Joe Kent

A Hawaii Libertarian
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  • Joe Kent

Power to the Principal May 3, 2014

In the movie “Lean On Me”, Principal Joe Clark said, “Forget about the way it used to be. This is not a democracy. We are in a state of emergency, and my word is law!” It certainly was. He fired teachers, and expelled kids. He was the ultimate, tough principal. But in the end, East Side High School was much better for it. If I were a principal of a school, I would be the toughest principal around. Just like Joe Clark, I'd carry a baseball bat with me wherever I went. When the teachers showed up on the first...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

All People are Selfish (and that’s good!) May 3, 2014

I’m a selfish person. I want the best for me, all the time. In fact, I’m one of the most selfish people I’ve ever met, and I really have no qualms about it. Now, you may be thinking, “How rude!” But, being selfish doesn’t make me a bad person. In fact, just the opposite is true. Being selfish makes me a good person. I give to charity because it feels good. I'm greedy to give. I don’t have much money, but I still give a good portion to charities around the world. Yet – even that is a selfish act....

By Joe Kent Vote4 0

What Monopolies Fear Most May 3, 2014

Whenever I talk about freedom, people get scared.  Lots of people like the idea of just a small “dash” of freedom.  Or maybe, sprinkles of freedom.  But when I talk about allowing the maximum amount of liberty to reign, many people act as if they are running from Godzilla. People say, “We can't just let the market run wild!  The big corporations will all just join together, and form huge monopolies, and stomp all over the little guys.” This is the main fear when it comes to the free market: Monopolies.  In a sense, they have a good point.  In...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

What I Learned in Middle School May 3, 2014

In 1993, my family moved to the Big Island of Hawaii.  I remember it was raining.  They told us that Hilo was one of the rainiest places in the entire world.  Apparently it had been raining for a month straight.  I stepped out into the rain, and looked up at the sky, raindrops falling onto my glasses.  This was going to be my new life. I remember coming to the old plantation house, which had just been re-taped and re-painted to cover all the rat holes.  I stared out the window of my room and tried not to cry.  Compared...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

Why Milk is so Expensive in Hawaii May 3, 2014

Sometimes when I go to my local grocery store in Maui, I like to listen to what the tourists are saying. One time I found a lady just dumbfounded, staring at all the prices. Everywhere she looked, she had sticker shock. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, “I can't believe it! Everything is so expensive!” It's a helpful reminder to those of us who are used to paying more than five dollars a gallon for milk – that's not normal. Where I live in Lahaina, milk is more than twice as much as on the mainland. And...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

Private Roads May 3, 2014

Sometimes when I'm stuck in traffic, my mind starts to wander.  I imagine a helicopter propeller opening up on the roof of my car, or inspector gadget like springs on my wheels that allow me to jump over everybody.  And then I start to think about private roads.  To many people, a private road seems like a fantasy.  Yet private roads have been around for most of America's history It wasn't until the 1830's that the government began meddling in roads.  Before that, turnpikes, or toll roads, were the norm.  Even today, toll roads are a common sight in congested...

By Joe Kent Vote2 0

How to Get a Raise (as a Teacher) May 3, 2014

Do you deserve more money?  Sure, we all do.  But try telling your boss that.  I mean, have you ever thought about just marching into your bosses office and pounding your fist on the desk, and demanding a raise?  I really never understood how that was supposed to work. “I DEMAND A RAISE!” “No.” “ok.” As pathetic as that sounds, that's probably exactly what would happen.  That is -- if he didn't fire me first.  How can people ever make more money if the boss can just say no?  Maybe some bosses are just pushovers, and give people raises whenever...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

Maui Bag Ban May 3, 2014

I recently took a trip to Minnesota, and the first thing I said when I got there was, “Take me to the grocery store!”  See, what Minnesotains don't realize is that the grocery store is actually one of the best parts of the northern state.  The price of every item is many dollars less than what I'm used to paying for on Maui.  Even the price of coconuts is cheaper!  But what I was most excited about when going through the check out was the plastic bags. “Oh my gosh!” I cried out, “Bags! Wonderful, beautiful, plastic bags!” People forget...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

My Year as a Billionaire May 3, 2014

When I was 22, I had the unique experience of being able to live like a billionaire.  In order to protect the names of those involved, I’d rather not go into the details of how I came upon so much money, but let’s just say, suddenly I had a very rich step father figure. This man was enormously rich.  He owned sports teams, and Fortune 500 companies.  He had a multi-million dollar mansion, and a private jet.  He was the richest man I’ve ever met, and suddenly, I was like his step son. I think everyone should live the experience...

By Joe Kent Vote35 7

Vote for Costco May 3, 2014

A gallon of milk on Maui costs $7.99.  That’s right, a gallon of the cheapest locally grown milk at my local grocery store costs almost four times what it would in Minnesota.  And that’s just milk!  Maui is one of the most expensive places in the world to live.  Now you might be wondering – “How do people survive on Maui?”  Well, one word: Costco.     If you’ve ever been to Maui, you know what I’m talking about.  Every weekend, hoards of people cram into the only big box warehouse on the island to get the fabled “mainland prices”...

By Joe Kent Vote2 0

In Defense of Socialism May 3, 2014

Socialist – perhaps the worst word in America today.  Socialism is seen as this evil thing.  The communists in Russia and China were all socialists.  The word brings to mind marching armies, spies, and poverty.  We remember the cold war, the Berlin wall, and people burning money for heat.  If you want to win an argument on TV, just call someone a socialist, and the crowd will love you.   Many people call Obama a socialist.  There are creepy images of him juxtaposed with Hitler or Carl Marx.  Protesters with signs that say, “Obama = Socialism = Evil”.  It’s as...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

Credit Cards May 3, 2014

What if credit cards didn’t exist?  Surely the world would be a better place.  Maybe we wouldn’t have so much debt.  Or maybe we would have more.   Right now, the average interest on a credit card is around 13%.  Without credit card companies, people would go to their local payday lender, or pawn shop.  And they charge 500% interest.   But let’s say we outlawed all of that too.  Let’s say that Obama signed into law the “No More Lending” act, which would make all lending illegal.  If that happened, there would be a black market for credit.  This...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

The Mommy and Daddy Complex May 3, 2014

Sometimes I think it’s unfortunate that we have moms and dads.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my mom and dad very much.  They provided for me, they tucked me in at night, and they loved me – something that I will always be grateful for.  They had such a profound impact on my life.  But there’s one way that they sort of screwed me up – er, screwed all of us up.  They gave us the “Mommy and Daddy Complex”   What I’m talking about is the idea that the rest of life works best with a Mommy or...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

Pro-Choice May 3, 2014

Which party is pro-choice?   When I think of pro-choice, I think of democrats.  Democrats are pro-choice when it comes to abortion.  They think that a women is smart enough to be able to chose for herself whether or not she wants to have an abortion, and doesn’t need the government to decide for her.  And Democracy is all based on our right to choose. We are all intelligent enough to make our own choices when it comes to gay marriage, sex laws, and drug usage.  So liberals typically want to give individuals more liberty.   But liberals also want...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

The Ring of Power May 3, 2014

The other day someone said to me, “Wow Joe, you’re going to make a lot of money if you get elected.”  And then I thought – oh yeah, I forgot . . . politicians make a lot of money!  What was I thinking?  Here I’m trying to run for U.S. Congress because I think it’s the right thing to do. Silly me. But power corrupts.  I can feel it, even in my little league campaign. As a candidate, my job is to sell a product: me.  I have to pretend that I am the most perfect person in the world. Maybe I have all the solutions, or...

By Joe Kent Vote1 0

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