Maui has been saved for the rich people
Tuesday's ruling by Judge Joseph Cardoza just proves that if you have enough money and hire an attorney, anything is possible -- even if it's against the majority opinion, as evidenced by the Star-Bulletin poll (
Oct. 7-8). So once again, the (rich) sensitive environmental elitists and their vocal minority opinion have bought and paid to keep "Gilligan's Island" (Maui) for the newly transplanted "Thurston Howell III's." Want some advice? Next time, don't get on the boat.
Paul F. Fasi
Kula, Maui
Our environment is our economy
It was obvious from day one that the Hawaii Superferry would have adverse impacts on Hawaii's endangered whales, sea mammals, invasive species, rural communities and outer island resources. Since the fall of 2003, hundreds of individuals, groups at numerous meetings and Public Utilities Commission hearings, through county council resolutions and via letters and thousands of petition signatures begged the Hawaii Superferry and the state Department of Transportation to follow the Hawaii Environmental Protection Act and conduct a environmental assessment.
However, powerful and wealthy people in powerful positions through denial, greed, circumvention and by their own fault violated the constitutional rights and safety of the public. The Supreme Court and now the Circuit Court on Maui have ruled that economic costs and concerns do not override the potential damage to our environment from an unmitigated project such as the Superferry. It will be a sad, sad day if the Legislature convenes a special session to undo the 30 years of Hawaii environmental law that has promulgated HEPA and Chapter 343 requiring environmental review before a project is implemented.
Our environment is our economy and that economy is the wholly owned subsidiary of the environment. Our early lawmakers had great insight into the future of Hawaii and I pray the Legislature honors their memory doing the right thing by not legislating after-the-fact approval and relief.
Lance Holter
Chairman
Sierra Club Maui Group
Ruling was correct -- now change the law
Statutes are the responsibility of our Legislature. Judges are appointed to follow the law. Based on existing statutes, Judge Joseph Cardoza made the proper decision regarding Superferry operations.
Hawaii's residents favor the Superferry by a 3-to-1 margin. Therefore, our Legislature needs to fix the law immediately. It's time for Hawaii's Legislature to suspend its typically partisanship-first behavior and get laws on the books that will get the Superferry running immediately -- before our state becomes even more of an international laughingstock.
Mike Rethman
Kaneohe
Come to Kauai -- just not on the Superferry
Some people saying ony haoles protesting da Supaferry coming to Kauai. As not true. So if you unastan Pidgin preemuch, I like talk to you about dis isshue.
I rememba wen had rice growing in Wailua, wen had ony one traffic light on da whole ailan in da Kekaha cane feel, wen had da small, sweet, purple lilikoi, plenny mokihana, maile an limu kohu, wen had Japanee family stoas and Filipino babas all aroun Kauai.
Den pineapple an shuga stahted dying out. Tourism an hotels stahted coming up. Now Kauai get beeg stoas and beeg developments. Open space disappearing, traffic all jam up, infrastrukcha ova loaded. All dis not da Supaferry fault but da Supaferry, coming widout one EIS, as too much!
Like one ol Hawaiian song says, "Kauai, hemolele i ka malie," perfect in the calm. I no like Kauai come like eryplace else. No take da Supaferry. But, if you do, I going (peacefully) hol up my sign: "Visitors -- Yes; Supaferry -- NO!"
Lloyd Miyashiro
Kapaa, Kauai
Switch from plastic to reusable bags
I scratch my head every day when I enter the supermarket. Everyone still accepts plastic bags for their purchases, knowing that it makes environmental sense to bring one's own bag and resist the plastic "free" bags.
According to a report by John Roach for National Geographic News, it has been extrapolated that between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. These bags not only end up in our landfills but cause pollution everywhere you can imagine, including our precious streams and oceans. They break down, becoming plastic particles that poison marine life and can actually end up as plastic sand on our beaches.
We can turn this around; Roach also reported that Ireland was able to institute a 20-cent tax on each bag and "the plastic bags that once blighted the verdant Irish countryside are now merely an occasional eyesore." Surely we don't need a tax; we in Hawaii have the collective will power to protect our environment. Let's start now with this simple change in our shopping behavior and make a difference. To purchase a reusable bag, contact Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii at www.b-e-a-c-h.org.
Andrea Song
Honolulu