• Look at economic impacts • Who’s being ‘clever’? • I am a patriot Look at economic impacts This letter is to address another EIS that I would like to see done or be discussed and that is the Economic
• Look at economic impacts
• Who’s being ‘clever’?
• I am a patriot
Look at economic impacts
This letter is to address another EIS that I would like to see done or be discussed and that is the Economic Impact Study.
I bring this into the discussion of why I am against the Superferry.
I am a small professional computer repair and information technology provider on the island of Kaua‘i and have been operating successfully as a small “one-man” business operation.
As you know, Kaua‘i and all of the other islands have similar “small” one-man operations and it is almost a basic living right that we do. The opening of the Pandora’s box of connecting the island with a so-called “ocean highway” that will allow the hundreds of smaller professional business operators in O‘ahu to over-lay their service areas to the outer islands is what I feel will be an irreversible “economic threat” and this is what I fear from the Superferry.
You can name any small service business here on Kaua‘i and you will find that there are hundreds of them listed in the O‘ahu yellow pages.
Who will benefit from the Superferry?
It will be the businesses that will formulate their business to take advantage of this new highway. If you figure out the cost of transporting a vehicle round-trip you can easily see that a family outing to a Neighbor Island with a car or van is costly and not many will use that system of transportation. It’s not for everyone. The true cost will only benefit a business model such as Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kaua‘i. It can create a special trip for their seniors to visit the Honolulu Zoo for $150/person and they can easily add that to their monthly payments.
But what will be devastating to that business model is that the bigger businesses on O‘ahu will price out that service and compete with the Neighbor Island plans to find opportunity selling or bringing their services to O‘ahu.
To me, as a small business operation, our business culture here on Kaua‘i is protected in isolation and I believe on each Neighbor Island, the way we do business is so very different from the business culture on O‘ahu. We small “country” businessmen will not have a chance if you compare us with what O‘ahu business counterparts will offer. Their business strengths will overcome our business model so easily and we will be overrun by hundreds of service vehicles coming from O‘ahu to “scoop up” our business and then drive back to their home base in O‘ahu.
I know for a fact that many of those “swap meet” vendors already have that capability on a moment’s notice, to bring their loads of products and will easily set up a parking lot stand to sell thousands-of-dollars worth of electronic products and goods that cannot be found in any of our stores here on Kaua‘i. I am not talking about the big store vendors that could regularly afford to ship things through Matson or Young Bros., but of those hundreds of business-minded families living with bedrooms of electronic equipment or products, even access to low cost produce will bring their business through the Superferry highway.
It’s like the movie “Stargate.” We open a new bridge/gateway and our weaker commerce meets O‘ahu stronger commerce. Who will be successful?
I believe that Kaua‘i has its own economic vitality because we are separated and isolated by ocean.
I may be a bit naïve. May I ask, has there ever been an EIS (Economic Impact Study) done for the Superferry?
Our little island commerce is at stake. Why is the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce not protecting our business haven?
This current EIS issue (environmental) is not a big issue compared (easy payoff) to the ill economic impact effect to the smaller businesses and niche markets which have been enjoying isolation because of the ocean distance.
John Sydney Yamane
Kaua‘i businessman
Who’s being ‘clever’?
This is in response to Sen. Fred Hemmings’ Guest Viewpoint (“Hawai‘i’s paradox seen in ferry struggle,” Forum, Oct. 31).
He begins by stating that “lost opportunities due to a vocal minority is a tragedy.”
Then he refers to the recent Superferry protest as an example. I think of the World Trade Center destruction or the Columbine shootings as tragedies. I do not think that not being able to take my truck to O‘ahu really classifies as a tragedy.
I think I signed the petition with 6,000 Kaua‘i residents that was ignored by the governor. Some 6,000 adults is a significant percentage of the Kaua‘i population. Then our elected County Council objected to a ferry without an environmental assessment. Then a court on Maui decided that an environmental impact study was needed to comply with Hawai‘i state law before the ferry should operate.
In my opinion, the diverse group of citizens who responded vocally and mostly peacefully to this situation are appropriately using their democratic freedom of free speech. They took time out from busy lives to attempt to protect our island and the ocean around us from potentially harmful impacts. I listened to many speeches by protesters on public television and read many letters to the editor, and no one sounded “ill informed” to me. In fact, I was amazed and impressed by how much research and study had gone into the protesters’ talks.
Near the end of Senator Hemmings opinion article, he talks about “clever ways to stabilize growth in Hawai‘i.” On Kaua‘i I have not seen any stabilization of growth.
People who want to develop have more money and time and energy to develop than the vocal minority who would like to slow growth down and preserve the environment. The governor and the state government over-ruling the court and the state environmental law seems “clever” to me, but not toward stabilizing growth.
I would love to hear Senator Hemmings “clever” solutions for our problems with traffic, solid waste management, water management, and improving public education.
Steve Backinoff
Kilauea
I am a patriot
To Senator Hemmings and Governor Lingle,
If you had thought ahead and planned for Hawai‘i’s future, the EIS would have been completed in a timely manner as mandated by state law and the current devisive furor over the Superferry might not be taking place.
I agree the laws must be fair and balanced. The environmental laws were voted in by a bygone legislature and governorship that was obviously far more observant and forthright than the one now in question, namely yours.
You simply must not legislate out laws designed to protect the Hawaiian environment in order to placate current “popular whim,” let alone government, corporate, or military interests.
I don’t believe we share the same goals or vision at all. Therefore, it is my duty to question your actions and motivations.
Dissent is patriotic.
Ron Aaron Burt
Princeville
