Most Hawai'i residents have heard that more than 98 percent of our consumer goods arrive in our Islands by ship or barge. As an Island state, we recognize the vital link that ocean transportation plays in our daily lives.

But few residents are aware of the approaching crisis in neglecting our state's commercial port system. In fact, some of the primary users of our harbors would tell you they are already witnessing impacts that affect their service to customers. Further political neglect of our statewide commercial deep-water harbors and basic port infrastructure needs will surely have a negative impact on our economy.

Imagine that you and your family are flying to Maui. After landing you hear the pilot announce, "Due to congestion at the airport, only half of the passengers will be allowed off the plane. We will then close our door, back away from the gate, while another plane takes our place. We will return to the gate in about an hour to finish unloading the rest of our passengers. Thank you for your patience!"

Do you think you'd fly with this airline again? Or is it the fault of the airport?

Today, this is reality in the Neighbor Island harbors of Kahului and Hilo. Ships delivering coal in bulk to the port of Hilo routinely stop all cargo operations, leave the pier, and go back out to sea while another ship or barge enters the harbor to discharge its cargo.

This may occur two or three times in one week while the coal ship is in Hilo, trying to get all its cargo off. In Kahului, the same situation plays out with increasing regularity. One barge or ship will have to vacate its berth to allow another vessel to enter and work its cargo. The harbormaster routinely is challenged to accommodate all the various users and the constantly changing schedules of maritime vessels due to weather and sea conditions in the channels between the Islands.

All these situations add a tremendous expense to each of these vessel movements, and it is the consumer who pays for all this unproductive effort. While ships and barges get bigger and better, moving thousands of tons of cargo more efficiently, our harbors have remained virtually unchanged in the last half-century. We, as a maritime state, have neglected to take care of our ports. We pour millions of dollars each year into improving roads or building new highways. We willingly throw millions more at upgrading our airports, mostly to serve the growing tourism industry.

But few taxpayers are even aware of the third realm of responsibility of our state Department of Transportation, the Harbors Division. Despite the thousands of people who drive by Honolulu Harbor every day on their way to work, few residents are even aware of harbor activity, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It never stops.

It's easy to blame the DOT for the harbor conditions, but in fact, it is acutely aware of the neglect. Harbor administrators, in turn, tell the public that getting the Legislature to appropriate money for various projects is always their biggest challenge.

Taxpayers and our political leaders must become educated in the importance and value of maintaining and improving our harbors statewide. A study released recently laid out in detail a long list of needed improvements. This work was put together by the Hawaii Harbor Users Group, an organization of maritime companies operating locally. It includes cargo and cruise-ship operations, barge and ship companies, and other organizations involved in maritime transportation. The report ranks specific problem areas by short-term, medium-term and long-term priority. It includes estimated costs of each project. It has been delivered to the DOT for review and discussions are ongoing.

There are three problem areas.