Too Much, Too Little, Too Late

Instead of hurriedly setting sail to bridge Hawaii’s outer islands, perhaps the Hawaii Superferry needed to first make its maiden voyage a trip back through time.

If bringing together the Hawaiian Islands was one of its goals, the Hawaii Superferry would have realized it has already been badly beaten to the punch. Any local can tell you that Hawaii’s world-renowned icon King Kamehameha fulfilled this unifying task long ago.

The Superferry once again attempts to alter what history has already written as its lobbyists push for Hawaii’s lawmakers to hurry through a bill that would allow for its operation, despite previously mandated laws that require an Environmental Impact Statement to first be completed.

Though the Hawaii Supreme Court has already made its decree providing an injunction to halt the Superferry’s activities until a thorough and comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement is made, Superferry and friends caught a break in the current that seemed to be pushing them toward a more permanent closure. Governor Lingle, a long time supporter of the ferry company, has disturbingly mounted increasing pressure on legislators to expedite a bill that would allow her to set environmental conditions for the ship’s operation, allowing for it to continue to “rebuild our marine highways,” without the necessary and extensive environmental impact research mandated by current law to ensure the well-being of the islands’ natural habitat.

Without conducting an in-depth study, Hawaii’s marine wildlife unnecessarily remains at greater risk. Hawaii’s waters are home to a host of sea creatures and without proper environmental regulation, these creatures will be threatened by the Superferry’s operations. Environmentalists have been raising concerns regarding such issues, citing potential damage to inhabitant whales and the possible transportation of invasive species hidden inside and under vehicles. However, just recently ferry lobbyists, along with others, were given the opportunity to legitimately voice their concerns. The public was given the opportunity to provide their opinion before legislators met in special session through the delivering of closely time-monitored, sound-bite length testimonies to state legislators at informational briefs.

While informational briefs are advertised as an information gathering process so that public ideas can be incorporated into proposed legislation, Hawaii’s legislators seek to use this notion to their advantage. These legislators, many of who remain concerned with their fate given the upcoming elections, have disingenuously engineered such informational briefs and scoping meetings to merely appease stakeholders who feel as if they have been left out of the entire decision-making process. Though a thorough and comprehensive study of the Superferry’s impact on the environment is expected to take up to two years to complete, legislators have instead deliberately chosen to base their decision on a mere two minutes of testimony given by an allotted number of concerned experts and citizens on limited occasions.

Surely, any legislation created on such limited information has the potential to create further problems and have haphazard results. The legislation concocted by State Legislators merely seeks to skirt the earlier court rulings requiring the creation of an Environmental Impact Statement before the permitting the Hawaii Superferry to resume operations. The Hawaii Sierra Club believes that the current drafted legislation still fails to incorporate important operating stipulations, including the reduction of speed by the Superferry, thereby failing to “adequately protect our environment while exempting the Superferry.”

If the Hawaii Superferry truly wishes to “rebuild” marine highways with respect for the environment, the company should do so with a more genuine effort by respecting past laws requiring an environmental impact assessment to be made before resuming its operations. Rather than further disaggregating public sentiment by pushing forward in its attempt to circumvent a number of court rulings, the company should seek to adopt a policy that is responsive to both the comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement as well as the public’s concern.

This prolonged feud between the Hawaii Superferry and concerned citizens has already brought the ferry a barrage of negative advertisement and will certainly hurt the company’s image and business. This battle has dragged on long enough that perhaps the Superferry should start thinking in terms of damage control. Because in this battle, it is likely that even Kamehameha would have struggled to emerge a winner.

Growing Pains

It was an unusual battle of epic proportions--pitting a flotilla of surfers atop their boards against a mechanized, sea faring giant. Kauai's recent bout with the Hawaii Superferry attracted throngs of people, onlookers and activists alike, exhibiting perhaps one of the oddest, yet most advantageous and eclectic mix from all walks of life. From the modern day aristocrat and intellectual, to the everyday beach bum—these islanders gathered, each feeling the need to become intrinsically involved in the fight to protect their island. And such a display of unity in diversity could not have come at a more opportune moment.

The latest face-off between disgruntled islanders and the first inter-island car-carrying monstrosity has finally pushed many of these locals far beyond their comfort zone. As a few entrepreneurial spirits herald The Superferry as a blessing for business, others (and rightfully so) are ironically threatened by the thought of a bolstering economy for their sleepy island.

Though the prospect of inexpensive inter-island traveling, coupled with an increase in tourism and the luring of big-name business may seem like quite the blessing from an outsider’s perspective; for locals, this could only mean one thing: their eventual displacement from the island which they have always called home due to an economic disparity.

The island of Kauai may already have its fair share of tourism which perhaps, in some ways, benefit the island’s economy. However, the seduction of alleged wealth and commerce associated with the Superferry’s coming must not allow locals to fall victim to another ploy engineered by the selfish individuals who seek to benefit from the Superferry’s future voyages.

Yes, with the Superferry’s ability to offer quick and convenient transportation between islands, the island will be more accessible to outsiders, and the prospect of opening bigger businesses becomes a real possibility.

Yes, such businesses may stimulate the economy by creating more jobs and providing more opportunities for residents and non-residents alike. Ideally, the Superferry may even place Kauai on the map, bolstering tourism and possibly even earning Kaui the coveted title of the most desired Hawaiian vacation destination.

But before getting carried away with the host of endless possibilities that can be sparked by the docking of a mere boat, let us not neglect some of the negative economic repercussions that locals may expect remorsefully.

The increase in big business will inevitably increase competition, and smaller businesses that have faithfully served the island’s community may be annihilated. Their pockets are simply not deep enough to survive price wars that accompany competition from business giants.

The increase in visitors and business investors are likely to find more interest in the island, thus causing the invasion of not only the business market, but also the real-estate market. Already, big names like Pierce Brosnan have already purchased land in some of the most breathtaking areas of the island.

While this not only prevents access for islanders from prime beaches and the like due to the sales of property sales, consequently it is a growing and disturbing predicament for many locals. Future surge in the real-estate market will displace the islanders themselves, due to the pricing in the housing market that will exponentially rise because of wealthy transplants.

The displacement of locals in exchange for a bolstered economy—it seems to reflect the recent paradigm of paradise. Parallels could be drawn between the current situation that threatens the local islanders of Kauai to that of other islands elsewhere. For example, the islanders on Guam face a similar plight as complacent Guamanians are already preparing for the incursion of a large military contingent. The influx will likely cause similar repercussions on their island’s economy, while they leave the battle to vociferous and efficacious activists.

While Garibaldi, a former Hawaiian Airlines chief financial officer who says that the airlines too once faced a similar predicament, believes that the Superferry has the support of the silent majority of residents throughout the island; one should be wary to accept such claims offered from such partisan interests. Though activists have already led the fight against the docking of the Superferry on the island of Kauai, others must not hesitate to continue the battle against what could ultimately force the very progeny of many islanders to be priced out of their own lands. Silent locals must take heed to what is going on—for the Superferry’s outcome will soon determine many of their own destiny.