OVERWHELMING SUPERFERRY OPPOSITION CONTINUES ON NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Associated Press
KAILUA-KONA - State senators heard more of the same yesterday at their third neighbor island Hawai`i Superferry meeting in three days as they prepared for a special legislative session.
More than 400 people, including more than 180 who signed up to testify, overwhelmingly favored an environmental study be conducted before the ferry is allowed to sail between the islands.
Whether they wanted the ferry or were against it, not one Big Island resident said they wanted to see state lawmakers give special treatment to a privately owned business.
Some called the special session, which was set to start today in Honolulu, a waste of money, while others demanded that the Superferry follow the same state regulations as every other private enterprise.
Several people claimed Gov. Linda Lingle botched the issue and was leaning on lawmakers to fix her mistake.
While about 70 percent of those gathered seemed to oppose the Superferry on principle, almost all called for lawmakers to follow existing state law and to follow the prescribed process....
...Ron Self of Kau said the senators were faced with a "monumental decision."
"It's whether or not we want to create highways between our islands.
This is something we've never seen before," he said. "We don't have the infrastructure to support Superferry and won't have it by 2009.
Let's take our time. Don't make legislation to rush this through. You are wrong on that...."
