Business leaders believe rail will be beneficial - Hawaii Edito...

Mayor Mufi Hannemann's State of the Rail address was a very timely reminder that Oahu's rail transit project is critical to Oahu and the entire state of Hawaii.

[Honolulu Resident]

If they really believed in a railroad to solve our traffic problems, they would build it where the millions of visitors could use it, between the airport and the hotels in Waikiki. Maybe the taxicabs, buses, limos have a strong enough lobby to keep the politicians from replacing them with a train. It seems they are willing to let a handful of politicians get rich, at the expense of a never-ending debt that will fall to our grandchildren and their grandchildren.

[Kalli]

Odd also that many members of the round table are big construction companies, attorneys and engineers. Why make slaves out of the people who live on the leeward coast to have to go to UH manoa. Why not use the $5 Billion to build a UH West Oahu campus in Kapolei that they can go to get a good education so they don't have to be wage slaves for construction jobs. The round table is being self serving.

[Poi]

All fluff.

There exists no city where;

1) There was a traffic problem
2) They built rail
3) There was less of a traffic problem.

NONE.

Rail's true purpose is to justify and allow more development, which enriches the builders of rail and other developers.

But it will never solve Honolulu's traffic problem. In fact, it will make it worse.

[Poi]

Honolulu Resident wrote:

If they really believed in a railroad to solve our traffic problems, they would build it where the millions of visitors could use it, between the airport and the hotels in Waikiki. Maybe the taxicabs, buses, limos have a strong enough lobby to keep the politicians from replacing them with a train. It seems they are willing to let a handful of politicians get rich, at the expense of a never-ending debt that will fall to our grandchildren and their grandchildren.

You gotit.

Rail between the Stadium Airport Downtown Ala Moana and Waikiki could make sense.

But the problem with that is it would actually alleviate traffic by encouraging tourists to not rent cars but it would not encourage developers to continue to overdevelop. So they don't want that route.

[realist]

The Business Round Table is way off base and is thinking of their own well being. Try wait. These same business folks will be complaining about property tax rates and saying "homeowners don't pay their share". Of course we all know that businesses do not pay taxes; people and their customers pay taxes. Buy online and send a local message.

[Spock]

How many days in a row has it been that we've seen a pro-rail editorial or letter to the editor? Let's be honest here. This is a well-orchestrated campaign - probably run by Kirk Caldwell - designed to make it look like there is overwhelming public support for rail. Yesterday it was "M. Chung" the ordinary citizen, today it is Gary Kai the businessman. Who will it be tomorrow? The little old lady down the street? Maybe a tourist? This is Captain Kirk's version of a Jedi mind trick: keep telling the people that rail is good for them and eventually they'll believe it. Of course, twenty years from now when rail is overbudget, poorly built, requiring huge operational subsidies and failing to relieve traffic it won't matter because Mufi and Kirk will have retired or moved on to greener pastures. But the rest of us taxpayers will be footing the bill forever for something most of us will never use. That's what they mean by "May the Farce be with You."

[Lets get moving]

Meanwhile, a small group of angry rail haters will say just about anything to attack the project. Ho hum, you're all wet.

[Poi]

Lets get moving wrote:

Meanwhile, a small group of angry rail haters will say just about anything to attack the project. Ho hum, you're all wet.

Lemee guess.

You're on the payroll somehow.

You will benefit financially from this boondoggle.

Yes?

Case closed.

[hmmmm]

sustainability is not just nutcase concept

destroying agriculture to create a "$6000/month mortgage" southern california suburbia is a crime

and to put the word "sustainable" on this development it obscene

the Union workers CAN be put to work without this

the money can be used to build AFFORDABLE housing and to expand AGRICULTURE

we not PLANNING for our people --- not for the rich developers --- WHO HAVE ZERO SHAME

[willie]

Lets get moving wrote:

Meanwhile, a small group of angry rail haters will say just about anything to attack the project. Ho hum, you're all wet.

Yes we should just stfu and become a Mufi Lemming...let me hear the chant:

"rail is good, rail is good rail is good..."

[Flexo]

I'm wondering why the Business Round Table doesn't build rail themselves if they think it is such a great idea. They could form a hui from their membership, build it, and live happily ever after off the profits. Not only that, they would be doing a public service at the same time by relieving congestion.

[JusttheLatest Shakedown]

Good News: A small elite no longer runs Hawaii -- Bad News: Mufi thinks he can change that

http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/main/ArticlesM...

[Kam]

Poi wrote:

All fluff.
There exists no city where;
1) There was a traffic problem
2) They built rail
3) There was less of a traffic problem.
NONE.
Rail's true purpose is to justify and allow more development, which enriches the builders of rail and other developers.
But it will never solve Honolulu's traffic problem. In fact, it will make it worse.

And there is only one city in the nation where the train is not heavily susidized, NY because the rail is everywhere and the population density.

[Fair Play]

At least an "expert" has given his review of the rail project. Unfortunately the people commenting here are only experts at attacking and not putting forth any new ideas. It is sad. If you are against something why not put forward a credible response or idea instead of just attacking and putting something down. Is it because you have nothing credible to say?

[local]

The Business Round Table is a group that's going to make millions off Mufi. I bet this group has already secured all the rights to open up shops at or near the rail stations. You can take that to the bank.

[Fair Play]

With all due respect to commentors from CA, IL, MI and Big Island and Kauai - you don't have to sit in traffic like I do each day and lose hours of my life each week. Whatever you feeling is about this respect the west Oahu people who lose weeks of their lives in traffic with no alternative. Must be nice to have choices like BART or the "L" we don't.

[alice]

Kalli wrote:

Odd also that many members of the round table are big construction companies, attorneys and engineers. Why make slaves out of the people who live on the leeward coast to have to go to UH manoa. Why not use the $5 Billion to build a UH West Oahu campus in Kapolei that they can go to get a good education so they don't have to be wage slaves for construction jobs. The round table is being self serving.

well said. Business roundtable is a bunch of hacks who own Mufi. They have their own riches in mind

[swannie]

Of course the solution to Oahu's traffic problem is to build a gazillion houses on productive farmland that is 40 miles out in the country. The logic stinks and the money is stolen, don't let some snake oil salesmen ruin Hawai'i.

[willie]

local wrote:

The Business Round Table is a group that's going to make millions off Mufi. I bet this group has already secured all the rights to open up shops at or near the rail stations. You can take that to the bank.

You bet, the taxpayers will fork over billions so these folks can make millions. Sort of like buying $1 bills for 10 or 20 bucks each. Be cheaper in the long run to just take the taxes collected so far and hand it to them and NOT ever build the rail.

[willie]

swannie wrote:

Of course the solution to Oahu's traffic problem is to build a gazillion houses on productive farmland that is 40 miles out in the country. The logic stinks and the money is stolen, don't let some snake oil salesmen ruin Hawai'i.

Anyone who thinks all that new housing is ONLY going to use rail needs another glass of kool aid..there will be thousands more cars on the already overcrowded roads.