Sierra Club rallies
against airport growth

By Gary Kubota
Star-Bulletin

KAHULUI, Maui -- The club that guides people on wilderness hikes is hoping to lead them onto the path of more environmental activism.

The Sierra Club on Maui is sponsoring a political rally today against the proposed expansion of the Kahului Airport. The rally is from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the Kaahumanu Center.

David Frankel, executive director of the Sierra Club's Hawaii chapter, said the club has taken political positions on issues in the past but has not been involved in organizing political rallies.

"This is fairly unprecedented," said Frankel, whose group has a membership of 5,000 people statewide. "It's a new step in the Sierra Club's activism."

The club also took a different turn in the November election, with candidates such as Gov. Ben Cayetano actively promoting the group's endorsement of him.

Democrats and Republicans acknowledge the endorsement played a role in drawing votes to Cayetano at a time when polls showed him trailing Republican gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle. He eventually won by about 5,500 votes statewide.

"I think it made a difference," said Ryther Barbin, chairman of the Democratic Party for Maui County.

"My sense is that the environmental issue was an important factor in the election and it definitely hurt Lingle."

Frankel said rather than environmental issues playing a fringe role, they became a point raised again and again by Cayetano in the closing days of the campaign.

He said that Cayetano sent out mailings noting his endorsement by the Sierra Club to 60,000 Hawaii people identified as environmentalists, and also mentioned the group's backing of him in the gubernatorial debates.

"I know we made a difference," Frankel said. "Clearly, we were not the only reason but we were a major factor in his victory."

Frankel said the group was "troubled" by Lingle's position in favor of abolishing the state water commission and state Land Use Commission and her failure to comply with sewage treatment requirements.

Both Cayetano and Lingle have supported the airport expansion, including extension of the runway to encourage overseas flights.

Sierra Club officials say the rally is to show elected officials the group is strongly opposed to extending the runway.

"It's a crossroads issue, whether Maui is going to follow the path of Honolulu or whether Maui is going to keep its character," Frankel said.