Mele Kalikimaka!
In this space, I usually focus on the things we can do to improve Hawaii — how we can create more housing, improve the economy, expand healthcare access, keep government accountable and lower the cost of living.
Today, however, in the spirit of the holiday, I want to talk about the reason we do what we do: hope.
Christmas is the season of hope, and that strain of hope runs through everyone who works at the Grassroot Institute.
Despite the challenges ahead of us, we firmly believe that we can accomplish our mission. We can make Hawaii more affordable. We can solve the housing crisis. We can improve the health system. We can clean up government.
I can’t tell you how many times I have been in conversation with people from mainland think tanks and had them mention the difficulty of working in a one-party, big government state like Hawaii.
I always thank them for their concern, but the truth is that they don’t know Hawaii like we do. We can see reasons for hope all around us.
Hawaii may be a one-party state, but that party is not a monolith. There is room for different ideas and philosophies. We have seen proof that there are individuals, regardless of party affiliation, open to suggestions about how to solve Hawaii’s problems and improve life here for everyone.
In short, we seek out and work with others who love Hawaii and have a real desire to make things better.
There is so much reason for hope. We have proven that it is possible to make a difference in Hawaii, and we will continue our mission to make this a better place to live for all Hawaii residents.
As you celebrate the holiday season and the new year, remember that there is good reason to be hopeful about the future of Hawaii. I know that we at the Grassroot Institute are brimming with hope and cannot wait to share good tidings of greater freedom and prosperity for our state.
From all of us at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, we wish you the happiest (and most hopeful) of holidays.
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This commentary was Keli’i Akina’s weekly “President’s Corner” column for Dec 24, 2022. If you would like to have his columns emailed to you on a regular basis, please call 808-864-1776 or email info@grassrootinstitute.org.
