Superferry Fight

Gov & Legislature asks court to reconsider ferry ruling

HONOLULU (AP) - The Legislature is asking the state Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling last month that an environmental impact assessment should be completed before the Hawaii Superferry can operate.
The friend-of-the-court brief was filed Thursday.Both it and another motion filed Tuesday by Gov. Linda Lingle asks the court to reverse its decision that a 2007 Hawaii law was unconstitutional because it was written to specifically benefit only one party, the Superferry.The law, known as Act 2, allowed the Superferry to operate while a scaled-down environmental report was written.The Legislature's brief says the ruling will hamper its ability to make policy that benefits the state, even if it knowingly or unknowingly pertains to only one person, business or other entity.(Maui News)

The Military/Indutrial/Complex LOST, but are still trying to usurp the Laws.


Superferry and improper use of the legislative process

Monday, October 22, 2007
Aloha To Our Elected Officials,I have been an islander since I was fifteen and came here to Maui in 1971 to attend Seabury Hall. I would like to address the above subjects. Before I do here is some background on myself and some processes of government I have found interesting.
1) I traveled 2500 miles to vote on a ballot that asked to raise taxes in a district thatwas becoming a younger neighborhood and wanted more money for the schools -- the problem was that there were many more older retired people in this city of Wilmette who could not afford the increase. I had worked as a school photographer in all the schools in the Chicago neighborhoods and also the schools in Wilmette. The schools there were like Palaces compared to the other schools in Chicago and I felt that the children would not suffer, but the elderly would -- by an increase in taxes. The tax increase was not passed by 100 votes.
2) In the state .of Arizona we passed the medical marijuana initiative and watched as the legislature voted to put it on hold until the Federal laws would allow it. The next time we voted the ballot said (in my words) That the Federal Government had no right to tell us what to do and that they could go to *&*^%$%#* and so could the Arizona legislature. It passed with more than 65% of the vote.
3) I marched around the courthouse in Hilo begging the court to make stricter sentences for sexual abuse cases. We are still trying to bring more understanding to the community the horror of this type of action and that it really does exist. I helped put Dr. Richard Williams in Prison, only 8 years, and that took 2 years of talking and telling people he was doing something wrong. Then when he ran away to avoid prosecution I went to the corporation counsel and asked them to bring him back and prosecute. Afterwards many people came to tell me more stories of what he had done to them besides the three women who came forward to the police. I believe he was drugging and raping at least one woman a day in his office.
4) The City Clerk of Chicago gave me a certificate of appreciation for being one of those who care and take action to help solve the problems in the City of Chicago.
5) Working with the Main Street Program in Hilo I found that the older more established merchants were left out of the loop except for when there was a need for something to donate. I never hear about Maui's Main Street Program, except complaints from Paia who are not receiving enoughof the benefits. Redevelopment doesn't mean bring in new but (in my opinion) to help the older businesses become more innovative.
 Why does Young Brothers need to raise rates?Because money that could be better spent was misappropriated and used in the harbor elsewhere with out the proper authorization.
This brings me to the subject of the Superferry. When one uses their hearts and minds to bring change, there is a different approach to the subject. Our island is not a feast to eat and we do not think with our stomachs or other lower parts of our bodies representing power, control and security. WE are a living breathing system and because we are an island, this includes the living ocean and the beings in it. Even though there are certain
reasons that the Superferry might be good, there are many other reasons it is not. Our system is delicate and must be treated as such a system that includes the understanding of change to a system. The environmental impact assessment determines how something will change this system and should have never been overlooked or not required. Alot of people spent alot of time making the environmental laws we follow today.Usurping our law is no way to bring change. In my opinion, this is being done to feed others when there never was and they never were invited to a feast. The people who are behind this are only here for the money, and to eat up what they can. I will not be propagandized on this subject and I truly believe that there are some underhanded dealings here. Move in the right direction in this matter. There are laws and all must obey, as that is the will of the people. We the people have already spoken -- informational meetings and unsanctioned polls do not replace the votes in an election. Go the extra mile and stand-up to those who want our legislature to go against the voters wishes and the laws we the people have sanctioned.Mahalo and Aloha,Kim Usher
P.S. I miss the wili wili trees. Maui is special lets keep it special. The Whales and other sea creatures are counting on you!

Thursday, October 25,2007 1250 PM

To:

House Record; info@mikegabbard.com; jntokuda@hotmail.com; Rep. Karen Awana; Rep. Della Belatti;

Rep. Lyla B. Berg; Rep. Joe Bertram Ill; Rep. Blake Oshiro; Rep. Tom Brower; Rep. Rida Cabanilla; Rep.

Kirk Caldwell; Rep. Mele Carroll; Rep. Jerry Chang; Rep. Corinne Ching; Rep. Pono Chong; Rep. Cindy

Evans; Rep. Lynn Finnegan; Rep. Josh Green; Rep. Faye Hanohano; Rep. Sharon Har; Rep. Robert

Herkes; Rep. Jon Karamatsu; Rep. Marilyn Lee; Rep. Sylvia Luke; Rep. Michael Magaoay; Rep. Joey

Manahan; Rep. Barbara Marumoto; Rep. Angus McKelvey; Rep. Colleen Meyer; Rep. John Mizuno; Rep.

Marcus Oshiro; Rep. Bob Nakasone; Rep. Scott Nishimoto; Rep. Kymberly Pine; Rep. Karl Rhoads; Rep.

Roland Sagum; Rep. Scott Saiki; Rep. Maile Shimabukuro; Rep. Alex Sonson; Rep. Joseph Souki; Rep.

K. Mark Takai; Rep. Dwight Takamine; Rep. Roy Takumi; Rep. Cynthia Thielen; Rep. James Tokioka;

Rep. Clifton K. Tsuji; Rep. Glenn Wakai; Rep. Gene Ward

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Kimberly Usher

808-856-5735

Our Honored Elected Officials

State Capitol of Hawaii

Aloha Dear Lady or Sir,

On Monday the 22nd of October, I stood before a panel of Hawaii's Elected officials and gave testimony.

I gave from my heart the feelings swelled up from inside after hearing the other testimonies. I didn't want to repeat all the various arguments for the stand down until the EA for the ferry. Therefore, I went to personal issues with the ferry and the hazards of operation without an EA and EIS.

We need to know what the ferry has in store for us and become prepared for the arrival. It was a slap in the face that they came when they knew that a court case could not be filed until Monday after the Supreme Court Decision.And we all saw what happened then-the rocks and the confusion.

My first comment to the panel was about my illness that is affected by anything that can kill a plant or a bug. I have a condition where the sheaths that cover my nerve cells are destroyed by herbicides and pesticides. I f you can imagine being skinned alive it's the same but on the inside. People have to dress and feed me. It takes 1 or more years for the sheaths to regrow. I f there are consequences to the ferry bringing invasive species the way to control that problem is to spray poisons.

Are we just going to contaminate everything in this way or what? The EA would address this, before it happens. For my heath and the Island of Maui. I don't want to be so sick and with that terrible pain. There is no way to know if something has been sprayed with a poison. Need to know !

My other comment was about the Stryker Brigade. I grew up in the defense dept. industry-My father helped build NORAD, Kwajalein, I lived in Bangkok during the Vietnam war and other missions. I know the word ICBM and have spent my time watching even now the activities-like watching on the internet missiles taking off from Vandenberg- its really cool there is a camera on the missile too and you can watch until it explodes. When I was in Kwajalein in April of 1972 I was herded to the beach and told no pictures. I looked in the direction of where I knew Roi Namor was, knowing that a missile test was being conducted. I could not see the horizon as where we stood was at the shoreline and there was a rock wall on the edge of the beach. Looking to the farthest cloud I could see far far away I suddenenly saw clouds even further as 1/3rd of the

sky lit up and made a backlight to other clouds even further. I believe I saw a nuclear explosion above ground. Huge amount of light filled the sky. I felt very small. In my mind I see Maui with the valley as the target as there are mountains to shield other areas. The more we involve ourselves with the military missions the more that becomes a reality. War has no consciences until after the fact.

JUST LIKE THIS SUPERFERRY ISSUE CAN BECOME.

STOP IT NOW BEFORE THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES THAT CANNOT BE FIXED.

Mahalo and Aloha,

Kim Usher

September 4, 2009 

I was neither a supporter nor opponent of the Superferry. I only asked that the Superferry contingent and its Gov. Linda Lingle-led supporters follow the law and provide truthful, accurate information. It should now be obvious that they did neither.
In an interview on Australian financial TV on Aug. 28, Superferry builder Austal's CEO admits that the Hawaii Superferry was just a mechanism for the company to get big U.S. Navy contracts: To build many expensive ships for the Navy and to train a work force capable of building the ships.
Don't take my word for it. Go to finnewsnetwork.com and search for Austal or Google the Web site and Austral. Watch the interview. Here is a direct quote from the CEO: "So while it was unfortunate that Hawaii Superferry filed for Chapter 11, it was an unusual thing that we normally wouldn't do, but it did position us for a much more lucrative contract with the Navy."
It doesn't get much clearer than that. It was all a pack of lies and broken laws headed by the governor and paid for by us.

Buck Joiner
Kihei