A DESIRE NAMED STREETCAR
By Cliff Slater, Maui Divers Inc.

The city's new transportation plan is its latest endeavor to get rail transit regardless of whether it addresses our traffic congestion problem. Here is the logic they believe we will swallow:

Bus ridership has declined over the past 10 years despite a 16 percent increase in the number of buses. Therefore, we need more buses. Huh?

We presently have six lanes along Kapiolani Boulevard allowing us to cone it during the rush hour, which gives us four lanes in the prevailing direction. Since we do not have enough road space, we are going to take away the two center lanes to run streetcars on them. Huh?

And, of course, this will not allow us to cone the remaining four lanes and thus we will only have two lanes going one way in the rush hour - instead of the four we had before. Huh?

The city says we are agreed that a new system "must not only be cost-effective, but also be realistically affordable." Since we are having trouble coming up with the last million or two for the city budget, we should spend $200 million of local money to install this system together with the additional millions for the increased operating deficits. Huh? And, by the way, there will be no tax increase. Right.

Not satisfied with that, the city then tells us, "We cannot continue to build our way out of traffic congestion. Most people have recognized that it just doesn't work."

What utter nonsense.

The nation's leading authority on traffic congestion is the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University. Its most recent federally funded study of traffic congestion in the nation's largest metropolitan areas concluded:

"There are only two of the 70 areas studied - Houston and Phoenix - with congestion levels lower (by any of the measures) in 1996 than in 1982. These areas addressed the congestion problems they faced in the early 1980s primarily by widening existing roads and constructing new roads."

You should also know that the percentage of commuters using public transportation has been declining for decades in every metro center in the country - not just Honolulu. So given the popularity of roads and the growing disenchantment with public transportation, why are we looking at it as a solution to traffic congestion?

Think about this: Even during the rush hour, only 9 percent of Honolulu commuters use public transportation, 80 percent commute by car and 11 percent use other means.

This means that to reduce automobile traffic by just 10 percent from 80 percent to 71 percent, we would have to double public transportation usage from 9 percent to 18 percent. How - when everywhere else, nationally and internationally, it is declining?

Our traffic problem is simply that no one is addressing it in a professional way but, instead, in a political way. They offer us a "solution" a year before the next election. This is early enough for us to feel that they are doing something about the problem, but too early for us voters to realize that the new "solution" will not work.

One thing we should all get straight. If we are to ever produce any successful solution to our traffic problems, it will undoubtedly come from elsewhere. Since we are only the 46th largest metropolitan area in the United States, it is sheer arrogance to believe that we in Honolulu are likely to devise an original way to solve traffic problems.

Let's get real.

Would someone with a budget call the Federal Transit Administration and ask them for a list of the best transportation experts at U.S. universities. Throw darts at the list and come up with a random half dozen. Then pay for them to come to town and on TV and talk shows explain to everyone, especially newspaper editors, the realities of the urban commuting problem.

Cliff Slater is a Honolulu businessman who represents the Reason Foundation in Hawaii. His footnoted columns are at http://www.lava.net/~cslater. Published in the Honolulu Advertiser, November 8, 1999. Used with permission from the author.

No Longer in the Charter Boat Business....
Life is a Cruise

By Brian Zinn, Copy Shop Inc.

I have owned and operated Copy Shop, Inc. since 1992. After seven years in Aina-Haina Shopping Center, we are presently in Hawaii Kai Corporate Plaza.

People have often asked me what prompted me to get into the Copy and Print Business and my answer has to be 'simplicity'. Yes, being in business in Hawaii can seem like a simple task! Sure we have excise tax, payroll taxes, unemployment, workers Comp, TDI, and mandated health insurance. We also need to comply with ADA, OSHA, HOSHA, as well as a few other issues. You may think this is an awesome burden of paperwork and regulations, but can you believe the Charter Boat Business is much, much worse...

In 1982 All Hawaii Cruises, Inc. established a snorkeling, swimming, picnic and sailing adventure in Kaneohe Bay. We came to be known as Capt. Bob's Picnic Sail, a business which continues 10 years after I liquidated my stock.

Why would anyone in their right mind get out of a business that allowed you to go sailing every day of your life? The answer is that Government regulations took the fun away for the guy that was responsible for compliance.

In addition to all of the normal business issues mentioned in my present business, we also had to deal with the State Harbors Division. They made us process monthly gross income reports, an annual permit renewal, pay a percentage rent on monthly sales, and maintain a mooring permit.

Since we carried 57 passengers for hire we were licensed by U.S. Coast Guard. They conducted annual safety equipment inspection, as well as an out of water vessel inspection every 18 months. In addition, we had to maintain licensing of employees as well as first aid and lifesaving certifications. We were also required to set up and maintain drug testing of all vessel employees.

Since we served hamburgers, baked beans, salad and fresh pineapple, we had to be licensed as a restaurant by the Health Department. This meant health inspections, which in turn called for such items as a triple sink, hot and cold running water, and modifications to our restrooms, as well as health clearances for employees.

Since we served beer and wine, we needed to be licensed by the Liquor Commission. To comply with the commission requirements we had to annually file tax clearance certificates, and provide certificates of insurance, as well as provide TB testing evidence for all employees.

Since we owned our own bus and offered transportation from Waikiki to Kaneohe Bay, we had to have a Public Utilities Commission (P.U.C.) permit & meet Department of Transportation requirements. These included licensing of all drivers, P.U.C. inspection requirements and random drug testing of drivers.

Since our business had done well, approximately eight (8) additional businesses followed us to Kaneohe Bay which created pier scheduling problems, conflicts with recreational boaters, overcrowding, and thrill craft issues. In stepped the Department of Land & Natural Resources, which declared submerged land jurisdiction. In addition we found ourselves having issues with the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board and Kahaluu Neighborhood Board and being left out of a process known as the Kaneohe Bay Master Plan. This required Senate & House Committee Hearings as well as closure of the Bay to commercial craft on Sundays thus losing 1/7th of our revenues.

So you can see why I feel happy to only have to comply with the few rules and regulations that some businesses find overwhelming. To me, it's a little slice of Heaven. Although I may not be sailing every day of my life, my present business feels pretty much like a cruise.

EMERGENCIES, POLITICIANS AND TOILET PAPER

By Ken Schoolland
Schoolland International Partnership

Whenever there's an emergency threatening the islands, the first general alert is the disappearance of toilet paper from grocery store shelves. That's right. During hurricanes, dock strikes, and probably even Y2K, sensible people expect transport problems to result in a run on toilet paper.

Gotta have toilet paper! This is even more important now that we might have only one daily newspaper in the island to take up the slack. We could use leaves, but one can never be too careful about the prickly things that might be crawling on them. So we've become dependent on soft, white rolls of tissue.

Since the recent threat of a dock strike, we have also seen how politicians behave quite differently during different emergencies. To prepare for hurricanes, the politicians have spent millions of dollars on community preparedness - civil defense horns all over the island, well-stocked shelters, satellite photos of the weather, state sponsored property insurance, and National Guard reserve training to help out. Indeed, politicians do a lot to prepare for hurricanes.

But what do they do to prepare for dock strikes? Strike warning horns? Strategic TP stockpiles? Surreptitious photos of negotiations? State sponsored strike insurance? Training the National Guard to take over the docks? No, politicians are not much help. On the contrary, politicians do their best to secure union and shipping monopolies. Without competition on the docks, strikes are certain to be crippling to the islands.

Hurricanes are an act of God and dock strikes are not. God doesn't contribute to political campaigns nor do angels turn out in mass for sign waving and rallies before election day. Thank God!

DEFENDING THE 'PLEDGE OF ALLIGIENCE'

By Helen Rapoza, Helen's Haven

I was surprised by the stand Richard Rowland took on the Pledge of Allegiance. - Small Business News; November 1999.

While I respect Mr. Rowland and his accomplishments, I must disagree with his proposed new pledge. He states the he "cannot, will not, pledge allegiance to a piece of cloth". That "piece of cloth" , the American flag is a symbol of national pride and unity.

Instead of trying to change things, why not try to understand things as they are. Francis Bellamy in 1892 wrote a few words for students to repeat on Columbus Day that year. It was sent out to public schools around the country.

The original pledge reads "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands - one nation indivisible - with liberty and justice for all".

In 1923 "my flag" was replaced with "the Flag of the United States of America".

In 1942 Congress recognized it as the official Pledge of Allegiance.

In 1954 an amendment was made to add the words "under God". Then President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war." If we rewrite the Pledge of Allegiance, where will it stop - with the Pledge, with the national anthem, the Declaration of Independence?

Today only half the states encourage reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms. We should teach our children the meaning of the American Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. While we're at it why not put prayer back in the schools?

The following is the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance as told to comedian Red Skelton by one of his school teachers:

"I -  Me; an individual; a committee of one. Pledge -  Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity. Allegiance -  My love and my devotion. To the Flag -  Our standard; Old Glory; a symbol of Freedom; Wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everyone's job.

"of the United -  That means that we have all come together. States (of America) -  Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states (at the time). Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, which is love for country.

"And to the Republic -  Republic -  a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people' and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people. For which it stands, One Nation -  One nation -  meaning, so blessed by God.

"Under God -  (I'm adding this; "under God" was added after this lesson.) Being watched over and blessed by God. Indivisible -  Incapable of being divided. With Liberty -  Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

"And Justice -  the principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.

"For All -  which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine."

As I say the Pledge of Allegiance with pride I thank all the men and women who have served in our counrty's military to protect our freedoms, including Mr. Rowland.

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