Dear Activist friends,
I was interviewed today for the khon channel 2 news. If you happen to watch TV, see the segment at 5pm and 6pm, I'm told. Additionally, I would like to make publicly known an important piece of information that was forwarded to some key legislators last week based on first-hand info from a Honolulu friend of the cause who found our website.
She told me Congressman Neil Abercrombie directly told her he had a deal for Superferry to do military contracts in California while an EIS would be undertaken in Hawaii, thereby providing no exposureto Hawaii neighbor islands during the study. This explains Mr. Garibaldi's senate testimony off-hand comment mid week when he casually revealed Superferry would probably sail off to California. Congressman Abercrombie's deal was brought to my attention mid last week, and passed onward to Representative Marcus Oshiro, D-39th (Wahiawa) by a third party. Oshiro questioned Governor Lingle, but was cut off by Chairman Souki before he could publicly ask about this deal to the Governor. I also emailed our Kaua'i legislators this as well.
Also, I offered in committee testimony that the Federal Loan Guarantees could be arranged to give Superferry deferment of loans due and allow the ship to remain idle here with little financial duress while an EIS was done.
In either case, the Superferry could be lawfully checked out with an EIS without causing Hawaii irreparable harm. It is in the media that the Incidental Take Permit for whales and the protections that process brings forth would likely take over a year to activate. So even with the Senate's good intention for this amendment, it does not protect the whales in the meantime.
Most of us feel the state law is inherrently unconstitutional, we peacefully hold for the Supreme Court to step in or Maui Judge Cardoza to uphold his Injunction in the face of an unconstitutional law. If all else fails there are many, many people who will take to the harbors to vote their conscience with their bodies. Prudence on all parties would still say Superferry wait. This is not a small vocal minority as Superferry has spun, and that will become evident if this corrupt project is pushed further forward ahead of an EIS. We would be in alignment with our hearts like the man in front of the tank in Tianamen Square.
We are in pule to hope it doesn't come to that, and that the highest good for all Hawaii for generations to come is observed.
With true aloha,
John Tyler
Kaua'i based
boycottsuperferry.org
Note from Webmaster: Abercrombie has been a big Superferry supporter from the get-go.