LIHU‘E — A wide range of outspoken Hawaii Superferry opponents rallied Wednesday morning to celebrate the state Supreme Court’s Monday decision declaring Act 2 unconstitutional and effectively putting the inter-island company out of business for now. “With the Supreme Court
LIHU‘E — A wide range of outspoken Hawaii Superferry opponents rallied Wednesday morning to celebrate the state Supreme Court’s Monday decision declaring Act 2 unconstitutional and effectively putting the inter-island company out of business for now.
“With the Supreme Court decision, whatever they do, they’ll be illegal just like they’ve been in the past,” said Rich Hoeppner of the anti-Superferry group People for the Preservation of Kaua‘i in his opening remarks at the rotunda of the Mo‘ikeha Building. “I was totally confident this would happen all along.”
Other speakers expressed their appreciation to all those who helped keep the Superferry off Kaua‘i and eventually helped bring about its downfall.
Activist Jonathan Jay, of islandbreath.org, said he had a lot of people to thank — the Supreme Court for upholding the law, the Superferry for backing down and the people in the harbor for “standing up, floating up for what is right.” He then wished the Superferry a “fond aloha,” drawing out for effect, with a smile, the traditional Hawaiian word for goodbye.
The feeling of glee — Hoeppner told attendees he was “overjoyed” and said later in a phone interview that he had been “jumping up and down for two days” — was tempered by others who lamented that the end of the Superferry would cost more than 200 people their jobs.
Judy Dalton, speaking on behalf of Sierra Club, and Robert Pa, of the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi, were among those who expressed regret.
“We are sorry for the job loss, but you can’t work for a company doing illegal things,” Pa said.
Gordon LaBedz, of Surfrider Foundation, said in the environmental movement, “there are no victories, we just slow them down.”
The gathering drew the attention of Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., whose office is upstairs.
County spokeswoman Mary Daubert said in an e-mail that Carvalho and Executive Assistant Beth Tokioka spoke briefly with some of the organizers as they were setting up.
“The mayor has always supported the Superferry’s opponents’ right to voice their opinion in a legal manner,” Daubert said. “The mayor feels strongly that an alternate means of inter-island transportation is needed. He said, ‘Because we are a state separated by ocean but connected by families and business, it is imperative that we advocate for an alternate means of inter-island transportation for social, economic and security reasons.’
“If an EIS is completed and the Superferry is legally entitled to operate, then the mayor would welcome the Superferry to Kaua‘i,” Daubert wrote. “He said, ‘Like those who oppose the Superferry, there is a large number of our community that have shown strong support for the Superferry. However, right now, we need to await the outcome of the judicial proceedings before taking a position.”
Asked if Carvalho would be in support of a rumored request by Gov. Linda Lingle and Attorney General Mark Bennett that the Supreme Court review its decision, Daubert wrote, “Mayor Carvalho has no plans to actively involve himself or the county in the judicial process as it relates to the Superferry, although he is obviously very interested in the outcome of the judicial proceedings and will be following them closely.”
The gathering was organized by Hoeppner originally — before Monday’s “bombshell” — as a protest of a scheduled appearance by Superferry President and CEO Tom Fargo, a retired Navy admiral, at Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce’s 1st Quarter General Membership meeting today at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort-Po‘ipu Ballroom.
Hoeppner said he believed Fargo was visiting the island to discuss a potential Superferry return to Kaua‘i, but the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce President Randy Francisco announced in a late Wednesday afternoon e-mail to members that Fargo had decided to not attend or provide the keynote address “due to events occurring on Maui as the Superferry completes its service.”
“(Fargo) decided because of some events occurring on Maui with the crew and the community, they want to be there,” Francisco said in a phone interview. “We all saw what happened with Aloha Airlines and I think it’s really important for him to be there with the crew and the community.”
Francisco said Superferry will still be a sponsor of the meeting, which is scheduled to take place as a more informal gathering. Members who want to receive a refund should contact the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce by noon today, the e-mail said.
Superferry opponents will be holding another gathering of their own. Hoeppner and Pua La‘a Norwood, among the protesters in Nawiliwili when the Superferry approached Kaua‘i in August 2007, said the group decided after talking Wednesday that they would be holding a potluck and celebration on Sunday at Nawiliwili Beach Park from noon to 3 p.m.
