In This Issue: 2009 Hawaii Pork Report ... Akaka Bill ... GRIH Fellow at Reagan Ranch ... Generation Joshua ... Family Brain Gain ... Grassroot TV ... Interviews with Don Ray and Pearl Hahn ... Media Hits ... Liberty Events ... Liberty News

Exposing Waste
Grassroot Institute and CAGW Find Fat in Hawaii Government

The Hawaii taxpayers got the bill recently -- almost 3 grand for a state employee to travel to Hollywood for the Grammy Music Awards; $2,400,000 for substitute custodians in public schools; a decrease in state personal income by $360 million due to a proposed Oahu rail system -- and the taxpayers are not happy.

In the midst of a significant state budget shortfall, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii (GRIH), in collaboration with premiere taxpayer watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), has released the 2009 Hawaii Pork Report: The Book Hawaii’s Government Doesn’t Want You To Read. The new report has found that bureaucrats continue to spend taxpayer dollars in questionable ways. The exposé, the first of its kind in the state, gives concrete examples of waste to policymakers looking to trim fat from state and local budgets.

(To read more, click here.)

Don't Go Native On Us
A Free Market Case Against The Akaka Bill And More Government
By Rev. Daniel Paul de Gracia, II and Sarah Ann Hunt

A top New Year's resolution for many elected officials in Hawaii's local government is to see passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Act. The Act seeks to create what The Honolulu Advertiser characterized in a recent editorial as "a pathway for establishing Hawaii's indigenous people as a political entity, enabling their reconstitution as a 'state within a state' government." It has been argued that without a native government, the Hawaiian people can never succeed and never attain their highest dreams. In truth, for not just the Hawaiian people but all residents of the State of Hawaii, government is not the solution to our problems, it is our problem. Hawaii's existing government has already proven its inability to provide quality education, promote a healthy economy, and sustain a job market that keeps people employed and tax revenues flowing – are we really to believe that another government can magically create prosperity for Native Hawaiians?

(To read more, click here.)

GRASSROOT PERSPECTIVE

Report from the Front
GRIH Fellow Speaks at the Reagan Presidential Library
By Jere Krischel

Walking into a convention of lawyers, wearing a simple aloha shirt and sporting a wild pony tail, I must have seemed like some radical Native Hawaiian sovereignty activist. Nearly everyone was dressed in slick suits, ties, and dress shoes.

I arrived about 15 minutes early at the Reagan Presidential Library, and navigated my way around to the Federalist Society reception area, tucked downstairs underneath the “Reagan’s Country Cafe.” With a minimum of fuss, I was offered a badge, and I made my way to one of the dozen or so tables, each seating eight.

The first discussion was titled, “How Comfortably Does Tribal Sovereignty Fit With American Democratic Ideals?”

(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.

Guardians of Liberty
By Ryan McDonald

Aloha everyone! My name is Ryan McDonald, and I am a 14-year-old home-educated student. I am the current president of Guardians of Liberty, the first Generation Joshua club in the state of Hawaii. 

I have been asked to give you some background on an organization called Generation Joshua. GenJ, as we members like to call it, began in 2003 with a purpose of preparing youth to become a force in the civic and political arenas and to ignite young people to help America return to her Judeo-Christian foundations. Their theme for this year is Faith-Duty-Courage. They believe these principles can be achieved through quality education and training, and meaningful activism.

(To read more, click here.)

GRASSROOT REVIEWS

Have you read a good book or viewed a good DVD on liberty or a free market subject recently? Let your follow GRIH members know and share your views with 'Grassroot Reviews'. Please send your book or movie review to tom@grassrootinstitute.org.

-GIR-

GRASSROOT TV

Grassroot TV at YouTube.com features videos relating to public issues in Hawaii and beyond, as well as statements from the Institute on various concerns facing our communities. We've loaded the library at the online TV station with new videos from The Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Americans for Tax Reform and more.

Please check out our News Conference videos from the recent Grassroot Institute / Citizens Against Government Waste press conference releasing the new 2009 Hawaii Pork Report: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

-GIR-

'GRASSROOT INSIGHT' PODCASTS

In our "Grassroot Insight" podcast series, GRIH Director of Communications Tom McAuliffe interviews VIPs, community leaders and special guests from the liberty and freedom movement. The audio interviews are available for download to your iPod or for listening via the Internet. This issue features the first of a two-part interview with Transparency Correspondent Don Ray, who talks about his new blog and shining light on state and local government in Hawaii; as well the first of a two-part interview with GRIH Policy Analyst Pearl Hahn, who discusses the new transparency website and the 2009 Pork Report.

Click here to listen to journalist Don Ray of Sunshine Chronicles (Part 1).
Click here to listen to Policy Analyst Pearl Hahn of GRIH (Part 1).

Please check out our other recent podcasts with:
• Suzanne Marinelli of the State Legislature's "Public Access Room"
• Paul Bachman from the Beacon Hill Institute on the new Akaka Bill study
• Rep. Marcus Oshiro, Chair of the Hawaii House Finance Committee

-GIR-

LIBERTY EVENTS

Information on the Institute’s upcoming events, research publication dates and speaking engagements are always available and updated via our website. The Grassroot Institute has regular meetings on Oahu, Maui, The Big Island, and Kauai. Please contact our office for more details.

Family Brain Gain Seminars
"Call of the Entrepreneur," our last film, was well-attended despite the terrible weather. Mahalo to our special guests, Jim Wilkinson, owner of Wilkinson Shake Roofing, and Brandon Hughes, owner of Cartridge World in Aiea, for sharing their experiences as local entrepreneurs. Please join us for the next seminar!
 
"The Videos of John Stossel"
Featuring the work of John Stossel, ABC News Correspondent and co-anchor of ABC's 20/20
Thursday, February 12, 2009, 7:00-8:45 PM
Trinity Christian Church and School, 875 Auloa Rd, Kailua , Hi 96734

John Stossel is an investigative journalist and co-anchor for the ABC News show “20/20”. Stossel and ABC News launched a series of educational materials for schools in 1999 entitled "Stossel in the Classroom". In 2006, Stossel and ABC released Teaching Tools for Economics, a video series based on the National Council of Economics Education standards.
The format for the evening will be interactive. We’ll be showing several video clips from Stossel’s high school series on economics followed by Q & A periods. These clips are very thought provoking. They will give you the other side of major media reporting. Come and gain insight into history, government, economics, and international trade. You can find more information about Stossel’s work at http://abcnews.go.com/2020/stossel.
 
Our special guests this month are Professor Ken Schoolland and his wife Li Zhao. Ken teaches Economics at Hawaii Pacific University and Li teaches Chinese at Hawaii Baptist Academy. Li will be sharing her experience of living under the horrors of Communist rule and the Cultural Revolution in China. Dick Rowland, GRIH  Founder and Youth Program Director, will be the moderator. You are welcome to invite friends and family.  Please RSVP to Lora Burbage (LLburbage@yahoo.com) since space may be limited. If you have any questions, call Lora Burbage at 772-0787 or Dick Rowland at 864-1776. Donations to help defer expenses will be gratefully accepted. Mahalo nui loa to Trinity Christian Church and School for their support!

Li Zhao's The Foolish Things Idea Exchange
Sunday, February 8, 2009, 6:00-8:00 pm
Speaker: Rubellite Kawena Kinney Johnson
Topic: The Akaka Bill
Cost: $5 monthly (or $40 annual) membership donation. Heavy pupus.
Location: The Schoolland's, 94-1097 Alelo St., Waipahu, HI
RSVP by Feb. 7, 2009 to 808-676-0825 or lzs66@hotmail.com

Hawaii Public Lands Debate
Sponsored by The Federalist Society (National Chapter)
Thursday, February 12, 2009, 12:45 -2:00 pm
University of Hawaii at Manoa, William S. Richardson School of Law
2515 Dole Street, WSRSL Classroom 2, Honolulu, HI

The debate is entitled "Hawaii's Race Case? Hawaii vs. OHA" and looks at the question: “Did the state Supreme Court rewrite the terms by which Hawaii became the 50th state?" The debate will be between Professor Carl Christensen and Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Studies and editor-in-chief for The Cato Supreme Court Review at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. To attend, please RSVP to loren.tilley@gmail.com by February 10. Attendees must RSVP in advance. Limited space. WSRSL Law students given preference.

Hawaii Reporter 7th Anniversary Party
Friday, February 20, 2009, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Waialae Country Club
Cost: $55 per person (includes buffet lunch)
Honoring Hawaii Reporter's 'Super Heroes' of the year, including GRIH Founder Dick Rowland!
Please RSVP to 306-3161 or via email at malia@hawaiireporter.com

SPN 2009 Leadership Development Breakfast
Heritage Resource Bank
Atlas Liberty Forum
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, California
April 22-26, 2009

The Leadership Development Breakfast on April 23rd is held in conjunction with The Heritage Foundation's 32nd Annual Resource Bank. The event features management and leadership experts providing strategies that advance free markets and limited government. This is a valuable session for all grassroot advocates, policy leaders and think tank staff. The event features tours and a state think tank dinner the first day and the SPN Leadership Development Breakfast and the Atlas liberty discussion forum the next day. The Heritage Resource Bank with its multiple workshop sessions follows on April 23-24. It in turn is followed by the Atlas Liberty Forum on April 24-26, featuring the Sir Antony Fisher Memorial Awards Dinner with keynote address by Jorge Quiroga, additional think tank sessions, and a farewell breakfast with excursions on the final day. For more information please visit http://www.spn.org/events/2009-leadership-development-breakfast-los-angeles-california.

-GIR-

LIBERTY NEWS

15th Index of Economic Freedom
New Heritage and Wall Street Journal Index Shows Economic Freedom Still Key to Growth and Prosperity

The level of economic freedom in the world has continued to grow over the last year, with 83 economies representing every region posting gains in the 15th annual Index of Economic Freedom, released January 13, 2009 by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. Freer economies lead in income, poverty reduction and protection of the environment; Hong Kong and Singapore top the Index while Libya, Burkina Faso and Qatar are most improved.  Zimbabwe and North Korea came in last.

(To read more, click here.)

Pioneering Better Government
Win Big with Your Innovative Healthcare Idea

Your idea for health care reform could win $10,000! An annual contest open to all, the Pioneer Institute's Better Government Competition seeks innovative, concrete ideas to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of government services in Massachusetts. Since its inception in 1991, the Better Government Competition has saved Massachusetts citizens an estimated $400 million and has been replicated in several other states and countries. The winner for 2008 was the Florida Virtual School.

(To read more, click here.)

Myth Busting in NYC

The Grassroot Institute has become an official co-sponsor for the Heartland Institute's 2009 International Conference on Climate Change and has a deal for GRIH members. Taking place from March 8 to March 10 in New York City, the monumental event has already attracted attention of the media and public around the world. Scheduled speakers include Vaclav Klaus; Dr. Richard Lindzen, professor of meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; José María Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain; Dr. Willie Soon, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; and many other prominent scientists, economists, and government officials. (The entire list can be viewed here).

This exciting forum will be an opportunity to learn from the world’s leading experts who question whether climate change is truly a “crisis." Experts will also discuss the economic costs of growing government regulations aimed at mitigating effects of climate change. The four tracks of panel discussions encompass Paleoclimatology, Climatology, Impact of Climate Change, and Economics and Politics.

The conference is taking place at the Marriott New York Marquis Times Square Hotel, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY. The cost of attendance as a full delegate is $720 (not including transportation and lodging). However, 15 Grassroot Institute members can attend as a guest of the Institute and your entire conference fee will be waived! Please visit http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/registration.html for more registration information. For more information, please feel free to contact us at (808) 591-9193 or via email at pearl@grassrootinstitute.org.

We hope you will join GRIH in New York City next month for the 2009 International Climate Change Conference.

-GIR-

Capitol ABCs

With the new legislature now in session till early May, it is easy to get lost in all the special language that's used at the Capitol. Here's a list of commonly used Acronyms and their definitions:

CCO - Chief Clerk's Office
CCR - Conference Committee Report
CD - Conference Draft
HB/SB - House Bill / Senate Bill
HD/SD - House Draft / Senate Draft
HMSO/SMSO - House/Senate Majority Services Office
HCR/SCR - House/Senate Concurrent Resolution
HR/SR - House/Senate Resolution
HSCR/SSCR - House/Senate Standing Committee Report
LRB - Legislative Reference Bureau
PAR - Public Access Room
SAA - Sergeant-at-Arms

-GIR-

HawaiiVotes.org

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been working on a new online tool for Hawaii's voters. While we're still putting the finishing touches on the site and an official unveiling is yet to come, we wanted GIR readers to be the first to check it out. The new website will feature empowering tools so that the citizens of Hawaii can keep better track of their public servants at the state legislature. "It's an exciting new vehicle for Hawaii's voters with powerful search tools, and we also hope visitors will view the blog as well as participate in the discussion forums!" said GRIH Communications Director Tom McAuliffe, who along with Brandon Bosworth has helped bring the site to life. Please visit HawaiiVotes at www.hawaiivotes.org.

-GIR-

Grassroot Media Hits

1. On January 8th, GRIH and the Beacon Hill Institute released “The Economic Impact of the Akaka Bill: Unintended Consequences for Hawaii” in a press conference at the Hawaii State Capitol. The resulting media coverage was wide-ranging, including:

• Hawaii Reporter, January 8, 2009: "Akaka Bill Impact Revealed: New Study Shows Drastic Impact on State's Economy" by Tom McAuliffe
  
  
• KITV-4 News, January 8, 2009, 5pm news: "Group Says Akaka Bill Would Cost State Hundreds Of Millions; Akaka Representative Says Study Misinforms Public" (included pre-newscast teaser at 4:50 pm; it was 2nd lead in newscast with OHA's and Sen. Akaka's response)
  
  
• KGMB-9 TV news, January 8, 2009, 6pm news: "Akaka Bill Opponents Publish Study" by reporter Tina Chau (included 5:50 pm lead tease; Showed study cover and GRIH/Beacon Hill Institute speakers at the press event describing the report)
  
  
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 8, 2009: "Akaka Bill Would Cost Millions, Group Contends" (news story from AP)
  
  
• Neighbor Island Print Media: The Maui News is the only newspaper that provided a link to where the study can be downloaded. Kaua'i Garden Isle News, Big Island West Hawaii Today and Hawaii Tribune did not even print the AP story or any news report at all.
  
  
• On January 9, 2009, BHI's Paul Bachman and Sarah Glassman appeared with GRIH President Jamie Story for almost an hour on the state's #1 morning talk radio show, "The Rick Hamada Show" (KHVH 830 AM), to discuss the new Akaka Bill economic study.
  
  
• Honolulu Advertiser, January 9, 2009: "Study: Hawaiian government could cost state $690M a year"
  
  
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 9, 2009: "Akaka Bill's critics say it would be costly to state" by Mark Niesse of the Associated Press
  
  
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin Jan. 9, 2009 (The Star-Bulletin website version of the Associated Press article was accompanied by a video with caption that said "Akaka Bill Awaits Congressional Session. Supporters of the Akaka bill are gearing up for another push for passage in the new Congressional session." The teaser photo from the video, placed right in the middle of the article, shows Senator Akaka sitting at his desk, talking on the phone while using his computer. The video, which was a TV news report by KITV4, can be seen at http://www.kitv.com/video/18443344/index.html.)
  
  
• Tulsa Native American Times (Tulsa, OK, USA): "Study: Akaka Bill Would Be Expensive" (The AP story on the new study was picked up by various newspapers across the USA.)
  

2. The Jan. 10th issue of Hawaii Filipino Chronicle, the statewide weekly paper covering Filipino issues and culture, featured a cover story article by Rev. Daniel Paul de Gracia. In "Crisis, Danger and Opportunity: Filipinos Prepare for 2009", our President Jamie Story was quoted:

"Grassroot Institute, an Oahu based public policy think tank, believes that low taxes is an important part of a healthy economy. 'Members of the Filipino Caucus and all state legislators in general should work to repeal taxes and place a freeze on new spending in the 2009 legislative session,' Story commented. 'Taxpayers, small business owners, and families all need tax relief now more than ever. Economic stimulus or bailout packages don’t remedy the poor economic situation, in fact they exacerbate it by increasing government debt and taxes, which take money from taxpayers when they need it most and cause the money we do have to lose value.' "

3. GRIH Policy Analyst Pearl Hahn was recently published in the national publication Budget & Tax News, which is published by The Heartland Institute. In "Hawaii Drops Universal Children's Health Care Plan", Hahn discusses the recently abandoned Hawaii Keiki Care program:

"Hawaii lawmakers chose to spend surplus revenue on Keiki Care instead of returning it to taxpayers as required by the state’s constitution. On October 15, Lingle used a news release to notify the Hawaii Medical Service Association of her plan to withdraw financial support for Keiki Care. The release highlighted the effect of recent outreach efforts in increasing Medicaid participation by more than 5,500 children. Lack of federal funding and failure to attract the 'gap' children also were cited as reasons for the decision. The release did not mention the projected state revenue deficit of $162.3 million for the current fiscal year."

4. GRIH Communications Director Tom McAuliffe was recently on “The Rick Hamada Show” on KHVH 830am discussing the new BHI/GRIH Akaka Bill economic study. McAuliffe has also been heard on the show, as well as KHVH's “The Mike Buck Show”, discussing everything from curbside recycling to the state legislature.

5. GRIH Board of Scholars member Dr. Ken Schoolland, Associate Professor of Economics and Political Science at Hawaii Pacific University and author of Jonathan Gullible: A Free-Market Odyssey, had a Letter to the Editor in the Honolulu Advertiser on January 5, 2009. It ran as the featured letter of the day. In "Wasteful Spending Fuels Recession", he addresses the notion that the government should increase spending as a stimulus for the economy:

"Federal spending increased by 57 percent in the eight years under President Bush from 2001 to 2008, including wartime spending in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are now diving into recession/depression partly because of, not in spite of, profligate and wasteful government spending."

6. Hawaii Reporter recently published several news releases from GRIH and articles from Grassroot Institute members. Please visit their site at http://www.hawaiireporter.com.

7. In addition, the nationally recognized and popular site Townhall.com has recently picked up for national distribution many of the articles you read in Grassroot in Review.

-GIR-

FAVORITE GRASSROOT BLOGS
Join the conversation and express your views! Use the links below to access these fascinating blogs.

The Mystery of Hawaiian History
http://historymystery.grassrootinstitute.org/

Hawaii Sunshine Chronicles
http://www.sunshinechronicles.wordpress.com

Read what others have written and add your own thoughts. See you there!

-GIR-

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.

-GIR-

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!

-GIR-

Grassroot Institute is a proud member of the State Policy Network, Townhall.com, Americans for Tax Reform, The Sam Adams Alliance and more.