Dash of Calabash

Hawaii’s free-market blog

Archive for February, 2008

Guns Save Lives

Feb 28

Posted by GRIH in Crime | No Comments

By John Stossel:

It’s all too predictable. A day after a gunman killed six people and wounded 18 others at Northern Illinois University, The New York Times criticized the U.S. Interior Department for preparing to rethink its ban on guns in national parks.

The editorial board wants “the 51 senators who like the thought of guns in the parks — and everywhere else, it seems — to realize that the innocence of Americans is better protected by carefully controlling guns than it is by arming everyone to the teeth.” 

As usual, the Times editors seem unaware of how silly their argument is. To them, the choice is between “carefully controlling guns” and “arming everyone to the teeth.” But no one favors “arming everyone to the teeth” (whatever that means). Instead, gun advocates favor freedom, choice and self-responsibility. If someone wishes to be prepared to defend himself, he should be free to do so. No one has the right to deprive others of the means of effective self-defense, like a handgun.
Click here to read more…

Putting Whales First

Feb 14

Posted by GRIH in Environment, Miscellaneous | No Comments

The U.S. Navy has been temporarily barred by a federal court from using “mid-frequency active sonar” to detect diesel submarines in practice exercises off the California coast.The ruling came in a suit by environmentalists claiming the sonar injures vulnerable marine mammals, even though the judge found there was no evidence–or conflicting evidence she couldn’t evaluate–regarding such injuries … or even the presence of whales at all.

But the “lack of documented evidence of the disturbance, injury, or even death of marine mammals in a particular geographic area does little to prove that MFA sonar never caused such adverse effects,” the judge concluded.

The Navy plans to appeal. “Today, dozens of countries–including North Korea and Iran–have extremely quiet diesel-electric submarines, and more than 180 of them operate in the Pacific,” said Vice Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of the U.S. 3rd Fleet. “Active sonar is the best system we have to detect and track them.” Apparently, real submarines are not as important as imaginary whales.

Sources: Kenneth R. Weiss, “Judge bans Navy from using sonar off Southern California, Federal jurist backs activists, saying use during training exercises off Southern California could harm whales,” Los Angeles Times, August 7, 2007; Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. Winter, 8:07-cv-00335-FMC-FMOx, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57909 (2007)

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Feb 14

Posted by GRIH in Miscellaneous | No Comments

For a Houston man, saying it with flowers will probably cost him a bundle. So he’s trying to grab a bundle from the florist.The man had the florist send his sweetie long- stemmed roses and a stuffed animal along with a mushy note. Problem was, he was still married to another woman at the time; a divorce was in the works but not final.

After receiving a thank-you note and a discount coupon in the mail, the man’s wife contacted the florist, who faxed her a copy of the receipt and the love note. The man claims in his suit what had been an amicable divorce proceeding may cost him more money because his wife can use this evidence of his alleged infidelity against him. He’s seeking $1 million in damages from the florist for these costs and mental anguish.

University of Houston law professor Richard Alderman said, “I’m a big consumer advocate, but in this case I’d have to go with caveat emptor”–let the buyer beware. The man’s lawyer disagrees. “We didn’t file this frivolously,” she said. Of course not.

Source: Mary Flood, “Lawsuit: Floral flub made life thornier for man in love triangle, Man seeking divorce says he’ll pay dearly for love note mix-up,” Houston Chronicle, August 13, 2007

The Conspiracy to Deny the Poor Mobility – and Opportunity

Feb 14

Posted by GRIH in Global Warming/Climate Change, Rail/Transportation | 1 Comment

Should Indian drivers be denied a $2,500 car to offset CO2 generation of wealthier nations?

Read the article from the Competitive Enterprise Institute by clicking here

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008 – Energy for tomorrow (8 of 14)

Feb 13

Posted by GRIH in Environment, Taxes | No Comments

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008, recently published in the Honolulu Advertiser are available on-line using this link. This post relates to the Energy for tomorrow, one of 14 initiative areas contained in the document. Some initiatives are recycled or continued from prior years. Stay tuned to see how the bills/initiatives progress.

Energy for tomorrow – BED-12(08)/HB3064/SB2986 creating special tax credit for taxpayers with less that $20K AGI who install solar water heater or other renewable energy system. This would result in refund from the state for those with no tax liability; creates new Energy Division within DBEDT funded with $1.6million for four positions in governor’s FY2009 budget; calls for establishment of Chair in power generation and distribution at UH college of engineering, setting aside $2 million for funding to be matched by private sources; clarifies that the public benefits fund created in 2006 to encourage energy conservation not be subjected to legislative fund raids and managed outside the state treasury; and bill to expand the definition of renewable energy producer to include growers and producers of organic materials used primarily for production of biofuels or other fuels (no bill number).

NH governor submits 10-year highway plan

Feb 13

Posted by GRIH in Rail/Transportation | No Comments

10-year plan cuts out $2 billion in projects to provide communities realistic timeframe for funding and construction in order to layout how projects would be built and funded.

Read the Associated Press article by clicking here

A glance at state gas taxes

Feb 13

Posted by GRIH in Taxes | No Comments

Read the article from The Associated Press here

NOTE: Hawaii state gas taxes shown as 16-cents but does not include 4.712% GETax on retail price of gasoline, an additional16-cents ($3.35 x 0.04712) or $0.32 total makes Hawaii’s taxes among the highest on gasoline.

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008 – Workforce Development (7 of 14)

Feb 12

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

Lingle-Aiona Initiatives 2008, recently published in the Honolulu Advertiser are available on-line using this link. This post relates to workforce development, one of 14 initiative areas contained in the document. Some initiatives are recycled or continued from prior years. Stay tuned to see how the bills/initiatives progress.

Workforce Development – LBR-28(08)/HB3169/SB3091 creates tax-free life-long learning accounts allowing employer-matched portable individual savings accounts to finance career-building skills; BED-21(08)/HB3073/SB2995 allows for up to $100 million from the Employees Retirement System to be invested in venture capital funds for the state; $4.8 million additional funding for expansion of HCC music business program (no bill number); establishes rapid response training program with community college system (no bill number); continuing support of public-private “Kamaaina Come” program to encourage former residents to return to work; and $100K funding to support a public- private partnership to commercialize innovative ideas (no further details or bill number)

Senate Minority Leader speaks about preferred growth and environmental issues

Feb 12

Posted by GRIH in Government Accountability | No Comments

The Honolulu Advertiser published only excerpts of Sen. Fred Hemming’s address to the Legislature on opening day, but the full text is available online using this link.

Is sustainability your main issue as well? Let him know. senhemmings@capitol.hawaii.gov

Stimulating Thoughts

Feb 12

Posted by GRIH in Economics, Free Market Economics, Government Accountability | No Comments

From Roy Innis at TCS Daily:

Congress and the White House, Democrats and Republicans finally agree on something. We need a stimulus package, they intone. The economy is stagnating, unemployment is climbing, families can’t pay their bills. We have to prime the pump, reduce interest rates, increase unemployment benefits, provide temporary tax relief.

These unlicensed physicians are prescribing aspirin to counteract the poisons they routinely inject into our economy, while they prepare even bigger doses of arsenic.

Every one of these supposed shots of economic adrenaline is counteracted by policies that drive up prices.

Read the rest of this entry »