We at Grassroot Institute of Hawaii have as our mission, the analysis of public policy, then making appropriate recommendations and conducting related education programs.

When we first looked at the Akaka Bill (S.147/H.R.309 The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005) we puzzled over how such a top down, citizen choice ignoring bill could possibly be seriously considered. The more we looked, the more we also realized that something (or some things) were providing an abundance of nourishment for it.

We considered:

-White man’s guilt
-Intimidation
-Appeasement
-Follow the money
-Ignorance of U.S. Founding Principles
-Opportunism
-Attractive avenue for personal political power for a self-selected few
-Dual Allegiance
-Racism
-Subject US citizens
-Personal US groups Property Rights
-Personal US Group Power

Needless to say, we had some interesting discussions.

Our conclusions stand today:
-The federal government should have no right or power to create another government in Hawaii absent the permission of the people of Hawaii.

-The people of Hawaii, the U.S. and many, many elected representatives at all levels are completely uninformed about the possible real world results if the Akaka Bill were to pass. Education is essential.

Leading to our position:
Hawaii must have a plebiscite approving the Akaka Bill before it is even considered for passage by the U.S. Congress.

Incidentally, the important will fall into place once an election is scheduled.

We call our campaign:

“LUV-HAWAII”

That stands for “Let Us Vote”

The Chumash tribe wants to take 6.9 acres from the citizens of Santa Ynez Valley and put it into “trust” for their “cultural center.” Jon Bowen, president of Preservation of Santa Ynez notes:

When the community that is affected the most by tribal expansion is not even considered in the tribal land acquisition process and is basically being ignored by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals and told they are not protected under the law despite clear legal precedent to the contrary, there is something very wrong, and this community has the right and a responsibility to demand that our rights be protected.

And:

To allow land to be taken into trust and out of state and local rules and regulations that have been set up by this community and our elected officials to protect our community and the environment is wrong.

Circumventing fair and equitable land-use rules and regulations by any individual or government is wrong. Telling a community they cannot be heard is wrong. Not aving an open and transparent government process is wrong. Different land-use rules and regulations for individuals or groups, tribal and non-tribal, living in the same community, is wrong.

Is this the end result of having a separate “soveriegn nation” intermixed with our community?

What will happen here? Whole article here.

Akaka Talka
Have a look at www.Townhall.com for “E Pluribus Unum” http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/markalexander/2006/04/07/193038.html by Mark Alexander. Your comments as to how this essay relates or does not to the proposed Akaka Bill are requested. Read to the fourth paragraph where he quotes Arthur Schlessinger. “Will the melting pot give way to the Tower of Babel?”

Richard O. Rowland