Commentaries
October 2011
A Bully in the Pulpit
Bullying, the government’s anti-bullying website tells us, can happen anywhere, and is not constrained by, “age, gender, or education level.” As we all know, it involves the use of force and intimidation—and even the Internet—to harm others, and relies on imbalance of power to give the bully an edge over a victim who may not have the power to defend himself. Or, as the President and his advisors might call it, “business as usual.” (more)
Commentaries
August 2011
A Birthday Tribute to Milton Friedman: 10 Ideas That Affect Our World
Milton Friedman was born 99 years ago and his ideas are timeless. He was leader of the monetary school of thought at the University of Chicago, a founding member of the legendary free market organization, the Mont Pelerin Society, co-author with his wife, Rose, of the television series and international bestselling book Free to Choose, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, Newsweek columnist for many years, and a fearless champion of economic and personal freedom. He was in many ways a hero to me, one who led me to a greater appreciation of free markets. (more)
Commentaries
July 2011
The Price of Being the Enemy
The evidence is undeniable - global warming is now a major problem for practically every person in America, including the people of Alabama. If you don't believe it, check your monthly utility bill or the price of gasoline to see that global warming is a big problem in terms of what it costs you. (more)
Commentaries
April 2011
Education and Transit: Two Problems With Two Innovative Solutions
They say imitation is the best form of flattery; in some cases it's also the smartest option. Take the latest work by Governor Rick Scott in Florida. He faces very similar challenges to what Hawaii is experiencing, so it would behoove us to watch and learn. In the last few weeks Gov. Scott spearheaded two very controversial initiatives. One was the first bill he signed into law, which would create merit based pay for teachers as well as end tenure for new hires. The second lies in his rejection of $2.4 billion in federal funding for high speed rail in Florida. (more)
Commentaries
January 2011
Sheriff Mack, the 17th Amendment, and Liberty
On December 30, 2010 the Maui Tea Party and Maui Calabash group joined together and hosted an event featuring Sheriff Richard Mack of Graham County, Arizona. His presentation was about the eroding powers of individual states and local governments. It was the individual states that formed the federal government initially, with very limited and discreet powers. The Founders wrote a constitution for this new government to insure that we were to be governed by a limited entity, with strict parameters for its authority and power. (more)
Commentaries
December 2010
The Dangers of Mail-In Ballots
In the November General Election, 124,000 Hawaii voters chose to mail in their ballots. That was a third of all ballots cast and more than double the percentage of those mail-in votes cast in the 2008 election. More importantly, mail-in votes were far greater than the typical difference in the votes cast for the winning and losing candidates. The danger to all of us is that we really do not have any assurance that all mail-in voters did so free of coercion. Secrecy is vital if we are to assure ourselves that their votes are taken freely. Secrecy concerns should far outweigh the benefit of the mere convenience of mail-in balloting. (more)
Commentaries
December 2010
Dear Governor Abercrombie
On December 6, 2010, Grassroot Institute President Jamie Story was featured in a Honolulu Star Advertiser Editorial Series titled "Dear Governor Abercrombie.." In this editorial, several key leaders of Hawaii were asked to address a personal letter to the Governor himself, detailing what they wanted to see him work on. Please click ahead to read the full text of Jamie Story's letter to Governor Neil Abercrombie (more)
Commentaries
November 2010
TSA Violates Our Rights
Public outrage against the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations has been making headlines for several weeks now. Passengers have expressed rightful indignation at the insults the federal government, via the TSA, has thrown on them. New regulations for "random screenings" have not been proven to actually increase public safety, but they do serve to demoralize and dehumanize the American people, the majority of whom have done nothing to deserve such insults. Nuns in full habit and small children are searched and groped and young women's nude bodies are revealed on-screen to perfect strangers--all in the name of security. Yet the public cannot be safe when the rights and freedoms of any person are violated. In this case, TSA regulations violate the 4th amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects individuals from unwarranted search and seizures. (more)
Commentaries
October 2010
Hawaii's 2010 Ballot Measures
In addition to determining who will be our next governor, on November 2nd, Hawaii residents will be asked to vote on several important ballot measures. It's worth taking a quick look at some of these initiatives. (more)
Commentaries
August 2010
The Real Solution to Social Security Insolvency
As this is written, in August 2010, the Social Security system is running a deficit. Its ability to support future retirement benefits for Americans is rapidly withering away. Fixes have been offered, but they all center in on postponing the inevitable: neither higher taxes nor cuts in benefits will save the system from its demise. Those methods have been tried before and failed. (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?
$9,122,166,121.47
