Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

[scrivener]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Liberal cry babies. Costing us, the TAXPAYERS more and more money.

I'm so conservative I consider most Republicans to be too liberal. But I'm in favor of an EIS.

Most of the libs don't give a rip cuz they don't really work for a living in the first place. Or they think that raising taxes is a perfectly good plan to pay off the lawsuits.

Really? You truly believe that at least 51% of liberals don't work for a living?

I'm not saying no to the ferry. In fact, I think it should be allowed to proceed, with the condition that an EIS be conducted within the next X months. All I'm asking, Tim, is what's wrong with conducting the study?

[1stwahine]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4



Noun 1. whackowhacko - a person who is regarded as eccentric or mad
nutter, wacko
eccentric, eccentric person, oddball, flake, geek - a person with an unusual or odd personality.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/whacko

Auntie Lynn

[mel]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Just more of the same old Politics of NO. Liberal cry babies. Costing us, the TAXPAYERS more and more money.

Hit the nail on that one. If Superferry is ultimately closed down by legal rulings, in the end the lawsuits will go flying and the taxpayers end up picking up the tab. Pathetic.

[timkona]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Okay Scriv. EIS sounds fine. But to be fair, we should stop using ALL the ports in Hawaii.......Pearl, Kawaihae, Nawiliwili, Hilo, etc etc. And we should stop Matson, YB, Navy, and every single private boater from using our waterways. And EACH of them should be required to submit an EIS individually. Yes, that's right, INDIVIDUALLY. From an aircraft carrier to an 8' Dingy. I can just see the Jr Sailing Club working on this one in 6th grade writing class.

Read the signature. Libs are completely destroying everything. I am so frustrated by all this crappola.

[timkona]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

It's official. I'm going on an all out verbal war against every single liberal I can find. I will spend all day today just trashing every one of them that I can find. Watch out South Kona, I'm motivated.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

I'm not saying no to the ferry. In fact, I think it should be allowed to proceed, with the condition that an EIS be conducted within the next X months. All I'm asking, Tim, is what's wrong with conducting the study?

There is nothing wrong with doing a EIS for the HSF. The problem that i have is mandating that it be done AFTER millions had been invested in starting up
service. It should've been done before HSF started the whole process. It reminds me of Hokulia and Judge Ibarra enjoining the project after 350 million
was invested. Like in that case, the business relied on government assurances. Which were overturned by the courts.

[LikaNui]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

We're all seeing pink elephants now!

And flying pigs too!
Talk about a shocker. Sheesh.

I'm on record (as are others) here months ago as saying that the EIS exemption seemed sketchy, and that it'd be naive of Hawaii Superferry to think it would be smooth sailing.

Remember that HSF has already shown plans that meet (and, in many cases, exceed) the state's requirements. HSF wasn't naive, and they clearly knew the process wouldn't be smooth.

This decision on behalf of the environmental wackos, opponents and possibly competitors, certainly cements Hawaii's continuing reputation as one of the worst places in the U.S. to do business.

Agreed, it's not the actual denial decision that makes Hawaii's business reputation stink, it's always the wishy-washy, flip-flopping. You give a company a green light, then a red when they spent all their resources getting ready. If Hawaii can't iron out a consistent business application approach, Hawaii will never be taken serious as a place to do business.

And a big AMEN to those comments from Mel and JT. Hawai`i has just gotten a huge huge black eye in terms of anyone else ever investing in the state. HSF was given the green light a long time ago, and didn't just spend millions... they've spent hundreds of millions of dollars! (And remember that the second ship is already under construction. Want to guess how much it would cost HSF if they're forced to cancel that contract?)
What business in their right mind would ever want to invest here now?
And then there are the sure-to-come legal battles, as others have noted. All those funds set aside to repair schools, fix basic infrastructure, build a rapid transit system... color that money gone.
However, I expect that HSF will appeal yesterday's ruling all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

I will admit that I'm ignorant of what went on in the background prior to HSF coming over. I can say, however, that I was left scratching my head when NOAA and/or UH people giving a talk at Hanauma Bay seemed all too calm about the danger to the endangered ocean species when they were questioned about the ferry.

Well, if you had paid attention then you'd know that HSF has not only created major plans to deal with those issues but also the HSF plans are being adopted in many other areas of the planet. The fact that those experts you heard are not concerned should tell you that they're more than satisified with HSF's preparations on the matter.

I just remember being very puzzled at the lack of any real demonstrated concern.

But you said above that you hadn't been paying attention. HSF has shown a huge and beyond-the-norm concern. You're just not aware of it.

Now I'm just a little angry about it making us look, once again, like a really ugly place to do business.

Clearly, you're not alone in that feeling.

I'm not blaming the Supreme Court, they were presented with this stuff last minute

"Presented", yes. But they've known it was coming for years.

Most of the libs don't give a rip cuz they don't really work for a living in the first place.

Uh, Tim, you wanna rescind that massively ridiculous statement? Or can you show sources that say most liberals don't work for a living?


But back to the HSF. Another point that hasn't come up here yet is what's supposed to happen to the 300+ local folks who were just hired. If an injunction stops the HSF for what could easily be several years, then...
And what about all the folks who have made (and paid for) reservations? And there are dozens of other related issues.
Yes, Hawai`i looks really really stoopid today in the eyes of the world.

[mel]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

TimKona and Konaguy, I don't know if this still holds, but Superferry is supposed to visit Kawaihae Harbor this weekend.

Superferry Will Visit the Big Island

Check with the Superferry website, the notice is still there.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

You can't use the majority opinion to determine something rightness or wrongness.

I wish you'd address the rest of my point if you're going to disagree. As I said, I understand the frustration, but are you saying you don't care at all about the environmental impact this thing might have, or are you saying that you're pretty sure, even without the study, that it's going to be minimal?

Either way, it sounds to me as if you're saying it IS fair to call these people whackos; yet I think I've presented a reasonable case for the study. Is my own argument that of a whacko?

Take a look at post #471, I think it will address concerns. That being said, it frustrates me whenever the minority stalls something that will benefit everyone. Case in point the Hokulia bypass. Just because of one landowner this much needed roadway will never be completed.

[LikaNui]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

EIS sounds fine. But to be fair, we should stop using ALL the ports in Hawaii.......Pearl, Kawaihae, Nawiliwili, Hilo, etc etc. And we should stop Matson, YB, Navy, and every single private boater from using our waterways. And EACH of them should be required to submit an EIS individually. Yes, that's right, INDIVIDUALLY.

With the exception of the private boats, which is clearly ludicrous, I strongly agree with the rest of that.
There should be immediate injunctions against YB, Matson, NCL, and all the rest!!!!!

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

TimKona and Konaguy, I don't know if this still holds, but Superferry is supposed to visit Kawaihae Harbor this weekend.

Superferry Will Visit the Big Island

Check with the Superferry website, the notice is still there.

I noticed that.. I wish I could go. But it seemed like a pain I had to register to visit the ferry . Maybe if I'm so inclined I'll go up there to take pictures.

By the way someone sent me a .pdf copy of the HSC's ruling. E-mail me if you'd like to read it.

[timkona]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Okay Likanui, rescinded.

I guess I meant to say that most working libs don't give a rip if other people don't work. That's the root of welfare. Fine, give your money to others.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

By the way someone sent me a .pdf copy of the HSC's ruling. E-mail me if you'd like to read it.

I don't have time to read it, but can you give me the gist of what it says? From what I'm reading in the paper, its about a EIS for the improvements in one harbor. Does this really open the issue of the whales and introduced species? Isn't this just about displaced paddlers?

If the SF is blocked, isn't it just blocked from Maui?

That said, I agree with everyone else that this just gives Hawaii a black eye as a place to do business.

[Miulang]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

Even if the bigger suit against HSF hadn't been settled in the way it was, the first suit heard on Tuesday will still require the DOT to do some more traffic mitigation before HSF can dock in Kahului.

August ordered the DOT to follow a suggestion by its own traffic consultant to add a third outbound lane to the Pu'unene spur so that there are two left-turn lanes onto Ka'ahumanu and a lane for going straight or turning right.

Fukunaga said that shouldn't be a problem, but making changes to the other side of Pu'unene Avenue as suggested will be more difficult because unlike the spur, that part of the road is heavily traveled and there is little room for additional lanes. He said reconfiguring the road could result in "unintended consequences" and that more study may be needed before any changes can be made.

...August also is requiring the DOT to provide police officers to direct traffic, if needed, for an hour prior to the ferry's 9:30 a.m. arrival until a half-hour after the vessel departs at 11 a.m., until otherwise ordered by the court.

Because the ferry company did not make arrangements for off-site parking for passengers who are not taking their vehicles along, August said the DOT must make space available for ferry customers at the Kahului Airport overflow parking lot, about two miles from the harbor.

...The DOT also is being required to monitor conditions at the intersection and assess the traffic impacts of the ferry operation and report back to the court Nov. 8, at which time August may order additional measures or decide mitigation is not needed.

Before that date, the agency must determine the cost and feasibility of installing a sophisticated traffic signal at the intersection that can adjust the length of each light cycle based on real-time traffic conditions. Fukunaga said the existing automated signal likely can be adjusted to accommodate ferry traffic, if necessary.

This is the testimony from the hearings on Maui which resulted in the judge's ruling.

HSF supporters can only hope that the EIS that is being prepared for Kahului Harbor's Year 2030 Master Plan which was supposed to be released anytime now will satisfy the requirement for an EIS for HSF, because in this larger EIS, all harbor users are being studied for their impacts on Kahului Harbor.

Miulang

[dick]

Re: Hawai'i Superferry - Chapter 4

I'll keep my fingers crossed. I just bought a ferry ride to Maui yesterday morning for Sept. 08 with a return on the 12th.

And I was really looking forward creating a "traffic jam" in Kahului.