Thursday, November 7, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, December 3, 2012
Rail: The Final Vote
By Tom Berg @ 9:08 PM :: 6245 Views :: Rail

FULL COUNCIL HEARING THIS WEDNESDAY DEC. 5TH INCLUDES RAIL: THE FINAL VOTE

by Councilmember Tom Berg

I made my speech last Thursday to justify my position when the measure was debated for a vote in committee. The vote was 8-1 to pass reso 12-322, with myself being the lone NO VOTE. Why? The GET surcharge option at ½ of a percent for transportation relief was a fixed fight - corrupted from the start. HB1309, which became ACT 247 (Hawaii Session Laws 2005) allowed all counties - except Honolulu, to use the GET surcharge for highway technology. Meaning, if Kauai, Big Island, Maui counties wanted a fixed guideway and decided to put buses on it, they could. However, in the small print, hidden in the bill, was language that stated - if Honolulu wants to put buses on their fixed guideway, they can't. All other counties can do what they wanted - but Honolulu can't.

Why would that be? It was because in a study done in 2002 in Honolulu that compared buses and rail technologies - buses beat rail hands down on all fronts. See, politicians could not make a buck off buses, but could rather, cash in big off of a steel rail endeavor. Got PRP? A bus system could be built faster, for less money, use less energy, cleaner on the environment, and get riders to their destinations faster than rail besides being able to carry more passengers. The problem was, how do politicians cash in on the deal? So they (State Legislature) created legislation that dictated only rail could be advanced on Oahu - the biggest con job of all time, and many good people, have fallen for it. I have not. You can't fool me . . . and in my book, in the world of good government and justice, I simply cannot vote for a corrupted government ploy steeped in deception and ill-will to fleece the public. Follow the money. My 5-minute speech explaining the corruption was recorded on Olelo television for your information.

Here is a YouTube that outlined what was at stake: VIDEO

 

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii