When you picture special interest groups and government lobbyists, you probably imagine corporate fat cats hiring sleazy lawyers to get them favors and interests from legislators. (This also indicates that you’ve heard too many John Edwards speeches.) Putting aside whether the unfairness of this image (unfairness to the business owners, that is–I wouldn’t dream of [...]
There are plenty of reasons to feel vaguely annoyed and Senator Inouye’s recent interview in Honolulu Civil Beat. I, for one, particularly loathed the implication that people in the middle class are a tad selfish for feeling that they pay enough in taxes. But for sheer muddling of a situation, it’s hard to beat his [...]
It’s baaaack! Call it the Frankenstein of bad legislation. The Akaka Bill is back in the Senate. And while some pundits don’t give it much of a future in the House of Representatives, the Senate gave it a hearing this past Thursday. In truth, there is far too much riding on this bill for opponents [...]
Senator Akaka has announced that he will not be running for reelection at the end of his current term. For his years of service to the Islands, we thank him and bid him a fond farewell. However (and you knew this was coming, didn’t you?), the fact that Senator Akaka is a nice old guy [...]
If you’ve been following our notes on questionable contracting preferences for Native Hawaiian Organizations and Alaska Native Corporations, you’ll know that a few hardworking journalists have been raising questions about these practices, most notably in Hawaii Reporter and the Washington Post. (Hawaii Reporter has found that Native Hawaiian organizations have been able to use this [...]
For those who thought that the change in Congress meant a respite from the imminent threat of the Akaka Bill, think again. In what might be something of a desperation move, the legislature has introduced a bill that purports to recognize a Native Hawaiian tribe through the state. (Essentially, a state version of the Akaka [...]
Over at Hawaii Reporter, a new report has revealed that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has spent $3.44 million since 1999 on its (ultimately failed) lobbying efforts in support of the Akaka Bill. And this doesn’t include the approximately $2 million OHA spent to operate a Washington, DC office or any other expenses (such as [...]
On Decemeber 22, 2010, Hawaii’s own Senator Akaka addressed the US Senate to proclaim his continuing support of the so-called Akaka bill which expired without action as the senate closed for the 2010 year. With all respect to the senator, the Akaka bill should never again see the light of day. Americans nationwide have objected [...]
If you have a strong stomach for pork and no family history of high blood pressure, I highly recommend the latest article in Hawaii Reporter on federal contract preferences for Native Hawaiian companies. If you live in a cave without access to television or radio (which might make me wonder how you’re reading this blog), [...]
No Reservations: The Case for Dismantling the Indian Bureaucracy
By Carl Horowitz This column was originally published in Townhall. If ever a federal agency were a candidate for termination, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) would make for a good choice. The BIA combines patronage and ethnic separatism into a single package, wasting sizable tax dollars in the process. Yet few in Congress have [...]