Hot topics and Issues .
Hawaiian Sovereignty
It seems like only yesterday that our Queen (Lili`uokalani) was overthrown by a group of American businessmen backed by renegade U.S. troops. But it was over 100 years ago in 1893. Although Congress issued an apology in 1993, there is still much uncertainty regarding the "ceded" lands.
Most Hawaiians contend that these lands which are under a treaty which provides that they be used "Betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians as defined in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920" are being illegally used by the U.S. Military.
Many Americans are unaware that the Hawaiian Homes Act is not allocating funds from the general taxpayers but is actually using money owed to the Hawaiians from rents and leases of their property.
The contention that this is "race-based" ignores the fact that the lands are owned by the descendents of the original Hawaiians and that this can be looked at as a family inheritance which the U.S. has taken over.
The same view is appropriate to the Kamehameha Schools. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop willed her estate to her people for their education. Just as you might leave an educational bequest for your grandchildren and relatives, so did she.
The Superferry
In 2004 a mainland financed company conceived the idea of creating a system of car ferries linking the islands of Hawai'i. Unfortunately, their vision overlooked a few very important factors such as vessel speed limits of 10 knots in the Hawaiian Humpback Whale Sanctuary, the Hawaiian Environmental Law's requirement for an EIS and mitigations to the impacts on existing harbor uses, traffic and so on.
The islands of Hawai'i, Maui and Kaua'i were so alarmed by the negative impacts they were facing (mostly on their traffic, infrastructure and culture) that their 3 County Councils passed resolutions asking for an EIS.
Instead of working these problems out, the company donated $175,000 to politicians, deceived the Hawai'i residents with broken promises and basically showed everyone how not to do business in Hawai'i. This resulted in Governor Lingle saying they didn't have to do an EIS. Subsequently the State Appeals Court ruled that Lingle broke the law and the Superferry did have to do an EIS.
By this time things were in such a tangled mess with $40,000,000 of state money already spent of harbor facilities for the business, that Lingle was able to convince the Legislature to overturn 30 years of state environmental law and exempt the Superferry from having to do an EIS prior to operation.
Most neighbor Island senators voted against this law, but since 'Oahu contains almost 90% of the population (and was favorable to the project) they were outvoted.
This precipitated huge protests where the Superferry was blocked from Nawiliwili Harbor on Kaua'i. It also opened a bitter rift between the majority on urban 'Oahu and the residents of the neighbor islands.
The bitterness and protests continue to this day and we do not advise that anyone use the Superferry. From the tourist view, the inevitable killing of endangered humpback whales by the speeding Superferry (traveling through the Humpback Whale Sanctuary at triple the DLNR recommended speed) would not leave happy memories of your vacation and the anger freely expressed by Maui and Kaua'i residents to Superferry passengers is not pleasant to experience.