Grassroot Institute at High Court
More States Join GRIH Amicus Brief in Public Lands Case
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in support of Hawaii vs. Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the state's right to manage the public or ceded lands of Hawaii. At the heart of the case is the constitutional principle that all citizens should be treated equally under the law, as well as the state's authority to manage public lands for the good of all of its citizens rather than one special racial class.
(To read more, click here.)
GRASSROOT PERSPECTIVE
Behind Enemy Lines
Is Communication with the Left Possible?
By Jim Marsh
A couple of months ago, an old friend--an oceanographer from Italy who has studied here--together with his new wife were being feted at a dinner party featuring an ethnically, politically, and interestingly diverse crowd. During the dinner, I was seated between a husband and wife team who were prominent figures in the local left establishment. They had already been trounced in a serious duke-out with a writer and literature professor, so they were licking their wounds as they surrounded me with pearls from their repertoire of left and far left insights.
We were all quite civil, in fact generally friendly, with no (well, almost no) raised voices all evening. After dinner, we went to the living room where the real fun began. I suppose much of what happened had to do with my position as a university professor of International Business Economics. The goal seemed to be to induce me to certify or underwrite their various opinions, which would make it possible for them to rely on my expert testimony and therefore feel more secure in future political discussions. They finished the evening quite disappointed.
(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.
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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.
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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 visit 'Grassroot TV' at http://www.youtube.com/user/GrassrootHawaii.
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'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 GRIH President Jamie Story's recent appearance on the #1 Morning Radio show in Hawaii, “The Rick Hamada Show” on KHVH-AM in Honolulu.
Click here to listen to Part 1 of the interview
Click here to listen to Part 2 of the interview
Click here to listen to Part 3 of the interview
Please check out our other recent podcasts with:
• Hawaii State Senator Sam Slom
• Paul Bachman from the Beacon Hill Institute on the new Akaka Bill study
• Senior Legislative Analyst Jack McHugh from www.michiganvotes.org
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GRASSROOT 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 'Members and Invited Guests only' meetings as well as public meetings on Oahu, Maui, The Big Island, and Kauai. Please contact our office for more details.
GRIH Family Brain Gain Movie Nights
Our first movie night was a great success! We had 65 people in attendance, and the film, "The Birth of Freedom", was very well received.
Join us for our January Movie Night on Thursday, January 15 from
7:00-8:45 PM
at Trinity Christian Church and School,
875 Auloa Rd,
Kailua , HI 96734.
Our movie this month is "The Call of the Entrepreneur".
Entrepreneurs, whether those with small businesses or those with large corporations, are the backbone of all prosperous countries. They are the risk takers who are willing to create new wealth and employment for others, including those in need. America has the largest number of charitable givers in the world due to our free market system and entrepreneurs.
Join us as we view another excellent Acton film about three men who took incredible risks and succeeded. The film is one hour in length.
You may see a trailer of the production here.
We will have a few local entrepreneurs to comment and answer questions after the movie. Dick Rowland, GRIH Youth Program Director, will be the moderator. You are welcome to invite friends and family. Since space may be limited, please RSVP by emailing Lora Burbage at LLburbage@yahoo.com. If you have any questions, call either
Lora Burbage (772-0787) or
Dick Rowland (864-1776).
Donations to help defer expenses will be gratefully accepted.
Mahalo to Trinity Christian Church and School for their help and support!
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LIBERTY NEWS
GRIH Founder and Board Members Honored
 The popular news site HawaiiReporter.com has announced it will celebrate its seventh anniversary by honoring seven Hawaii heroes at a special event at the Waialae Country Club on Friday, February 20, 2009, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The seven award winners are being called 'Super Heroes' and attendees will
find out the secret identities of the Green Lantern, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Ironman, Superwoman, Wonder Woman and Captain America.
The honorees include: Grassroot Institute founder Richard Rowland, Cliff and Bobbie Slater of HonoluluTraffic.com and Stop Rail Now, Dale Evans from Charley’s Taxi and Hawaii Highway Users Alliance, GRIH Board member Jack Schneider of JS Services Inc, Dr. Panos Prevedouros from the University of Hawaii, radio host Rick Hamada from KHVH 830AM, and Hawaii State Senator Sam Slom from Small Business Hawaii.
The event promises food, fun, and entertainment for all with a cost of $55 per person, which includes a buffet lunch and free parking. Please RSVP to Malia Zimmerman at Malia@hawaiireporter.com or 306-3161 or mail checks to Hawaii Reporter, PO Box 11664, Honolulu, Hawaii 96828. To charge your ticket, please call 524-4500 and speak to Jay McWilliams.
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South America via Japan
GRIH friend Jose Cordeiro, currently a visiting Research Fellow at the Institute of Developing Economics (IDE - JETRO) in Japan, was in town recently and spoke at a number of events. Dr. Cordeiro gave a formal presentation at Hawaii Pacific University sponsored by the HPU Reason Club, Students in Free Enterprise, and the Grassroot Institute, speaking on "Economics of Oil and Power: From South America to Asia."
Cordeiro also spoke at an invitation-only meeting sponsored by GRIH and the Center-Right Coalition. He also addressed Libertarian candidate Li Zhao’s periodic "intellectual salon" called "The Foolish Things - Idea Exchange", where invitees discuss public policy issues.
(To read more, click here.)
Proposed Rail Not Done Deal
With more than 140,000 people voting against the proposed rail system on Oahu, the folks at Stop Rail Now (SRN) say there are still opportunities for making their opinions known. According to SRN, several local organizations have made their anti-rail opinion known...
Currently, Stop Rail Now--which is 100 percent citizen-supported for funding--is working on a detailed response to the Federal Transit Administration on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Any citizen can do so as well.
SRN asks people who are against the proposed rail system to do two things as soon as possible...
(To read more, click here.)
2009 State Business Tax Climate Index
The Tax Foundation has released the 2009 version of the State Business Tax Climate Index (SBTCI) as a tool for lawmakers, the media, and individuals to gauge how their states' tax systems compare. The 2009 SBTCI seeks to measure the tax component of each state's business climate and does not allow states with poor business tax regimes to hide behind low business tax burdens.
(To read more, click here.)
Digital Government
If the election of 2008 proved anything, it's that the power of the Internet is here to stay and provides an efficient way for people to make their voices heard. It's your government and it is easier than ever to get involved. Most State and Federal Government agencies have Web sites that are full of information and many allow you as a constituent to offer your opinion on the issues of the day. With the new session of the Hawaii State Legislature beginning Jan. 21, 2009, as well as the new national Congress and administration, here are some local and national governmental Web sites you might find useful to make your voice heard. If not you... then who?
(To read more, click here.)
Grassroot Media Hits
• A feature article by GRIH Policy Analyst Pearl Hahn was recently
published in the Heartland Institute's national publication Budget & Tax News. The article "Hawaii Drops Universal Children’s Health Care Plan" was featured on Page 5 of the January 2009 issue. From the article...
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.
Gov. Linda Lingle (R) discontinued
state funding for the program on November 1.
"I voted against the bill when first proposed, and the major part of my argument was a warning that there was no effective means test, which would result in over utilization," said State Sen. Sam Slom (R-Kahala, Hawaii Kai). "It failed not for lack of funding but because it is a bad bill."
Slom’s prediction turned out to be correct, as Keiki Care all but supplanted private health insurance coverage for the state’s children.
• On Dec. 9th GRIH Communications Director Tom McAuliffe had a Letter to the Editor in The Honolulu Advertiser. The piece, which was greatly assisted by the expertise of Dr. Mike Fox, discussed climate change and the fact that many studies leave out natural sources.
• On Dec. 16th GRIH President Jamie Story was a guest on KHVH 830AM's “The Rick Hamada Show”, the number one talk show in the state of Hawaii, talking about the Akaka Bill and the ceded lands case. Please hear the entire interview in this issue's Grassroot Insight podcasts.
• Grassroot Board of Scholars member and former candidate for Honolulu Mayor Dr. Panos Prevedouros has published a two-part article, "The Upside of High Oil Prices: Part 2, Long-term Effects", at HawaiiReporter.com.
• Hawaii Reporter recently published several news releases from GRIH and articles from Grassroot Institute members. Please visit their site at http://www.hawaiireporter.com.
• 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.
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TRY THE GRASSROOT BLOGS
Join the conversation and express your views! Use these links to access our member blogs.
Dash of Calabash
http://dashofcalabash.grassrootinstitute.org/
The Mystery of Hawaiian History
http://historymystery.grassrootinstitute.org/
Read what others have written and add your own thoughts. See you there!
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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.
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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!
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Grassroot Institute is a proud member of the State Policy Network, Townhall.com,
Americans for Tax Reform, The Sam Adams Alliance and more.
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