Fall 2003

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Summer 2004

President's Message (Maile Bay) Openness in the Courts (Jackie Parnell) Our Comprehensive (Full) Public Funding Bill 2004 (Grace Furukawa) Public Funding of Presidential Primary and General Election Where Has Our Democracy Gone? (Grace Furukawa) Ray of Sunshine (Jean Aoki) Local League News - Honolulu Local League News - Hawaii (Lois Cecil) Local League News - Kauai (Carol Bain) What is the Act 190 Task Force and Who Cares? (Jaurene Judy) NBC to Televise Democratic Presidential Primary Debate... LWVUS

Where Has Our Democracy Gone? The recently passed Medicare Bill is a patent demonstration that our Congress and President are in the hands of special interests. The biggest winners will be the HMOs and the Drug Industry. So where is our democracy when it is so clear that the bills are of the special interests, by the special interests, and for the special interests? And the Medicare Bill is not the only one; the Energy Bill is another example, and so forth and so forth. More and more the citizen is being pushed out of the process. And all this in the name of bigger profits for some. Bills are drawn so as to give a great return on the investment these companies make in campaign contributions. Only when it is OUR MONEY THAT IS USED TO ASSIST CANDIDATES GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT can democracy be returned to the people. In the meantime, there is only one thing that trumps money and that is the vote. So we must never give up our power of the vote. Right now that is about all we have left. Grace Furukawa President Hawaii Clean Elections Coalition

Fall 2003

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Summer 2004