BY PANOS PREVEDOUROS PHD – PUBLIC APATHY. It is one of the major boosters of the ridiculous Honolulu rail, according to award winning journalist and author John Fund of the Wall Street Journal. He spoke about it yesterday at the 36th annual Business and Investment Conference organized by Smart Business Hawaii at the Ala Moana Hotel.
Because too few local citizens participate in protests, contact and pressure elected officials, contribute money and time, etc., etc. He also acknowledged that in most cases major successes are achieved by a few, so those of us really working on stopping the rail are not the exception.
So, I say, if rail happens Abe Lincoln will be correct one more time. In a moment of disappointment Abe said “People get who (or what) they deserve.”
ANOTHER H-3? Fund also quoted past Mayor Mufi Hannemann who after the marginal 50.6% “yes to steel on steel rail” vote proclaimed that “this is not going to be another H-3.” Yet as you know from my previous posts the cost of rail was predicted in late 2010 to be at least 40% higher and as of now the implementation is 3.5 years late.
Rail has already faced one lawsuit in state court on Hawaiian issues and is facing a major one in federal court for NEPA violations. But this is only the beginning. There will be lawsuits for illegal agricultural land conversions and usage. Noise impacts in the proximity of HUD financed homes and apartments because rail noise violates HUD night time noise levels. And of course dozens of eminent domain lawsuits. H-3 was built in the middle of nowhere, whereas rail steps on the toes of thousands of citizens. We have not seen anything yet.
THE 2008 ELECTIONS OBAMA EFFECT ON RAIL. John Fund provided statistical evidence that in the 2008 election “island son” presidential candidate Barrack Obama drew thousands of young votes in the polls particularly younger ones who overwhelmingly voted in favor of rail. (I add that I have noted this attitude in young people. Rail s a government project for their future which will cost them next to nothing because it is government’s monies and not theirs…) He argued that if there was a normal election without the prominent Obama effect in the local polls the rail question would have been a solid “No.”
Maybe if the Federal DOE, uh, Obamas DOGE can get involved like Solyndra and all 10 others. This boondoggle will go away,get dumpstered and face reality.
NO more Rail. You guys blew it.
Comments are closed.