According to the Star Bulletin
Is there any chance the Superferry will return to Hawaii waters?
“We recognize the value that the ferries can provide Hawaii and are willing to work with transportation planners, providers and officials to advance proposals to use them in regular service” in Hawaii, the Maritime Administration official said.
If MARAD and Sen. Inouye are serious about bringing back the Superferry, Maui is going to need to use Kauai’s tactics. Those who sued to stop the Superferry never got paid the attorney’s fees due to the bankruptcy so it will be up to the rest of us to stop it this time. Clearly the legal route is not as effective as direct action.
Inouye is most likely embarrassed that he sponsored this boondoggle that cost the American taxpayers $138.6 million dollars and the people of Hawai’i another $40 million and wants to somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat.
But the vessels are gas guzzlers, there is no way they can break even and he will be throwing good money after bad…not to mention he can forget about getting the neighbor island vote for re-election…oh wait…he doesn’t care about the neighbor islands because O’ahu outnumbers them.
Tags: Superferry
Shine the lights on it and the rats will scurry away…
It's Obama's MARAD. Does he want to help Lingle try to rescue her reputation. More importantly does Obama want to help Lingle make reviving the Superferry a 2010 Gubernatorial issue to try to beat the Democrat candidates with the partisan Oahu votes on this matter? Is Obama smart or is he dumb?
Shine the lights on it and the rats will scurry away…
The Lingle Administration is trying to develop a secret plan to revive the Superferry. State may be using it’s Third Mortgage to negotiate with MARAD to bring the two ferries, Alakai and Huakai, back to Hawaii to operate. Feds would own and operate the ferries to be subsidized with additional operating budget appropriations to be arranged by Inouye. Lingle and Aiona want to use this in the 2010 election to get Oahu votes for Republicans in the statewide election if Inouye and Obama are stupid enough to follow her lead.