SUPERFERRY

A FERRY TALE THAT COULD BE TOLD ONLY IN HAWAI'I

Once upon a time, a company tried to start a new ferry business that would help people travel among the islands.

The company spent a lot of time over a period of several years holding meetings with the people to tell them about the new boat. There were literally hundreds of meetings.

The municipal, state and federal officials told the company to please go ahead and build the boat.

So the company got a lot of people to invest a lot of money, built the boat and then was told to try wait, one more study, brah.

A great sucking sound ensued, which was the reputation of the Islands going down the tubes as any kind of even remotely fair place to do business.

But lots of folks were ecstatic. The forces of evil were thwarted and the good guys won. This is a ferry tale that could only be told in Hawai'i.

HAWAI'I'S DEMOCRATS OUT OF STEP WITH PARTY

I am a lifelong Democrat. In the 1940s, I called FDR "my president."

But the mistreatment of the Superferry and Sen. Colleen Hanabusa's lack of vision suggests that I may never be able to vote for any state Democrat again, because every Democratic Party legislator, no matter how wise, votes to organize the Legislature.

The real Democrats at the state level are to be found in the Republican Party. Hawai'i Democrats are out of step with the party at the national level.

What we see now is narrow protection of airlines, competing harbor users and misguided "environmentalists" who would see the islands disappear below the sea from global warming before they would allow the Superferry, an environmentally superior form of interisland transportation, to sail.

MAUI RULING SUPPORTED INTEGRITY OF OUR SYSTEM

I was present for Judge Joseph Cardoza's reading of his ruling to uphold the Hawai'i Environmental Policy Act and it was inspirational.

It was heartfelt, thoughtful and deeply reflective of the importance of this issue. He cited the purpose, the reason and the intent of HEPA.

He sought to soften the blow to those who gambled and lost (Superferry), and to assist our community in reconciliation.

Our Supreme Court and our 2nd Circuit Court have acted on behalf of our excellent HEPA because it's the law and because it's a good law. It would be a travesty if our legislators overturned these rulings.

Mahalo, Judge Cardoza for supporting the integrity of our judicial system, our environment and our communities.

PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY WANT FERRY SERVICE

It is time that some legislators quit posturing about their displeasure with Hawaii Superferry's lack of communication with them. The issue is not about the people of Superferry but the people of Hawai'i. The people's communication expressing their desire for Superferry is what matters.

It is also time that some legislators quit posturing about giving special treatment to the people of Superferry. It is about giving special treatment to the people of Hawai'i.

It is time for legislators to quit posturing by attacking the administration and begin to attack the situation head-on and find a way to make it happen for Superferry.

To the people of O'ahu, please know that many of us from Maui do not agree with the mean-spirited feelings and lack of aloha exhibited by many of those who oppose the Superferry. And to the employees of Superferry who were laid-off, mahalo for your dedication and best wishes that you will soon return to Superferry.

ISLANDERS SHOULD CARE ABOUT INVASIVE SPECIES

Those who think the potential transfer of invasive species via the Superferry is a minor issue should visit the Big Island at night, where coqui frogs are taking over the county at an alarming rate.

I propose that state lawmakers hold their special Superferry session at night in Pahoa on the Big Island. Then they would have a rude awakening about the utter destruction that coqui frogs are inflicting on this island.

Yes, they hitchhike on trucks and cars, and most especially on plants. Will the state have any restrictions on potted plants being transferred interisland from the Big Island?

If they don't, they should. It is no longer possible to contain the rapid spread of this pest on the Big Island. Anyone who has never heard the deafening noise taking place in infested areas everywhere on this island — from Puna, Hilo and Honoka'a to South Kona, Kaloko and Holualoa — would be shocked.

Life in Hawai'i will never be the same now that the coqui frog is here to stay, and it's only going to get worse.

The battle is lost here on the Big Island; there is no hope for eradication. These things spread like wildfire, and they are coming to a town near you via the Superferry if there aren't restrictions in place. An environmental impact statement would address these concerns.

COURTS HAVE RULED, DON'T START TINKERING

Isn't it better for businesses to know that Hawai'i's laws are upheld and respected by the government? It seems to me that would provide more surety to anyone wanting to do business in Hawai'i.

The courts have ruled. It is clear. A project requiring an environmental review, such as the Superferry, must perform that review before the project commences. This is common sense.

To convene a special session to tinker with the courts' decisions to help one private, politically connected business would send a very bad message to our existing businesses. It would say that some businesses are more equal than others. What does this say to all our businesses that have dutifully followed the law?

The Superferry and the administration chose politics over community engagement, and lost. The message from the courts is clear: Don't gamble with Hawai'i laws.

SUPERFERRY ALSO SOURCE OF JOBS FOR ISLANDERS

To all you Maui and Kaua'i protesters against the Superferry: You forgot about one thing.

This ferry was another means of not only transportation but jobs for our local people from the Neighbor Islands.

Did you folks think about them? Nope, all you folks did was think about yourselves. You people talk about crime moving over to the islands, hello, they just had a bust on four islands. Wake up!

And, oh yeah, welcome to O'ahu's life — it's about time you folks deal with it, too.

GENOCIDE

AMERICA IN NO POSITION TO PREACH MORALITY

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

The U.S. Congress has decided to legislate that Turkey committed genocide against the Armenian people during World War I. The nonbinding House resolution states that the deportation of nearly 2 million Armenians from the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923, resulting in the deaths of 1.5 million of them, amounted to "genocide."

Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction of an entire people who belong to one racial, political, cultural or religious group. I strongly believe that it's imperative for all nations to face their pasts, acknowledge their deeds and address them.

Our nation, has not acknowledged or addressed the genocide of Native Americans. It is estimated that the North American Indian population was around 12 million in 1500 and less than a quarter of a million in 1900. It is true that many died from diseases introduced by European Americans and it is also a fact that many were displaced, eradicated or callously disregarded by the policies of the U.S. government.

Scholars have defined this period as sustained genocide; perhaps the worst in history. We are in no position to preach morality to another country.

HAWAIIAN TELCOM

DELIVERING DIRECTORIES A COMPLEX PROCESS

I would like to respond to those who have written regarding the delivery of multiple, competing telephone directories.

As Hawai'i's leading telecommunications provider, Hawaiian Telcom has a regulated responsibility to annually publish and distribute telephone books to every home and business in Hawai'i. The distributors of other directories not associated with the telephone company are not subject to the same requirement.

Delivering the official Hawaiian Telcom directories to O'ahu's more than 1 million homes and businesses is a complex process, and sometimes we mistakenly deliver multiple sets to one address. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If this should happen to you, please call us at 593-8300, and we will gladly pick up the extra sets.

Hawaiian Telcom also strongly believes in the recycling of old directories. From Oct. 23 until Nov. 17, Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages, in partnership with All Rolloff Services, will provide three phone book recycling drop-off locations on O'ahu: