Superferry stirs political waters

» A statewide poll reveals support for a special legislative session to help the ferry open for business

» A statewide poll reveals most state residents blame protesters and environmentalists for standing in the ship's way

STORY SUMMARY »

Gov. Linda Lingle says a special legislative session will be needed for the Hawaii Superferry whether or not a Maui judge rules that the vessel can operate while an environmental assessment is done.

A Star-Bulletin poll indicates statewide support for a special session to allow the ferry to operate again.

Sixty-two percent of respondents statewide said they thought a special session to allow the ferry to operate is a good idea.

Lawmakers have not committed to coming back in special session and are awaiting the ruling by Maui Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza.

Lingle says a special session will be needed because any ruling from Cardoza is likely to be appealed, leading to uncertainty over the permanence of his order.

"I think a special session is critical," she said. "There has to be some certainty to it, and that means a law that makes it clear that regardless of what happens from this point forward, that they will comply with what was required under the law but they will be allowed to operate."

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ABOUT THE POLL The Star-Bulletin Hawaii Superferry poll was conducted Sept. 27 through Tuesday by SMS Research. A total of 600 telephone surveys were conducted statewide, 150 each on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai. The margin of error is 4 percentage points for the statewide poll and about 8 percentage points for the individual islands. Statewide totals were weighted to reflect the relative population of the islands.

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FULL STORY »

Isle sentiment favors ferry

Second of Two Parts

Most Hawaii residents believe the Hawaii Superferry has been treated unfairly, and many place responsibility for the company's troubles on environmentalists and protesters, according to a Star-Bulletin poll.

For the detailed poll data and demographics, please click here.

The poll also revealed that a majority of residents think the Legislature should convene a special session to allow the ferry to operate.

The issue of whether the Superferry can operate while an environmental assessment is performed could be decided this week. Environmentalists on Maui already have won a temporary court order preventing the ferry from using Kahului Harbor.

Now Maui Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza must decide on a more permanent injunction being sought by those same environmental groups, which want the assessment performed before the ferry resumes operations. Oral arguments will wrap up today.

The assessment was ordered by the Hawaii Supreme Court in August, days before the planned launch of the interisland ferry service, saying the study was needed because of the $40 million in state money that was used to upgrade harbor facilities for the ferry's use.

While the Supreme Court order and the temporary injunction apply only to Maui, the Superferry's 349-foot Alakai also has been blocked from Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai by protesters in the water.

The state has said it does not believe an environmental assessment was necessary because it would have singled out the Superferry when other harbor users have not been required to perform similar studies.

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When asked who they felt was most responsible for the Superferry's troubles, 42.8 percent of respondents statewide said environmentalists and protesters.

Thirteen percent blamed the Lingle administration, 11.3 percent said the ferry's owners, 10.2 percent said the state Legislature and 3.4 percent said the state Supreme Court.

"I think it was surprising that so many people picked the protesters," said Jim Dannemiller, president of SMS Research of Hawaii, which conducted the poll for the Star-Bulletin. "I think people feel that the behavior that has been shown us from the protesters has been, in some ways, distasteful, or certainly unpopular."

The telephone poll of 600 adults -- 150 each on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai -- was conducted Sept. 27 through Tuesday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points for the state and 8 percentage points for each island.

The percentage of those who blamed environmentalists and protesters was lower on Kauai, 32.7 percent, and Maui, 25.3 percent, compared with 45.3 percent on Oahu and 47.3 percent on the Big Island.

On Kauai, 24.7 percent blamed the Lingle administration, as did 26.7 percent on Maui, compared with 10.7 percent on Oahu and 10 percent on the Big Isle.

"Putting the blame on the protesters is putting the blame in the wrong place," said University of Hawaii political scientist Neal Milner, who said the problems appeared to stem more from the Supreme Court's decision.

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When asked if they felt the Superferry had been treated unfairly, 65.8 percent of all respondents said yes. Also, 74.2 percent said they felt the company should be subject to the same rules and regulations as other commercial ships.

On the issue of legislation, 62 percent said having a special session to allow the Superferry to operate again was a good idea. About half the respondents on Maui, 48.7 percent, and Kauai, 52 percent, supported a special session, compared with 64 percent and 66 percent, respectively, on Oahu and the Big Island.

"The people feel that somehow the Superferry has been treated unfairly, but they don't want the Superferry to have any special treatment," said Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D, Nanakuli-Makua). "It shows us that it's not 'support the Superferry at all costs.'"

House Speaker Calvin Say, who supports allowing the ferry to operate while an environmental assessment is done, said he believes any talk of a special session is still speculative until Cardoza rules in the Maui case.

"Will our members be in support (of a special session)? I really don't know," said Say (D, St. Louis Heights-Wilhelmina Rise-Palolo Valley). "But I think a lot of us would like to see the ferry operate on the condition that as it operates, it's concurrent while the (assessment) is being done."

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Gov. Linda Lingle said she believes a special session will be needed regardless of what Cardoza rules, because of the likelihood that the decision will be appealed.

"If it's appealed, there's no certainty for the time that will take," Lingle said.

Even if the ruling favored the Superferry and allowed it to operate, she said, an appeals court ruling could come later and shut down operations again.

"I think a special session is critical," she said. "There has to be some certainty to it, and that means a law that makes it clear that regardless of what happens from this point forward, that they will comply with what was required under the law but they will be allowed to operate."