playoffs, and decide the winner based on which team scored the most points that year. Wouldn’t that be the best determination of who really deserves to win? I’m kidding, of course. I’m a Ravens fan—a lot of the time, we’re lucky to creep into double digits. But before you dismiss this example as pure nuttiness, you should realize that it’s a lot like what some states (including Hawaii) are trying to do with the Electoral College. And just as Ravens fans (and Jets fans and 49ers fans as long as Alex Smith is at quarterback) would oppose awarding the Superbowl based on regular-season point totals, so should smaller states fight the elimination of the Electoral College. And for very similar reasons . . . it undermines their importance and ignores their standing. (more)
Rooted in Reason
November 14, 2011
On Veterans Day, a Reflection on “Duty”
Duty. It’s not a glamorous word. But it’s the first item in the West Point motto. And in the speech from General Douglas MacArthur that so many aspiring officers must learn (and quickly, if they want to avoid spending much of their first year doing push-ups under the eye of an upperclassman): Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. (more)
Rooted in Reason
November 09, 2011
The Case For Legalizing Freedom
There's a term that I hear frequently in academic, economic and political circles alike that absolutely drives me up the wall: it's called "good government." The idea behind the concept of so-called good government is that the universe is a disorderly place full of chaos and only certain strongmen can tame the cosmos with their unique excellence in lawgiving and governance. In America whenever something goes wrong, the contemporary reaction from most is to associate the failure with a lack of laws, regulations or enforcers. Problems in the healthcare industry? Make more laws and hire more regulators. Wall Street causing systemic risk to the economy? Create agencies that can determine what kind of commerce is good and bad. Terrorists running amok? Put the entire nation under a state of near-martial law. All this - supposedly - is proper and fitting because a "good government" is tasked with maintaining order and shaping the values of its citizens. (more)
Blogs
The Mystery of Hawaiian History
Correcting historical revisionism and misconceptions promoted by the Akaka Bill.
Hawaii Spendometer
How Fast Does The State Government Spend Your Money?
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