Grass In Review

Home

Projects & Activities

Events

About GRIH

Donate

Contact

GRASS IN REVIEW

GRASSROOT INSTITUTE OF HAWAII

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

WEEKLY GRASS IN REVIEW - November 1 , 2006

A Message From Dick Rowland

A Call to Action, Please

Our message this week entails some specific action on your part if you are interested in keeping government under citizen control.

During the week of October 23-27 the Hawaii Highway Users Alliance (HHUA) sponsored three exceptionally qualified experts on transportation planning and doing.

They were:

Robert Poole Jr. Founder of the Reason Foundation. He is nationally recognized as a innovative leader in finding solutions to traffic, people and goods moving problems. Bob is a regular guest before US House and Senate Committees on these subjects.

Randal O’Toole, Executive Director, Thoreau Institute and Founder of the American Dream Coalition. An economist and a dedicated environmentalist, O’Toole seeks (and finds) solutions to traffic and development problems that are driven by events and needs of the real people involved---Joe Citizen and his friends and family.

Martin Stone, PhD, who leads the successful Tampa, Florida elevated toll road project that is just being completed. The Tampa area was close in population to Oahu and it stretches along the Gulf coast. Already the project is exceeding projections. The commute by auto from one suburb has dropped from 45 to10 minutes. Bus service ridership is up 20%. At what cost to taxpayers? Absolutely nothing. The planning and construction was paid by private investors and operating expenses/maintenance and debt service are paid by users.

These experts all agreed that the Honolulu City/County government’s plan to build and operate a commuter train Ewa to Downtown to the tune of an estimated $3,600,000,000 (count the zeros) is probably not necessary and a probable waste of taxpayer money. Just think, three billion dollars before cost overruns and maintenance. And that is absent any consideration of replacement cost in 30 years or so. Based on the above, you would think that the Mayor and the city council would be all over these experts trying to find an effective way to alleviate congestion and thereby foster wealth building prosperity.

Not so. Interest was tepid, at best. But even tepid interest can build to higher temperature.

Now two of our city councilmen (Apo and Dela Cruz) are going to go look at the Tampa solution in November.

Here is what you can do to get these government people to recognize that they might be held accountable in some way if they heap on us and our offspring a hopeless financial burden coupled with no solution to the current traffic congestion problem.

Recommended Actions

1.) Consult www.honolulutraffic.com and get up to date on the facts and implications.
2.) Write a letter to the editor and send to the Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu Star Bulletin, www.hawaiireporter.com and Mid Week.
3.) Add your name and that of your company or organization name to the list of concerned citizens at www.honolulutraffic.com/whoweare.htm
4.) Attend as you can, further meetings the week of November 13. Experts Ted Balaker of Reason Foundation and John Charles President, Cascade Institute will be in town. If you want to have them at an event, advise. See scheduled events below.

I just asked my wife, our staff and our Board of Directors to sign on individually (#3). Each one of them vote. That’s the easiest and quickest action you can take.

DO IT NOW!!!

Dick Rowland, President
dick@grassrootinstitute.org

IN THE NEWS - HIGHLIGHTED COMMENTARIES

Grassroot Institute is regularly featured in news articles and broadcasts around the state. Here is a sample of some of our recent articles, research stories, and other articles of interest.

Thoughts on Immigration

By Sean Brunett

Fresh Perspective-October 27, 2006

The term ethnocentric is defined as: the belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own ethnic group and culture. This is taken from “Dictionary.com” I don’t know about you guys, but doesn’t the idea of erecting an enormous wall along our border seem to fit this term well? Looking back, when I first heard about the wall idea, I was astounded at the numbers on how many people sincerely desire it. According to them, they fear that millions of immigrants are flooding into the United States, accepting jobs for fifty cents an hour and are, to quote South Park, “stealing our jobs!”

Click here to see more.

The Economy, Aren’t the Good Times Good Anymore?

By Michael R. Fox Ph. D.

Grassroot Perspective-October 25, 2006

Sure they are, but someone needs to speak up. For the first time in our nation’s history the DOW Jones Industrial Averages closed above 12,000 on October 19, 2006. The stock market has fully recovered from the dot.com burst beginning in March of 2000. With nearly 70% of the public either directly or indirectly invested, this is very good news. Yet the media are unseemly mute if not derogatory.