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    Grassroot Perspective – Feb. 24, 2003-Going to College Endowments: How Colleges Violate Donor Intent; Consumers and Markets Suffer When Lawyers Regulate Insurance; Economic and Political Thought; The President's FY2004 Budget in Perspective

    Hawaii Reporter
    -
    0

    “Dick Rowland Image”

    ”Shoots (News, Views and Quotes)”

    – Going to College Endowments: How Colleges Violate Donor Intent

    By Martin Morse

    Wooster Foundation Watch, Capital Research Center

    Donors should be especially wary when giving to universities. Don’t assume that college administrators will use your donations for the purposes you intend. Capital Research Center Visiting Fellow Martin Wooster offers these tips for making gifts to academia: make your wishes as explicit as possible and consider putting term-limits on your gifts to prevent misuse after you pass away.

    Contact: Capital Research Center, 1513 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202/483-6900, fax 202/483-6902, email crc@capitalresearch.org, https://www.capitalresearch.org.

    – Consumers and Markets Suffer When Lawyers Regulate Insurance

    By Peter Bisbecos, Victoria E. Fimea, David F. Snyder and Kenneth A. Stoller

    Legal Backgrounder, Washington Legal Foundation

    The class action litigation procedures are designed to serve a socially beneficial purpose, in situations where meaningful legal recourse is not otherwise available. Contrary to this principle, certification of plaintiff classes is increasingly being sought with respect to the business practices of insurers. These lawsuits seek to undermine the ability of state insurance commissioners to follow a balanced and effective regulatory regime. As a result, both consumers and markets are harmed, and the solvency of insurers may even be threatened by exorbitant class action verdicts in so-called “bet the company” cases. This paper considers cases in Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington where litigants have attempted to use the class action procedures to circumvent the authority of insurance commissioners. The authors suggest that regulating insurance is best left to state insurance commissioners, not juries or litigators and conclude that all administrative remedies must be exhausted before actions may be brought.

    CONTACT:Washington Legal Foundation, 2209 Massachusetts Ave., NW,Washington, DC 20036, 202/588-0302, fax 202/588-0386, email root@wlf.org, https://www.wlf.org.

    – Economic and Political Thought

    Biases of the Intellectual Classes

    By Steven Yates

    Ludwig von Mises Institute

    Intellectual honesty means, at the very least, acknowledging the facts that are before one’s eyes: facts about the superiority of a civilization built around the concepts of individual freedom and responsibility, free enterprise, private property rights, and so on, to one built around central planning schemes that have yet to deliver anything except poverty, slavery and misery. When intellectuals teach the children of nonintellectuals to hate their own civilization and regard its achievements as acts of villainy, they only invite waves of understandable anti-intellectual reaction. CONTACT: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 518 West Magnolia Ave., Auburn, AL 36832, 334/321-2100, fax 334.321.2119, mail@mises.org, https://www.mises.org.

    Above articles are quoted from The Heritage Foundation, The Insider November/December 2002, www.heritage.org.

    ”Roots (Food for Thought)”

    – The President’s FY2004 Budget in Perspective

    It is important to put the current budget proposal into historical context. To do so, it is necessary to translate current spending and revenue proposals into real terms either by adjusting for inflation or by expressing the proposal in terms of the broader economy. Looking merely at the budget in nominal terms that do not account for inflation or economic growth is misleading and inaccurate. The table below contains information about the current budget in the context of the post-World War II era and the past three administrations. Highlights include:

    The President’s budget proposes spending $390.4 billion on defense related activities in FY 2004. This amounts to 17.5 percent of all spending and 3.5 percent of GDP. -This level is roughly the same as defense spending was in 1996, which amounted to 17.0 percent of all federal spending and 3.5 percent of GDP.

    -Defense spending in 1987, the height of the Reagan build up, was 28.1 percent of all federal spending and 6.1 percent of GDP.

    The President’s budget proposes a fiscal year 2004 budget deficit of $307.4 billion, which is 13.8 percent of all spending and 2.8 percent of GDP. -This level is roughly the same as the deficit was in 1994, which amounted to 13.9 percent of all spending and 2.9 percent of GDP.

    -Deficit spending in 1983, the highest point during the Reagan administration, was 25.7 percent of all spending and 6.0 percent of GDP.

    Comparison of Bush Budget (FY’04) with Past Budget Averages

    FY’04 Proposal

    Post-WWII Average (FY’46 – FY’02)

    Clinton Budgets (FY’94 – FY’01)

    G.H.W. Bush Budgets (FY’90 – FY’93)

    Reagan Budgets (FY’82 – FY’89) Total Receipts as percent of GDP 17.0% 17.9% 19.4% 17.7% 18.0% Total outlays as percent of GDP 19.7% 19.5% 19.6% 22.0% 22.3% Deficit (-)/Surplus as percent of GDP -2.7% -1.6% -0.1% -4.3% -4.3% Annual growth in total receipts (average % change from previous fiscal year, FY96 $) 2.7% 2.9% 4.9% 0.5% 2.5% Annual growth in total outlays (average % change from previous fiscal year, FY96 $) 2.2% 2.3% 1.5% 1.9% 2.7% Defense spending as a percent of total outlays 17.5% 35.5% 17.1% 21.7% 26.7% Non-defense discretionary spending as a percent of total outlays 19.2% 19.4%* 17.6% 16.6% 17.1% Net interest costs as percent of total outlays 7.9% 10.5%* 13.9% 14.5% 13.2% Other mandatory spending as a percent of total outlays 55.4% 41.6%* 51.4% 46.2% 42.9% Debt held by public at end of fiscal year as percent of GDP 36.9% 44.0% 43.0% 46.3% 36.7% Gross Debt at end of fiscal year as percent of GDP 64.8% 56.2% 63.4% 61.8% 45.4%

    * includes only data back to 1962 since the distinction between discretionary and mandatory began only in that year.

    Above article is quoted from the Tax Foundation https://www.taxfoundation.org 2/4/2003

    ”Evergreen (Today’s Quote)”

    “To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To express feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair.

    But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow. But he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live. Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom. Only a person who risks is free!” — Author Unknown

    ”’See Web site”’ https://www.grassrootinstitute.org ”’for further information. Join its efforts at “Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society. …” or email or call Grassroot of Hawaii Institute President Richard O. Rowland at mailto:grassroot@hawaii.rr.com or (808) 487-4959.”’

    Grassroot Perspective – Feb. 24, 2003-Going to College Endowments: How Colleges Violate Donor Intent; Consumers and Markets Suffer When Lawyers Regulate Insurance; Economic and Political Thought; The President’s FY2004 Budget in Perspective

    Hawaii Reporter
    -
    0

    “Dick Rowland Image”

    ”Shoots (News, Views and Quotes)”

    – Going to College Endowments: How Colleges Violate Donor Intent

    By Martin Morse

    Wooster Foundation Watch, Capital Research Center

    Donors should be especially wary when giving to universities. Don’t assume that college administrators will use your donations for the purposes you intend. Capital Research Center Visiting Fellow Martin Wooster offers these tips for making gifts to academia: make your wishes as explicit as possible and consider putting term-limits on your gifts to prevent misuse after you pass away.

    Contact: Capital Research Center, 1513 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202/483-6900, fax 202/483-6902, email crc@capitalresearch.org, https://www.capitalresearch.org.

    – Consumers and Markets Suffer When Lawyers Regulate Insurance

    By Peter Bisbecos, Victoria E. Fimea, David F. Snyder and Kenneth A. Stoller

    Legal Backgrounder, Washington Legal Foundation

    The class action litigation procedures are designed to serve a socially beneficial purpose, in situations where meaningful legal recourse is not otherwise available. Contrary to this principle, certification of plaintiff classes is increasingly being sought with respect to the business practices of insurers. These lawsuits seek to undermine the ability of state insurance commissioners to follow a balanced and effective regulatory regime. As a result, both consumers and markets are harmed, and the solvency of insurers may even be threatened by exorbitant class action verdicts in so-called “bet the company” cases. This paper considers cases in Illinois, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington where litigants have attempted to use the class action procedures to circumvent the authority of insurance commissioners. The authors suggest that regulating insurance is best left to state insurance commissioners, not juries or litigators and conclude that all administrative remedies must be exhausted before actions may be brought.

    CONTACT:Washington Legal Foundation, 2209 Massachusetts Ave., NW,Washington, DC 20036, 202/588-0302, fax 202/588-0386, email root@wlf.org, https://www.wlf.org.

    – Economic and Political Thought

    Biases of the Intellectual Classes

    By Steven Yates

    Ludwig von Mises Institute

    Intellectual honesty means, at the very least, acknowledging the facts that are before one’s eyes: facts about the superiority of a civilization built around the concepts of individual freedom and responsibility, free enterprise, private property rights, and so on, to one built around central planning schemes that have yet to deliver anything except poverty, slavery and misery. When intellectuals teach the children of nonintellectuals to hate their own civilization and regard its achievements as acts of villainy, they only invite waves of understandable anti-intellectual reaction. CONTACT: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 518 West Magnolia Ave., Auburn, AL 36832, 334/321-2100, fax 334.321.2119, mail@mises.org, https://www.mises.org.

    Above articles are quoted from The Heritage Foundation, The Insider November/December 2002, www.heritage.org.

    ”Roots (Food for Thought)”

    – The President’s FY2004 Budget in Perspective

    It is important to put the current budget proposal into historical context. To do so, it is necessary to translate current spending and revenue proposals into real terms either by adjusting for inflation or by expressing the proposal in terms of the broader economy. Looking merely at the budget in nominal terms that do not account for inflation or economic growth is misleading and inaccurate. The table below contains information about the current budget in the context of the post-World War II era and the past three administrations. Highlights include:

    The President’s budget proposes spending $390.4 billion on defense related activities in FY 2004. This amounts to 17.5 percent of all spending and 3.5 percent of GDP. -This level is roughly the same as defense spending was in 1996, which amounted to 17.0 percent of all federal spending and 3.5 percent of GDP.

    -Defense spending in 1987, the height of the Reagan build up, was 28.1 percent of all federal spending and 6.1 percent of GDP.

    The President’s budget proposes a fiscal year 2004 budget deficit of $307.4 billion, which is 13.8 percent of all spending and 2.8 percent of GDP. -This level is roughly the same as the deficit was in 1994, which amounted to 13.9 percent of all spending and 2.9 percent of GDP.

    -Deficit spending in 1983, the highest point during the Reagan administration, was 25.7 percent of all spending and 6.0 percent of GDP.

    Comparison of Bush Budget (FY’04) with Past Budget Averages

    FY’04 Proposal

    Post-WWII Average (FY’46 – FY’02)

    Clinton Budgets (FY’94 – FY’01)

    G.H.W. Bush Budgets (FY’90 – FY’93)

    Reagan Budgets (FY’82 – FY’89) Total Receipts as percent of GDP 17.0% 17.9% 19.4% 17.7% 18.0% Total outlays as percent of GDP 19.7% 19.5% 19.6% 22.0% 22.3% Deficit (-)/Surplus as percent of GDP -2.7% -1.6% -0.1% -4.3% -4.3% Annual growth in total receipts (average % change from previous fiscal year, FY96 $) 2.7% 2.9% 4.9% 0.5% 2.5% Annual growth in total outlays (average % change from previous fiscal year, FY96 $) 2.2% 2.3% 1.5% 1.9% 2.7% Defense spending as a percent of total outlays 17.5% 35.5% 17.1% 21.7% 26.7% Non-defense discretionary spending as a percent of total outlays 19.2% 19.4%* 17.6% 16.6% 17.1% Net interest costs as percent of total outlays 7.9% 10.5%* 13.9% 14.5% 13.2% Other mandatory spending as a percent of total outlays 55.4% 41.6%* 51.4% 46.2% 42.9% Debt held by public at end of fiscal year as percent of GDP 36.9% 44.0% 43.0% 46.3% 36.7% Gross Debt at end of fiscal year as percent of GDP 64.8% 56.2% 63.4% 61.8% 45.4%

    * includes only data back to 1962 since the distinction between discretionary and mandatory began only in that year.

    Above article is quoted from the Tax Foundation https://www.taxfoundation.org 2/4/2003

    ”Evergreen (Today’s Quote)”

    “To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To express feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair.

    But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow. But he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love and live. Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom. Only a person who risks is free!” — Author Unknown

    ”’See Web site”’ https://www.grassrootinstitute.org ”’for further information. Join its efforts at “Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society. …” or email or call Grassroot of Hawaii Institute President Richard O. Rowland at mailto:grassroot@hawaii.rr.com or (808) 487-4959.”’

    From Broken Promises to Safe Play

    Hawaii Reporter
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    “Suzanne Gelb Image”

    ”Let Down – Why Are Promises Broken?”

    Q: Dear Dr. Gelb:

    A while ago someone who I thought was good for their word promised me a favor. In time it became obvious that this person was doing little about my request, pacifying me with excuses. In the end, nothing was done. I feel so let down. Is there anyone in this world to trust? Even our governor — I believed much of what she said in her campaign, even though she is a politician. Now I think I might as well expect her to not make good on her word. It’s not easy to stay optimistic after this type of disappointment.

    Disappointed

    A: Dr. Gelb says . . .

    Dear Disappointed:

    Yes, it is disappointing to be promised a favor that then falls by the wayside. People often excuse such broken promises by rationalizing, “Well they had good intentions.” This reminds me of the saying, “The streets of hell are paved with good intentions.” It seems unfair to be promised something that has no follow-through. Personally, I strive for independence and take promises from others with a grain of salt.

    There is another saying that is worth its weight in gold, “I take promises with a grain of salt, relying on self to achieve my goal.” However, I do not allow this to interfere with my affection and love for others. Another rule of thumb I rely on — after someone betrays one’s trust three times, then, like any ball game consider them “out.” Also, the truism, “There are many fish in the ocean” can be helpful. At times it may be necessary to seek a different fish to help achieve a goal. Some people relate to following concept — “Promises are made to be broken and if promises were horses, beggars would ride.” Good luck in your venture. I’m sorry you were let down.

    ”Kid’s Play – Is it Safe?”

    Q: Dear Dr. Gelb:

    On Saturday I was walking on the sidewalk opposite the beautiful Ala Wai. As I passed a section of the sidewalk that was also a driveway, four kids, about 7 years old, were playing with 3-foot-long sticks like they were fencing each other. One of the kids was lying in the driveway, acting wounded or maybe even dead. I had to dodge out of the way to avoid being poked by a stick. I grew up as an only child and never played with friends much, but I think these kids on Saturday were just playing at pretending but it seemed dangerous.

    Almost Hit

    A: Dr. Gelb says . . .

    Dear Almost:

    I understand your question, especially since you were raised as an only child and it sounds like you had few friends to pretend and played with. Siblings and playmates love to pretend, play and act out situations that they observe in their environment and stories that they read in school about heroes and villains. So they pair off and one child is the villain and the other one is the hero. I believe there is a saying that it is fun to play Cowboys and Indians. Somebody gets to be a cowboy and somebody an Indian. In these battles, someone usually gets hurt. So one child pretends that he or she is dead or hurt.

    This is not unlike training sessions in the fire or police department, which involve re-enactments and practice rescue missions. Here pretend injured people tend to be lying all over the street with bandages and pretend blood. This drama is created in order to condition emergency responses.

    I believe that in those instances where children pretend and “act like” what is occurring is a growing and maturing process. It is a harmless way to learn about life, and whether we like it or not, weaponry for defense is a part of life. Without these simple teachings we could fall prey to the masterminds and bullies of our society. We are not a passive, submissive people. Americans have learned to grow strong and independent and to not be afraid to face the enemy or to recognize fowl from foe.

    So, next time you see children playing and pretending, enjoy the drama because in the future it may save your life or theirs.

    ”’Suzanne J. Gelb, Ph.D., J.D. authors this daily column, Dr. Gelb Says, which answers questions about daily living and behavior issues. Dr. Gelb is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Honolulu. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Human Services. Dr. Gelb is also a published author of a book on Overcoming Addictions and a book on Relationships.”’

    ”’This column is intended for entertainment use only and is not intended for the purpose of psychological diagnosis, treatment or personalized advice. For more about the column’s purpose, see”’ “An Online Intro to Dr. Gelb Says”

    ”’Email your questions to mailto:DrGelbSays@hawaiireporter.com More information on Dr. Gelb’s services and related resources available at”’ https://www.DrGelbSays.com

    Legislative Hearing Notices – Feb. 24, 2003

    Hawaii Reporter
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    0

    The following hearing notices, which are subject to change, were sorted and taken from the Hawaii State Capitol Web site. Please check that site for updates and/or changes to the schedule at

    “Hawaii State Legislature Sidebar”

    Go there and click on the Hearing Date to view the Hearing Notice.

    Hearings notices for both House and Senate measures in all committees:

    Hearing

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB293 RELATING TO CONDOMINIUMS PROPERTY REGIMES. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB373 RELATING TO CONDOMINIUM PROPERTY REGIMES. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB394 RELATING TO CONDOMINIUM PROPERTY REGIMES. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB641 SD1 RELATING TO CONTRACTORS. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB828 SD1 RELATING TO TIME SHARING PLANS. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB896 RELATING TO SICK LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1306 RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1468 RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL LEASEHOLDS. CPH

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB78 SD1 RELATING TO ELDER ABUSE. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB378 RELATING TO ACCRETED LANDS. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB624 RELATING TO INFORMED CONSENT. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB658 RELATING TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES FOR SEX ASSAULT SURVIVORS IN EMERGENCY ROOMS. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB697 RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB697 RELATING TO CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB881 RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB946 RELATING TO CAREGIVER CONSENT. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1132 RELATING TO FAMILY COURTS. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1234 SD1 RELATING TO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1360 SD1 RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1449 RELATING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1469 RELATING TO PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING SESSIONS. JHW

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB14 SD1 RELATING TO REHIRING RETIRED SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB24 SD1 RELATING TO EDUCATION. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB65 SD1 RELATING TO AGRIBUSINESS INCUBATORS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB94 SD1 RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB209 SD2 RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB312 SD1 RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC EMPLOYEES HEALTH FUND. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB354 SD1 RELATING TO ENERGY. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB377 RELATING TO TAXATION. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB402 SD1 RELATING TO MEDICAL EDUCATION. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB457 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE WAIPAHU COMMUNITY ADULT DAY HEALTH CENTER AND YOUTH DAY CARE CENTER PILOT PROJECT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB477 RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS COMMISSION ACT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB506 RELATING TO GEOTHERMAL ROYALTIES. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB516 SD1 RELATING TO KANEOHE BAY PIERS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB576 RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB614 SD1 RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB632 SD1 RELATING TO TAXATION APPEALS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB638 RELATING TO HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB661 SD1 RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB695 SD1 RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB726 RELATING TO THE SPECIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB745 SD1 RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB748 SD1 RELATING TO NURSING EDUCATION. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB762 SD1 RELATING TO THE EMPLOYER-UNION HEALTH BENEFITS TRUST FUND. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB765 SD1 RELATING TO THE RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE FOR PRINCIPALS AND VICE PRINCIPALS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB797 SD1 RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB859 SD1 RELATING TO BRIDGE TO HOPE. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB877 SD1 RELATING TO CORRECTIONS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB895 SD1 RELATING TO SICK LEAVE FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB936 SD1 RELATING TO HAWAII VICTIMS’ UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ACT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1088 SD1 RELATING TO LONG-TERM CARE. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1149 RELATING TO ELECTIONS BY MAIL. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1239 SD1 RELATING TO ENERGY. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1243 SD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FOR THE UNINSURED. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1309 SD1 RELATING TO THE EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1399 SD1 RELATING TO A LONG-TERM CARE TAX CREDIT. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1425 SD1 RELATING TO BUSINESS MENTORING OF YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1437 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE OFFICE OF ELECTIONS. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1661 SD1 RELATING TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF HAWAII. WAM

    2/24/03 9:00 AM SB1700 SD1 RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. WAM

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 10:00 AM HB316 HD1 RELATING TO UNIVERSITY PROJECTS AND PURPOSES. FIN

    2/24/03 10:00 AM HB339 HD1 RELATING TO A COLLEGE SAVINGS PROGRAM TAX CREDIT. FIN

    2/24/03 10:00 AM HB422 HD1 RELATING TO A CENTER FOR NURSING. FIN

    2/24/03 10:00 AM HB433 RELATING TO STATE BONDS. FIN

    2/24/03 10:00 AM HB1111 HD1 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE, ITS OFFICERS, OR ITS EMPLOYEES. FIN

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB368 RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROPERTY DAMAGE. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB390 RELATING TO EXPUNGEMENT. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB479 RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB616 RELATING TO HATE CRIMES. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB617 RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB630 RELATING TO DISPOSITION OF CONVICTED DEFENDANTS. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB1107 RELATING TO CHAPTER 711, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES. JHW

    2/24/03 10:00 AM SB1108 PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE XVII OF THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION. JHW

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB127 HD1 RELATING TO GENERAL ASSISTANCE. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB129 HD1 RELATING TO BRIDGE TO HOPE. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB668 RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB735 HD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB1272 HD2 RELATING TO ADVOCACY FOR HUMAN SERVICES. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB1342 HD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR YOUTH SERVICES. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB1429 HD1 RELATING TO A COMMISSION ON FATHERHOOD. FIN

    2/24/03 10:30 AM HB1430 HD1 RELATING TO COMMUNITY ORAL HEALTH. FIN

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 12:00 PM HB314 HD1 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR SCHOOL SECURITY GUARDS. FIN

    2/24/03 12:00 PM HB620 HD1 RELATING TO THE JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS. FIN

    2/24/03 12:00 PM HB638 HD1 RELATING TO THE HAWAII STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. FIN

    2/24/03 12:00 PM HB1506 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR ISPED CLERK TYPISTS. FIN

    2/24/03 12:00 PM HB1548 MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS. FIN

    2/24/03 12:00 PM HB1638 RELATING TO EDUCATION. FIN

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 1:00 PM HB18 RELATING TO PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFIT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES. FIN

    2/24/03 1:00 PM HB507 HD2 RELATING TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:00 PM HB1013 HD2 RELATING TO EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT. FIN

    2/24/03 1:00 PM HB1164 HD1 RELATING TO INSURANCE. FIN

    2/24/03 1:00 PM HB1165 HD2 RELATING TO BUSINESS REGISTRATION. FIN

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 1:15 PM SB396 RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS. EDU

    2/24/03 1:15 PM SB1237 RELATING TO EDUCATION. EDU

    2/24/03 1:15 PM SB1248 RELATING TO SCHOOL/COMMUNITY-BASED MANAGEMENT. EDU

    2/24/03 1:15 PM SB1326 RELATING TO EDUCATION. EDU

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 1:30 PM HB123 HD1 RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF PHARMACY. CPC

    2/24/03 1:30 PM HB604 RELATING TO LAND USE. CPC

    2/24/03 1:30 PM HB730 RELATING TO OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS. CPC

    2/24/03 1:30 PM HB731 HD1 RELATING TO WORKERS’ COMPENSATION. CPC

    2/24/03 1:30 PM HB1438 HD1 RELATING TO HOME LOAN PROTECTION. CPC

    2/24/03 1:30 PM HB1470 RELATING TO TIME SHARING. CPC

    2/24/03 1:30 PM GM101 Submitting for consideration and confirmation as Director of the Department of Human Resources Development, Gubernatorial Nominee KATHLEEN WATANABE, for a term to expire 12-04-06. LBR

    2/24/03 1:30 PM SB1 RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT. LBR

    2/24/03 1:30 PM SB665 RELATING TO PREPAID HEALTH CARE PLAN. LBR

    2/24/03 1:30 PM SB1070 RELATING TO EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT. LBR

    2/24/03 1:30 PM SB1281 RELATING TO THE HIGH TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. WLA

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB555 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1041 RELATING TO STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES EXCLUDED FROM COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND MAKING APPROPRIATIONS AND OTHER ADJUSTMENTS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1042 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1043 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR SALARY INCREASES FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1044 RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1045 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1046 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1047 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    2/24/03 1:45 PM HB1048 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COST ITEMS. FIN

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 2:45 PM None Informational Briefing HMS

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB32 RELATING TO PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY. TMG

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB299 RELATING TO STANDARDS OF CONDUCT. TMG

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB527 RELATING TO LAND USE. TMG

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB713 RELATING TO CLOSURE OF MUNICIPAL FACILITIES. TMG

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB807 RELATING TO LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATIONS. TMG

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB920 SD1 RELATING TO WATER. TMG

    2/24/03 2:45 PM SB1194 RELATING TO FINANCIAL INTEREST DISCLOSURES. TMG

    ”Date Time Bill Number Measure Title Committee”

    2/24/03 3:00 PM None Informational Briefing EDU/EDN

    ”’To reach legislators, see:”’ “Representatives at a Glance” and “Senators at a Glance”

    Not Reaping What You Sow

    Hawaii Reporter
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    I read with dismay Colette Sakodas response to the article on big box retailers.

    First, Longs Drugs is not a local company.

    Secondly, with all due respect to her area of expertise, one who is not familiar with how capitalism and free market economies work should not dabble in opinion on what is best for Hawaii’s economy. But then, she is taking her cue from many of our elected officials, academics and journalists who have, like her, been educated in the intricacies of socialism.

    If she and her comrades prevail in convincing the masses to the
    point of critical mass that socialism will work better than capitalism, then we can all look forward to life as it is in that shining example of collectivist nirvana, India. A land steeped in the tradition of regulation on enterprise and poverty.

    And of course, there are other historical examples, like Soviet Russia where shortages of the basic staples for survival were not uncommon.

    Thirdly, a basic lesson of free markets demonstrates that capital will flow to the enterprises that are most efficient and provide the greatest benefit to the consumer (Ms. Sakoda forgets how many people benefit from big box retailers). In the process, less efficient businesses are eliminated.

    This is an unavoidable consequence of competition. The alternative is monopoly, either state controlled or owned. Given the alternative, the result is less efficiency due to government protection and a net loss to the economy because of stagnation of capital in markets that can’t or wont compete. A perfect example of stagnated capital is our illustrious convention center.

    Live with the delusion that government should protect local business and you will increase government regulation, growth and taxes that marginalize all types of existing businesses. You will not reap what you sow.

    ”’Guy Monahan is a resident of Aiea and a board member of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. He can be reached via email at:”’ mailto:monahang001@hawaii.rr.com

    An Idea For Our Hawaii State Senate

    Hawaii Reporter
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    “John-Paul Micek Image”

    Our uneducated (historically that is), uninformed and embarrassing liberal state Senators have too much time on their hands. Since they can so freely take up taxpayers time discussing that which they were not elected to do, nor that which they were briefed on or informatively equipped to do — here’s a great idea for them.

    They can radio, or better yet charter a ship, to meet up with the three Iraqi cargo ships illegally doing circles out in international waters and invite them to Hawaii. You see, shortly before the “Clouseaus” showed up in Iraq back in November, these three ships burdened with an undisclosed cargo of 35,000 to 45,000 tons each in “undeclared” cargo set out to sea. Since that time, the ships have remained at sea, maintained radio silence (a violation of international maritime law) and refused to list or otherwise disclose their cargo.

    Why let U.S. and British authorities continue surveillance on those ships? What better way for our stately liberal HI Senators to spend their time than inviting into Honolulu Harbor those ships belonging to, as they put it, the “easy to control Iraqi dictator.” And then, to make even more appropriate use of their time, give them more suitable duties for the remainder of their terms. They can entertain the Iraqi sailors/henchmen/soldiers during the balance of their stay, maybe even have them stay in their own homes.

    After all, we are an island state right? What better place for these ships to find a home. And what a better welcoming crew than the liberal members of our state Senate who so easily forget why it is they were really elected.

    That reason by the way, was not to take it upon themselves to tread upon the rights of the very people who elected them, by wasting valuable Senate time on that which they’re not equipped or authorized to. Especially while our schools continue to fall apart and small business gets crushed under the most oppressive regulations in the nation. No, the reason they were elected was to improve those things. The very things the people of the state of Hawaii demand that they do.

    It’s clear to me that with this new appropriation of their time, at least these state Senators can enjoy the short period they have left in office with the people they really defend and dedicate their time to. Our rights and honor as Hawaii Citizens have been tread on enough. Give ’em a break and let these Senators have some real “quality time” with their true constituents before we boot them out of office.

    ”’John-Paul Micek is a resident of Windward Oahu and can be reached via email at:”’ mailto:micekj002@hawaii.rr.com

    Taking Shots at Common Sense

    Hawaii Reporter
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    In a moment of crisis, ultimate loyalties have a way of bubbling to the surface as the individual must decide which authority takes precedence in an individual’s life. But in this day where the state supercedes all the others, woe unto the individual mistakenly assuming one of the other orders of creation, to use Augustine’s term, belongs at the top of the sociological pyramid.

    To most Americans, the highest temporal priorities include protecting their children, their own lives, and the well-being of that of their property. These prerogatives, at one time, went nearly unquestioned — especially within the boundaries of one’s own home. However, one New York man has learned first hand that there are those who think that a man is no longer the king of his castle and parents no longer the first line of defense against those undermining the sanctity of the home.

    Upon discovering an intruder in his son’s bedroom, Ronald Dixon registered his disapproval of this uninvited thug by emphatically discharging metal projectiles into the brigand’s gut and groin. One would think that would be the end of it with the criminal carted off to jail and the valiant homeowner patted on the back and allowed to reestablish some degree of normalcy after having endured such a trauma.

    But in a world where the moral order has been inverted and evil called “good” and good “evil,” in this instance a loving father might end up receiving a punishment as proportionally severe as that to be received by the subhuman scumbag defiling the inviolable confines of this upright citizen’s domicile.

    According to the New York Daily News, the District Attorney’s office insists the use of an unlicensed gun cannot be condoned. Maybe not, but neither can asinine bureaucratic pettiness.

    Unlike the home-invader, Mr. Dixon has no felonious past as long as your arm and was in the process of navigating his legally-obtained firearm through the labyrinth of New York’s esoteric registration process. Saying he was out of line in using it to defend his home on this technicality is akin to saying that Rosa Parks really belonged at the back of the bus regardless of the obvious affront against her innate human dignity. Should a father whose driver’s license has expired refuse to rush his pregnant wife to the maternity ward? I don’t know what leftwing hooey passes for legal education nowadays, but anyone who has seen at least an episode of “JAG” knows about a little something referred to as “extenuating circumstances.”

    Taken to its conclusion, the jurisprudence advocated in this case requires the victim to place his family upon the altar of the state since its whims must be satiated above all else and for him to rely upon this institution in an almost penitent fashion awaiting a beneficence unlikely to be delivered, namely the protection of Mr. Dixon’s family, which the individual was clearly capable of providing for himself. Is Mr. Dixon obligated to stand back with a smile on his face and watch his children be murdered and his wife raped knowing he has complied with some trivial regulation crafted by some swanky legislator beholden to the gun control racket who lives in some gated community complete with guardhouse and bowtied nightwatchmen.

    The only thing Mr. Dixon should be chastised for is not finishing this vagabond off. He should not be forced to endure the dank horrors of Riker’s Island for a single second. That is, rather, an indignity that should be visited upon those who would use the minutia of statutes to cloud the honored precepts of true justice.

    ”’Copyright 2003 by Frederick Meekins; American WorldView Dispatch, see”’ https://americanworldview.tripod.com

    Few Real Choices in War With Iraq

    Hawaii Reporter
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    Let me say for the record that I do not want the United States to go to war against Iraq

    Construction Management: Misunderstood or Just Overlooked?-First Part of a Series

    Hawaii Reporter
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    “W. Gary Westernoff Image”

    Construction Management is a very old but untapped service that can save time, frustration and help control building costs.

    Usually there are three parts of a building team: the general contractor, the architect/engineer and the owner.

    Another part of the building team that seems to be overlooked by the home owner and small business owner is the “construction manager.” Construction management is “a special management service performed for the purpose of coordination and accomplishment of project planning, design and construction.”

    The construction manager is usually under special agreement with the owner. However, architects sometimes offer construction management services under separate and special agreements. Construction management is not part of the architect’s and engineer’s basis services, but is an additional service sometimes included in their comprehensive services.

    Construction management is often practiced on extremely large building projects. One of the reasons construction management is used on larger projects is to permit the construction process to start while the design is still progressing which allows the construction manager to recommend construction options for better project administration and cost controls and to allow the building project to be phased over a period of time.

    These same construction management techniques are also available to homeowners and small business owners for smaller projects.

    Construction Management gives the owner the opportunity to act as owner builder (where the owner obtains his own building permit) instead of contracting with a general contractor. The professional construction manager can assist the owner in obtaining bids from licensed and properly insured subcontractors and material men. The owner signs separate contracts for the construction of the various portions of the project thus saving the general contractors markup on the separate contract prices. These savings can be substantial on the average project. The trade off, however, is that the owner signs separate contracts instead of having a single contract with a General Contractor. The separate contracts are often broken into the following phases:

    1. General Construction
    2. Plumbing
    3. Heating (Ventilating, Air Conditioning)
    4. Electrical
    5. Sewage Disposal (if applicable)
    6. Elevators (if applicable)
    7. Specialties
    8. Other

    The construction manager will then assist the owner in overseeing and supervising the building project based on a predetermined scope of services and written agreement between the construction manager and property owner.

    The construction manager usually works on a fee based on a percentage of the total construction costs of the project. Also, the construction manager is usually reimbursed for his direct out of pocket expenses such as telephone, photocopies, special travel related expenses, and for his direct salary expenses for any on-site staff the construction manager employs.

    Construction management fees generally range from 2 percent to 10 percent of the construction costs. Therefore, subcontractors, materials, supplies, equipment costs, and applicable permit fees plus the construction manager’s “reimbursable expenses” and “general conditions” are usually billed to the owner at cost. Usually, the overall percentage fees go down with larger projects, and some construction management firms’ work on a negotiated hourly rate or a predetermined fixed fee.

    The homeowner, business owner, or developer not equipped or interested in managing their own building project could benefit greatly from the services of a construction manager.

    The most common ways of using an experienced construction manager are:

    1. When the construction manager acts as the direct agent for the Owner but the owner still assumes total financial responsibility for the project. Here the owner maintains direct communication with the architect, general contractor, and construction manager.
    2. When the construction manager assumes the total financial responsibility for the project. Here the owner maintains direct communication with the construction manager only. The construction manager communicates with the Architect, General Contractor, and Subcontractors.
    3. When a joint venture is formed between the architect, contractor and the construction manager. Here the owner maintains direct communication with the joint venture entity. The joint venture communicates with the subcontractors.
    4. When the construction manager acts as a consultant to the owner and responds to the owners’ requests for assistance on building related matters. Here the owner maintains direct communication with the construction manager, architect, general contractor and/or subcontractors.

    Construction management companies are listed in the Yellow pages of your telephone directory under the heading of “Construction Management.” Some general contracting firms have the capability of performing construction management services.

    When selecting a construction manager or construction management firm, request a written construction management proposal. The proposal may include all or some of the following depending on the size and complexity of your building project:

    1. Master planning services, which would include project Budget Information and Scheduling.
    2. Construction management services, which would include systems and procedures, cost management, time management, general consulting, affirmative action and community relations, and on-site management.

    Some advantages of using a construction manager are:

    1. Knowledge and payment of actual costs;
    2. Direct control of subcontractors and Material men;
    3. Direct control of schedule;
    4. Ability to negotiate directly with subcontractors if changes in the work are authorized or if unforeseen conditions are discovered;
    5. Minimize the threat of liens by paying subcontractors and material men directly;
    6. Having the option of using a general contractor or doing the project as “owner/builder”.
    7. Knowledge of owners and contractors rights and obligations during the building process and proper transferring of risk.

    ”’This is the first of a series of articles by W. Gary Westernoff, owner of The Westernoff Group, a construction management services company, CEO of Constructionplace.com, and author of “Construction Management Made Easy.” Gary can be contacted at”’ mailto:garyw@constructionplace.com ”’or at (808) 394-5995.”’

    Grassroot Perspective – Feb. 21, 2003-'How I Joined Teach for America – and Got sued for $20 Million'; NCPA's Social Security Calculator; Al Gore and the Liberal Dream

    Hawaii Reporter
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    “Dick Rowland Image”

    ”Shoots (News, Views and Quotes)”

    – Recommend Reading. In a genre overrun with conflicting statistics, policy papers and politically charged reports, by far the most powerful form of education reporting is the first-person narrative. One of the defining characteristics of this kind of journalism is its ability to simultaneously corroborate your beliefs about the public school system and challenge them as well — no matter what those beliefs may be. The latest entry in this field comes from Joshua Kaplowitz and appears on the pages on the City Journal (https://www.city-journal.com/html/13_1_how_I_joined.html). His cautionary tale is called “How I Joined Teach for America – and Got sued for $20 Million.” Despite its title, the story is not primarily an indictment of Teach for America, although the program does not come out looking good. Kaplowitz’s nightmare journey through a year of teaching at a DC public school defies attempts at a short synopsis. Suffice it to say that inner-city teachers will find much-needed exposure of how extraordinarily tough their job can be, and school reformers will find much-needed exposure of how bad public schools can be. The problems at Emery Elementary School have little to do with either test scores or per-pupil spending. Read it and weep.

    Above article is quoted from Education Intel@aol.com 1/27/03

    – NCPA’s Social Security Calculator, available online at www.mysocialsecurity.org. Visit this site to calculate your expected taxes and benefits under the current system and compare to what you would have collected had your taxes been invested privately.

    ”Roots (Food for Thoughts)”

    Al Gore and the Liberal Dream

    By Conrad F. Meier

    Published: Health Care News 01/01/2003

    Former Vice President Al Gore recently began pounding the drum for health-care reform. He told the nation what most of us already know: The U.S. health care system is in a state of crisis.

    But in what has to be a classic example of intellectual exhaustion, Gore says he “reluctantly” arrived at the point where the reform he favors is the old, threadbare, and unworkable liberal dream: a single-payer health-care system.

    A few days after Gore’s announcement, a suspiciously timed report by the National Academy of Sciences said pretty much the same thing, except it proposed a more modest agenda, urging the Bush administration to “test” possible solutions, including single-payer insurance coverage, in a handful of states.

    A day after the NAS report was issued, Gore reinvented himself one more time and said he thought “the single-payer system should be run by the private sector.”

    Either antitrust after the Microsoft case really is dead, or Gore has now completely forgotten the difference between the private and public sectors.

    Unless the former Vice President changes his mind once again, he apparently believes the money that pays for health care — including insurance premiums and tax dollars — should be collected by a single government agency in an approach similar to that taken by the dysfunctional health-care systems of England, Canada, and our own Medicare.

    A Universal Gripe

    The people in Canada and the U.K. are no happier with their health care systems than we are with ours. Doctors and nurses trapped in government-run health care systems are leaving chosen careers, patients lack access to cutting-edge technology and facilities, and government health departments report record numbers of people dying while in queues.

    Government-run systems in the United States, such as the Veterans Administration’s health care program, Medicare, and Medicaid, have many of the same problems. Government control of care hasn’t solved the underlying problem of unlimited demand and limited supply. It masks, shifts, and delays the tradeoffs that must eventually be made.

    Gore’s approach is purely political and dangerously dishonest, while the NAS report is based on selective evidence and the old bureaucratic dodge of calling for experiments and more research.

    It’s the Regulations

    Instead of banging the drum loudly as a distraction, Gore and the NAS should have launched an honest and open discussion of how existing state and federal regulations, price controls, entitlement programs, and benefit mandates are responsible for the crisis in our health care system.

    Over the past 40 years, 1,500 unfunded insurance mandates zipped through state legislatures and Congress because politicians saw them as an easy way to garner constituents’ votes without having to raise state taxes or spend more on public health issues. Now, we’re paying the price.

    Government mandates require health insurance benefits to include everything from pastoral counseling to sperm-bank deposits. When combined with procedural mandates like “community rating” (which prevents insurers from basing premiums on risk factors like lifestyle
    choices) and “guaranteed issue” (which allows and encourages people to wait until they get sick before they buy health insurance), the bureaucratic chefs have created a toxic soup of regulations that is not-so-slowly and surely inflating the cost of private health insurance.

    We Need a New Drummer

    The average annual health insurance premium for an individual policyholder in California, which mandates neither community rating nor guaranteed issue, is $1,538. The average premium in highly regulated New York, which imposes both, is more than twice as much at $3,589. A Congressional Budget Office study revealed 200,000 people drop private health insurance every time premiums rise by 1 percent.

    A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study commissioned by the Association of Health Plans forecasted a health insurance premium increase of 13.7 percent for 2002. PwC attributed 15 percent of that increase to government mandates and regulations, 7 percent to litigation, and 5 percent to fraud and abuse.

    If Gore or the NAS consider it important to warn the American people about the crisis in health care today, they also bear the responsibility to explain why that crisis exists. Public-sector failure, not market failure, lies at the root of today’s problems. Promising more government intervention to solve a problem caused by government is, well, pretty dumb.

    Millions of Americans can’t afford the cost of insurance because of the mandates imposed by their representatives in government. What we need now is a drummer willing to criticize incumbent legislators who took the easy way out and helped cripple our market-based health care system–a drummer willing to lead the effort to eliminate existing regulations and mandates.

    Al Gore, I’ve reluctantly concluded, is not that drummer.

    Conrad F. Meier is managing editor of Health Care News

    Above article is quoted from The Heartland Institute, Health Care News January 2003 www.heartland.org

    ”Evergreen (Today’s Quote)”

    “This inversion of the structure of the State which, instead of being built up from below, is organized from above, is the one great iniquity of our time, the iniquity which overshadows all others…. The State, which should be only the bark on the life of the community, has become the tree itself.” — Emil Brunner (1889-1966)

    ”’See Web site”’ https://www.grassrootinstitute.org ”’for further information. Join its efforts at “Nurturing the rights and responsibilities of the individual in a civil society. …” or email or call Grassroot of Hawaii Institute President Richard O. Rowland at mailto:grassroot@hawaii.rr.com or (808) 487-4959.”’

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