tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post719308760853065153..comments2024-02-24T03:46:01.305-05:00Comments on Fred Fry International: Econuts and Moonbats Stop Hawaii Superferry (For Now)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-70873018742418462882007-09-12T23:40:00.000-04:002007-09-12T23:40:00.000-04:00My family has been to Maui sixty times in the last...My family has been to Maui sixty times in the last 20 years for vacations. The traffic in Maui is now brutal. Often there is no way to get from Lahaina to Kihei as the road is closed due to an accident, brush fire, flood etc. <BR/><BR/>When one links Maui to Oahu which has a huge relative population the traffic situation will be constant gridlock on Maui. This is in addition to the homeless and criminals that will have easy access to an area of the State that does not have the resources that Honolulu does to handle such social ills.<BR/><BR/>Had Maui put in the bypass highway that it has been planning for 20 years the impact on traffic would be greatly mitigated.<BR/><BR/>For someone that really knows Maui as a tourist destination I am adamant that the Superferry is a horrible proposition for all the Hawaiian Islands except Oahu.<BR/><BR/>But as long as people like yourself who look foreward to going there someday think it is a good idea maybe they should go ahead and see what happens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-3458948263057510602007-09-01T10:13:00.000-04:002007-09-01T10:13:00.000-04:00"The harsh acts of just a few are unfortunate yet ...<I>"The harsh acts of just a few are unfortunate yet ought to be no reason to start name calling and blanketing every one out there with your harsh judgements. 99% of those on site were peaceful, non-violent and of sound mind and body."</I><BR/><BR/> - Sorry, but the 99% cheered on the 1% in effect shielding them and encouraging them to act the way they did. And it was more than 1%. From the photos it looked more like 5-10%<BR/><BR/> - Every one of those surfers interfered with the movement of a vessel endangering the lives of those aboard as well as themselves, and even risked an environmental incident had the vessel run aground. That is unfair to those who operate the vessels and to the members of law enforcement that is forced to deal with them. Their interference disregards the rights of all others and is a crime.<BR/><BR/><I>Are you being paid to spin this?</I><BR/><BR/> - I wish! (And No, I am not spinning this.)<BR/><BR/>I had originally left out some details of the protests that claim those on the island in question were really protesting about making the island more accessible, in effect crashing their private party. Sounds selfish to me. I left it out because there is no proof if this but feel free to comment on this issue as well.Fred Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13532681496977057474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-8960697626701295702007-09-01T00:09:00.000-04:002007-09-01T00:09:00.000-04:00From: "Rep. Hermina Morita" repmorita@Capitol.hawa...From: "Rep. Hermina Morita" repmorita@Capitol.hawaii.gov<BR/>Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:58:38 -1000<BR/>Subject: Rep. Hermina Morita requests DOT to stop Superferry service to Kauai<BR/><BR/><BR/>The House of Representatives <BR/>STATE OF HAWAII<BR/> <BR/> <BR/>Rep. Hermina Morita requests DOT to stop Superferry service<BR/>to Kauai "Federal, state and county police or military<BR/>resources and power should not be used to enforce bad<BR/>political decisions."<BR/><BR/>HONOLULU. State representative Hermina Morita (District 14 ˆ<BR/>Kauai) today sent a letter to Barry Fukunaga, Director of the<BR/>State Department of Transportation (DOT), to order the Hawaii<BR/>Superferry to halt service to Kauai pursuant to last week's<BR/>Supreme Court decision.<BR/><BR/>"The use of the State's harbor facilities, including<BR/>Nawiliwili Harbor, is not appropriate at this time," wrote<BR/>Rep. Morita. "Moreover, until all legal matters are resolved<BR/>or there is further guidance from the Hawaii Supreme Court,<BR/>the DOT needs to respect the rule of the law."<BR/><BR/>Morita is critical of the DOT and claims it disregarded the<BR/>law when it approved the Superferry's operations without<BR/>requiring an environmental review. She highlighted the fact<BR/>that the environmental review was requested by the Hawaii,<BR/>Maui and Kauai County Councils, and that the department's<BR/>avoidance of the process "was done for political expediency<BR/>not respect for the law and brings us to this juncture."<BR/><BR/>Morita goes on to state that a full environmental review and<BR/>full disclosure of the Superferry's operations should have<BR/>been done at the conception of the business. She emphasized<BR/>that, "Federal, state and county police or military resources<BR/>and power should not be used to enforce bad political<BR/>decisions."<BR/><BR/>Copies of the letter were sent to Governor Linda Lingle,<BR/>Mayor Bryan Baptiste, the Kauai County Council and the U.S.<BR/>Coast Guard.<BR/><BR/>###<BR/><BR/>My position on Superferry<BR/><BR/><BR/>by Rep. Hermina Morita <BR/><BR/>I have no regrets about the statements<BR/>I have made publicly in supporting the Kaua'i community in<BR/>protesting the arrival of the Hawaii Superferry on Monday at<BR/>Nawiliwili Harbor. I was not present at the protest on<BR/>Sunday and I do not condone the actions of a few individuals<BR/>who directed their frustrations and anger at arriving or<BR/>departing passengers that evening. One of the reasons I<BR/>attended the protest on Monday was to observe the crowd and<BR/>to assist in whatever way I could to ensure that those<BR/>isolated events on Sunday did not occur again.<BR/><BR/>It is sad that the actions of these few individuals have<BR/>become the "face" of the majority of the protesters who were<BR/>peaceful. And, it is unfortunate that the media chooses to<BR/>exaggerate the confrontation by the repeated showings of this<BR/>small part of the total protest instead of focusing on HSF<BR/>and the State Department of Transportation's blatant<BR/>disregard for the law especially in light of the Hawai'i<BR/>Supreme Court decision requiring an environmental review.<BR/><BR/>In my role as a state legislator and chair of the House<BR/>Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, my position<BR/>on the HSF has always been consistent with the fact that the<BR/>law is clear that an environmental review is required. This<BR/>position is reflected in House Standing Committee Report 266,<BR/>and House Bill No. 702, House Draft 1, filed on Feb. 6, 2007.<BR/><BR/>The purpose of an environmental review is the preparation of<BR/>a disclosure document containing information of the<BR/>environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts, both<BR/>positive and negative, of a new business like the Hawaii<BR/>Superferry which will use both public lands and public funds<BR/>for its exclusive use. This kind of disclosure document<BR/>offers a structured review, with strict rules and timetables<BR/>for both opponents and proponents, which should lead to<BR/>better decision-making tools to lessen negative impacts.<BR/>Also, it is very important to note that an environmental<BR/>review was requested by the Hawai'i, Maui and Kaua'i county<BR/>councils through passage of resolutions in each county. This<BR/>is the type of scrutiny that the state Department of<BR/>Transportation and HSF sought to avoid by disregarding the<BR/>law.<BR/><BR/>The state Department of Transportation has not articulated a<BR/>clear and concise reason of why the HSF's operations should<BR/>be exempt from the law and this has been confirmed by a<BR/>Hawai'i Supreme Court decision. It is unfortunate that the<BR/>DOT's avoidance of full disclosure and public scrutiny of the<BR/>HSF operations pursuant to Chapter 343, Hawai'i Revised<BR/>Statutes was done solely for political expediency. And, it is<BR/>so ironic that county and federal police actions of the<BR/>Kaua'i Police Department and U.S. Coast Guard have been<BR/>directed against its citizenry who have been trying to uphold<BR/>the law in dealing with this state issue.<BR/><BR/>The problem of the Hawaii Superferry operations cannot and<BR/>should not be fixed by politics or money thrown at public<BR/>relations and $5 promotions. It can only be solved by<BR/>following the law which requires a full environmental review<BR/>process and full disclosure of its operations which should<BR/>have been done at the conception of this business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-32271758566797707012007-09-01T00:02:00.000-04:002007-09-01T00:02:00.000-04:00The harsh acts of just a few are unfortunate yet o...The harsh acts of just a few are unfortunate yet ought to be no reason to start name calling and blanketing every one out there with your harsh judgements. 99% of those on site were peaceful, non-violent and of sound mind and body.<BR/><BR/>Are you being paid to spin this? It is obvious to this observer that you are ill-informed of the reality as is Hawaii Reporter editor and many of those guest editorials.<BR/><BR/>E ola pono.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com