Guest Viewpoint
Kaua’i is not on the Superferry’s List of Priorities

Dear Mr. O’Halloran 

I know that today there are many nauseated people on Kauai, disgusted  and sick to their stomach from reading your Guest Viewpoint in today’s TGI. Everybody knows that the motivation of the Superferry developers is as far from the interests of this island as you can get.

You have clearly demonstrated the one motivating factor for your efforts in bringing your “Military Transport Vessel” to Kaua’i and that factor is the quest for money.

You have made it clear in both of the meetings that you have held here on Kaua’i by refusing to give answers to legitimate questions.

You have made it clear by spending untold thousands of dollars on full page advertising in an effort to sway the thinking of our citizens and you have made it clear by sugar coating every public appearance with vague half truths and misleading statements.

It seems clear to me that you intend to hold back the real story of the Superferry until after it is too late and the underlying plan has materialized. What can we do then, Mr. O ‘Halloran?  So, since you brought the subject up, how about answering a few simple questions with facts and figures, not generalities and platitudes. 

1. Exactly what do you plan to do to prevent whales form being killed? How effective do you think your plan will be, and how many whales do you project will be killed yearly by the Superferry based upon experiences where other Superferries have been used?
2. How are you going to inspect in excess of 100 cars while they are queuing up to get on the ferry? By my count you have approximately 9 seconds to inspect each vehicle.
3. What do you intend to do about the threat of crime and especially the raiding of cars at the beach, home robberies and the possibility of kidnapping of children from the Island? We see these experiences are commonplace on Oahu and can easily be imported to Kauai.
4. How will you inspect for invasive species and terrorism activities given the short loading time?
5. Please tell us the truth about the Superferry company’s agreement with the military. Everyone knows that references can be found in your original agreement with the State of Hawaii and former Secretary of the Navy (and one of your chief investors) Mr. Lehman has referred to it openly publicly. Yet you have repeatedly denied it at your information meetings. Please give us the unvarnished truth.
6. Your published fares are nearly three years old and even you have admitted that they will change as oil prices go up, as they have. Please tell us the truth. What are your fares as of now with the surcharge added?
7. Please tell us what the projected fuel consumption is for the Superferry that you are planning to bring here.
8. I know that you have said that you are working on the traffic problems that we will encounter. However, our traffic is already completely unmanageable. How can you claim to do anything other than worsen it?
9. How can you in good conscience state that you have the interest of Kaua’i at heart and then be party to a concept that claims the Superferry to be H 4, i.e. a highway that will render Kaua’i a suburb of Honolulu?
10. Why do you refuse to do an environmental impact study? I know that you think that you have found a way to skirt the issue legally. However, it is the right thing to do and everyone knows it. As a matter of fact 20-25 percent of the voters on Kaua’i have signed a petition and our County Council has passed a resolution requesting that you do an EIS. What are you afraid of?

Mr. O’ Halloran, you are pushing against an extremely aware and alert citizenry on Kauai who has suffered through development of your kind beyond its limit. I believe that you will encounter extreme opposition to your plans if you continue to take your agenda for granted without an honest communion with the people of Kauai and an EIS. 

I respect you as a human being, but I cannot condone your actions. Shame on you for telling us that you care about us. You are no Kaua’ian.