Research
Research on Hawaiian issues.
2011 (12)
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2009 (42)
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2008 (24)
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GRIH Research RSS feedDecember 2009
Wikipedia Battle Rages On
The next time you consult Wikipedia, keep in mind that Wikipedia users can edit articles, remove information, and freeze pages to prevent others from making changes. Lawrence Solomon, a Canadian environmentalist and author of "The Conserver Solution," has publicly taken issue with shenanigans clouding the accuracy of Wikipedia's article on the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). (more)
December 2009
Akaka Bill Poll Findings Released
December 15, 2009--A new poll of registered Hawaii voters, conducted by Zogby International, has found that a majority of those surveyed oppose the Akaka Bill, while 76 percent oppose higher taxes to pay for the nation-tribe proposed in the bill. The poll was sponsored by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and conducted from November 18 to 23, 2009. (more)
November 2009
What Health Care Reform Means- H.R. 3962
With the narrow passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) in the House, it is up to the Senate to decide whether to approve major government expansion into our lives. Unfortunately, the bill is a thinly veiled, revised form of H.R. 3200, which sparked a storm of controversy earlier this year over its costs and projected devastating effects on the economy and private health insurers. (more)
October 2009
Human Climate Control Up In the Air
How much control do humans have over the Earth's climate? This is a topic I have covered in a policy paper and commentaries. A reader recently wrote to me to express his concern that it is premature for either side to announce they have an unassailable position based on existing data. (more)
October 2009
Two Key Reform Proposals for Health Care in Hawaii
Hawaii's lawmakers continue to introduce reform schemes that focus on the uninsured population without instituting any provisions that would actually lower health care costs. Growth in managed care and regulations has resulted in the opposite of their intended effect. Market distortions in health care are reflected in greater administrative costs and declining physician reimbursement levels. Thus far, the state legislature has overlooked at least two key proposals for reform that would lower health care costs and increase access and quality of care in the state, namely medical tort reform and increasing physician reimbursement levels. (more)
October 2009
Feel-Good Politics of a Styrofoam Ban
Environmentalists love banning items they claim are destroying our natural ecosystems. Ban paper, ban plastic, ban Styrofoam. I suspect they would prefer to carry around their shopping items stacked on their bare hands while balancing on a bicycle on the highway, but if they actually did so, that wouldn't explain how so many of them continue to wreak havoc on common sense. (more)
October 2009
A Time for Transparency
Why Hawaii Needs a New Transparency Web Site ASAP
The Grassroot Institute believes it is past time for the state to allow those who pay the bills to see the checkbook. We call on all state and local government agencies to voluntarily make this information available to the public—now! (more)
October 2009
Life and Death Medical Challenges in Maui
Ellen Bellerose rushed to Maui Memorial Medical Center's emergency room at her cardiologist's direction after she felt severe pain and pressure in her neck, chest and arms. As the pain intensified over the next two hours, she walked up to the counter three times to report difficulty breathing. She was told there were no beds available... (more)
October 2009
Why Obama’s Public Option Would Lead to No Option
American citizens who value choice and freedom have done it again. They rallied enough to force President Obama to back away from single-payer health care following his election. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, announced that a public option is no longer an essential element in national health care reform. Despite these victories, the fact remains that a majority in Congress are intent on passing health care reform that would greatly increase the scope of government in the most personal aspect of our lives. Lawmakers are still turning to mandates and other regulatory means to cover the uninsured in the nation. (more)
September 2009
Civil Rights Activist and Attorney Dies
Remembering kama’aina John Goemans
John Goemans, a revolutionary attorney well known for his initiation of the Rice v. Cayetano case, passed away on Monday June 15th in a California hospice. He had spent the past few years in California with his sister. Mr. Goemans was passionately involved in various civil rights cases in the state of Hawaii and will be remembered as a kama’aina with a vision of racial equality for Hawaii. (more)
September 2009
Plastic Bag Ban Neither Logically Nor Environmentally Sound
The vote to ban plastic bags on Kauai has again been postponed. Lawmakers would be wise to use this extra time to seriously consider the ramifications of banning plastic bags. (more)
September 2009
Honolulu Drivers Suffer Through Worst Roads
Last year, TRIP, a national transportation watchdog group, rated Honolulu as having the second-worst urban roads in the nation. On top of all the potholes, Honolulu residents also pay the third highest cost for extra vehicle maintenance due to poor road conditions. The price tag is $770 a year in added costs. (more)
September 2009
Debunking More Misinformation on Health Care Reform
In his recent Honolulu Advertiser op-ed, Maui Democratic Party chairman Lance Holter deemed President Obama's health care reform an essential and patriotic plan. His rationale can be summed up as such: The American health care system is a mess because of too little government intervention, thus the solution is more government intervention. (more)
September 2009
Baucus Health Care Bill Also An Epic Failure
Senate Finance Chairman, Max Baucus (D-Mont), introduced his health care bill, America's Healthy Future Act, yesterday. The bill shares many similarities with H.R. 3200 (America's Affordable Health Choices Act), right down to its misleading name and hefty price tag. (more)
September 2009
The Latest on Obama's Health Care Reform
The grand, sweeping health care reform promised by President Obama during the 2008 election campaign now lies in shambles. Without any possibility of universal health care and the departure of the public option, Americans are feeling betrayed, elated,sad, or just plain confused. (more)
September 2009
Cutting Costs and Choices for State Workers
State and county workers are in for a few changes to be made in their prescription drug plans next year on January 1. Trustees of the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) enacted reference-based pricing for three categories of drugs that will feature cheaper alternatives to alleviate rising costs. (more)
September 2009
Conservatives for Patients' Rights Tour
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii joined Conservatives for Patients' Rights in a tour to alert the public about the dangers of more government control in health care. Several states (including Hawaii) have tried government-run health care and suffered enormous costs, and their experiences should serve as a valuable lesson for what not to do at the national level. (more)
September 2009
Will Kauai Join the Plastic Bag Ban Wagon?
Last year, Maui passed the state's first municipal ban on plastic bags. The law will take effect in January 2011. The Big Island followed suit, and will encourage businesses to offer 100 percent recyclable paper bags that must be made out of at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled content. Will Kauai be next? (more)
September 2009
Health Care and Life Expectancy Among Americans
Following my blog post about health care systems in France and Cuba compared with the United States, a wise reader, Joe Speroni, was compelled to write me an enlightening message concerning data for infant mortality rates and life expectancies. Many (including columnist Paul Krugman) make the mistake of correlating nationalized health care systems with long life expectancies (more)
September 2009
2009 DOE Trim the Fat Contest Exposes Waste: THE WINNERS!
Contestants Help Hawaii's Education System by Identifying Waste and Inefficiencies
THE 2009 WINNERS! Contest ends with over 100 money saving ideas generated to help DOE trim its budget. (more)
August 2009
Before You Move to France, or Even Cuba
Yes, it's true that the United States is one of the few industrialized nations in the world that does not have some form of nationalized health care. For that, thank your lucky stars. If you move to France, you would be moving to a country whose health care system has been ranked number one by the World Health Organization. You would also be paying close to 20 percent of your income for health insurance. (more)
August 2009
Townhall Turnout Shows Debate Isn't Over
On Tuesday night, over two hundred people gathered at McKinley High School for Charles Djou's health care forum. I was granted the opportunity to speak about Hawaii's failed experience with employer mandated insurance. Dr. Linda Rasmussen imparted key information about the need for tort reform while Bruce Bottorff of the AARP defended Obama's support for expanding government in the health care sector. (more)
August 2009
Accountability Needed to Keep Hawaii Beaches Clean
Hawaii's beach water quality was recently ranked sixth in the nation by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The few states that topped Hawaii included Delaware, Virginia, and New Hampshire. The waters of Hawaii attract over seven million visitors annually and provide year-round recreation for residents. Keeping them clean, however, is not an easy task. (more)
August 2009
How Obama's Health Care Will Affect Your Coverage
President Obama promised during his campaign that "the time has come for universal health care in America. . . by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country." Many rejoiced at this significant promise, and many others balked. (more)
August 2009
Good Health, Lower Costs for Fortune 500 Company
I will agree to disagree with people who believe Americans have a "right" to health care. In my humble opinion, there is no law or clause that entitles anyone to health care provided by the government. (more)
July 2009
House Lagging on Public Posting of Expenses
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the House Chief Administrative Officer earlier this year to post expenses of House members online as soon as possible. Yet, the deadline for doing so has passed (three months and counting). Presently, there is no plan in place for the Senate to follow suit. Part of the hold-up is coming from the Committee on House Administration, which claims that security and support issues are delaying publication of the expenses. (more)
July 2009
2009 Hawaii Legislative Scorecard
Did Your Legislator Pass the Freedom Test?
Which Hawaii state legislators toed the party line this session? Who opted for some of the largest tax increases in state history? Who voted in favor of big government and against small businesses? These answers and more can be found in the second annual Hawaii Legislative Scorecard, just released by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. The new report ranks state legislators based on their commitment to upholding freedom and liberty during the 2009 legislative session. (more)
July 2009
Prepaid Health Care Act Can't Fool Mainstream Media
The universal health care bandwagon is not lacking for supporters, yet a backlash within the mainstream media has been brewing. Hawaii's Prepaid Health Care Act (PHCA), which has been in effect since 1974, requires employers to provide health insurance for employees working 20 or more hours per week. (more)
July 2009
Hawaii's Green Energy Initiative
Several proposals have been launched by the state Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) in an ambitious push to have 70 percent or more of Hawaii's energy needs supplied by 'renewable resources' by 2030. This goal sprang out of a partnership made in January 2008 with the U.S. Department of Energy called the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. (more)
July 2009
Testing Your Energy IQ
Are Americans knowledgeable when it comes to current energy policies and how the oil industry works? Most do not know, for example, what percent of oil consumed in the United States this past year came from Persian Gulf countries. (Given the option of 90 percent, 60 percent, 40 percent, or less than 15 percent, you would be right if you picked the last choice). (more)
July 2009
Honolulu Spending On Contracts
It takes a lot of work to run a city. In addition to various programs, officials must maintain sidewalks and roads, traffic lights, security, among other services. The State Procurement Office (SPO), which serves as the central authority on procurement statues and rules for all government bodies of the state, is the central source on all matters of procurement policy. The website is regularly updated with awards, bids, vendors, proposals, and more. (more)
July 2009
The Facts Behind the Tax
Raising taxes on the tourism industry has forced several hotels to absorb hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses because it is too late to change rates already quoted to booked guests. (Check out the Advertiser's "Impact of Raising Hotel Tax"). (more)
July 2009
Spain's Green Jobs: The Opposite of a Boon
Obama's Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, is currently endeavoring to develop green jobs under the belief that such an initiative will alleviate rising unemployment and the recession. (more)
June 2009
Hawaii's Prepaid Health Care Act
and Far-Reaching Costs
Health insurance is widely regarded as the key to accessing vital health care service, and those without insurance are regarded as less likely to access timely and necessary care. To that end, in 1974, Hawaii became the first state to mandate employer-provided insurance through the Prepaid Health Care Act. (more)
June 2009
Hawaii State Teachers’ Union Clamps Down on Teacher Dissension
Concerned teachers believe they now need protection, because delegates to the April 2009 HSTA Convention approved bylaw amendments that take away members’ right to counsel during the grievance process... (more)
June 2009
Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act and its Far-Reaching Costs
New Policy Brief Explains Hawaii's Health Coverage Monopoly
New GRIH study 'Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act and Far-Reaching Costs' explores devastating effects on employment and the rate of covered residents in the state that government health plans can have. (more)
May 2009
Elementary Principles of Monopoly
Government-run Schools Get Less with More
For years most economists have been arguing for market-like reforms in K-12 schooling. Market-like reforms would unleash competitive forces that reward innovation. The purpose of this study is to provide additional empirical evidence of the need for those reforms. (more)
April 2009
Global Warming
Rethinking the CO2 and Temperature Relationship
The presumption of anthropogenic (human-caused) global warming is a prevailing concern among academics, politicians, and environmentalists. On a daily basis, the media report that human-caused elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere are responsible for increasing temperatures that will contribute to a rise in sea levels, tsunamis, food storages, starvation, and spread of disease. (more)
January 2009
The Economic Impact of the Akaka Bill
Unintended Consequences for Hawaii
The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007, S.310 and H.R..505 in the 110th Congress, also known as the Akaka Bill, after sponsor Senator Daniel Akaka, proposes to creates a sovereign Native Hawaiian Governing Entity (NHGE) within the state of Hawaii. While the terms of the bill are vague, the most likely effect would be to vest this new Native Hawaiian government with the right to land now owned by the state, to the detriment of non-Native Hawaiian taxpayers and, correspondingly, the state economy. (more)
January 2009
Hawaii Drops Universal Children’s Health Care Plan
An economic downturn and ensuing budget cuts have forced Hawaii to abandon the nation’s first universal health care program for children, Keiki Care, after only seven months. (more)
January 2009
2009 Pork Report
The Book Hawaii's Government Doesn't Want You to Read
The 2009 Hawaii Piglet Book does not paint a pretty picture of current and future state spending. But, all hope is not lost. Through some common sense and political courage, Hawaii can turn things around. (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
