BY PANOS PREVEDOUROS PHD – There is so much going on about the blasted Rail project that it’s worth an email blast.
First of all you may have noticed that the mainland high speed rail projects are being rejected … New Jersey, Wisconsin, Florida… and most of them are state projects (bigger coffers) and have a local match amount which is lower than ours. We are getting a bad deal with the feds paying only 25% of the construction cost. Our local costs will be well north of $4 billion.
And now the recent news:
(1)   On Tuesday after Presidents Day, Carlisle will be having a Ceremonial Groundbreaking of the rail project, which means it is a joke. If it was real, it would be the Groundbreaking Ceremony.
Nevertheless, we plan to picket his fake event. We need you at 9:30 AM in Kapolei. Contact me for details at panos.prevedouros@gmail.com or call 63-PANOS… 637-2667 and leave me a message.
There is still no money from the feds and there is a moratorium on Congressional earmarks for two years. So where is Carlisle going with our local money? He ought to be prosecuted.
(2) Many others are shooting the rail.
Here is a sample from Hawaii Free Press.
First, Abercrombie and progressive Democrat Senate President Shan Tsutsui teamed up behind Senate Bill 1426 – which would raid $200M from the rail fund to patch up Abercrombie’s budget. Abercrombie called the proposal a “win-win.” Tsutsui, fresh off his big victory over the Christians, told Civil Beat Feb. 4, “We know (former Honolulu Mayor) Mufi Hannemann didn’t like the idea, but we thought a different administration may have a different view. From what I’ve heard, they’re not too excited about this….”
Then progressive Democrat Ben Cayetano-seen by Mufi supporters as the grey eminence behind Abercrombie’s gubernatorial campaign-held a January 31 news conference launching a new anti-rail lawsuit challenging the City’s procurement practices.
And finally the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp and progressive Democrat lawyer David Frankel-who as Sierra Club Chair hired Jack Kelly to assault Hokulia-filed a lawsuit challenging the handling of native Hawaiian burials and cultural sites.
This takes us to this conclusion by the Star Advertiser, in their own words: Don’t count on riding Honolulu rail any time soon.
WITH YOUR FINANCIAL HELP WE CAN STOP RAIL IN THE COURTS. Please CONTRIBUTE!
Unfortunately we can’t expect the City Council to stop the rail although they seem to understand that we are in deep debt with past obligations, the sewer consent decree, water main repairs, etc. Rail is really the only project that is discretionary and unaffordable. Sadly half of them are beholden to unions and special interests, and the other half raise concerns but never step up and vote NO.
If you cannot come to Kapolei to picket the ceremonial groundbreaking, if you cannot contribute for the lawsuit, if you cannot call your Councilperson and give them an earful, then please send testimony IN FAVOR of Senate Bill 1426 that raids the rail fund.
Email it here: PGMtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov
Mahalo for reading this, please share it, and thank you for your continued support!