West O'ahu light-rail project called 'a fantasy'

By Frank Oliveri
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Hawai'i Rep. Neil Abercrombie said a proposed $2.6 billion light-rail project for West O'ahu is "a fantasy" and Gov. Linda Lingle's announcement of the project in October was nothing more than "a photo op."

"I'm not going to put any federal money to something that is just a fantasy." said U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie.

"We need to see a financial commitment," said U.S. Rep. Ed Case.

"When was the last time (Neil Abercrombie) issued a plan to deal with the congestion in his district?" Lingle spokesman Lenny Klompus said.

"We need to see a financial commitment," said Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i, who took part in the governor's October news conference. "I would agree with that."

Officials in the governor's office defended Lingle, saying the comments of Abercrombie, a Democrat, "lacked bipartisanship."

Traffic congestion is a normal part of life on O'ahu, where growth and the lack of available space coalesce into a daily nightmare for commuters.

The light-rail system is at the center of Lingle's transportation plans for West O'ahu. By 2018, it would connect Kapolei to Iwilei.

Lingle spokesman Lenny Klompus, who was traveling with the governor on the East Coast, said she isn't backing down.

In response to Abercrombie's criticism of the project, Klompus said, "When was the last time the congressman issued a plan to deal with the congestion in his district?"

State and federal transportation officials have met twice about the rail proposal in the past few weeks, Klompus said. He said Abercrombie did not send a representative to the meetings.

Abercrombie responded forcefully.

"I got a $620 million appropriation for light rail" in 1992, Abercrombie said. "What has (Klompus) done? They better be real careful ... if they want to arrange a debate between the governor and myself on transportation, I'd be glad to do it."

The skepticism of rail dates to 1992, when the City Council voted 5-4 against raising the state excise tax 0.5 percent on O'ahu to pay for the local share of the project. Until that time, city officials had spent years working on a rapid transit line that would have gone between Leeward Community College and the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

The decision forced Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, Abercrombie and then-Rep. Patsy Takemoto Mink, all Democrats, to return more than $800 million in federal money, including the initial appropriation of $620 million.

"The senator lost some political capital to get our project in the position to not go forward," said Inouye's chief of staff Jennifer Goto Sabas.

Inouye has set two requirements before lawmakers will begin to secure federal money:

• The state Legislature must pay for an environmental impact statement, which would be a rewrite of the 1992 statement and would require little or no federal input.
• The Legislature must provide the city and county of Honolulu the right to raise the excise tax on O'ahu.
• Sabas said lawmakers would closely watch the upcoming legislative session, which runs from January to May. She said it's likely the Legislature will only seek money for the impact statement. She doubted there was enough political support in the current environment to raise taxes.

"The Republican minority has been the most vocal against tax increases," Sabas said. "So it is, by far, not a done deal."

Klompus said the decision is up to the Legislature, but cautioned against painting state Republican lawmakers with too broad a brush.

Abercrombie was less optimistic.

"I don't even know why the governor is talking about it," he said. "I'm not going to put any federal money to something that is just a fantasy."

Klompus responded: "Last I checked, there were more than 400 members of Congress."

Abercrombie called Klompus a "publicity hack," saying that since the original "photo op" the governor and her staff have not communicated with him about a plan.

The congressman said initially he was pleased to hear Lingle say she would seek the money. But a week later, he said she quickly pushed the issue off to the local government and the Legislature. He said the move provided her with the potential of maximum gain, without any responsibility.

"Why would the Legislature want to give this authority to raise taxes to the City Council with no idea that they would pass it?" Abercrombie asked. "She should put in a bill to get the tax. It should be statewide, not just O'ahu. It's very important that the financing has to be shared by the rest of the state because everyone will benefit.

"But she has to get the enabling legislation, in whatever form. Then we can talk about what kind of studies we need to do."

Abercrombie bristled in reaction to comments about bipartisanship. "This has never been a partisan issue. If it is being raised it is being raised to mask the incompetence of that office. I want to be cooperative, but I'm not going to be a patsy for some publicity stunt from the governor's office."