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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:58 p.m., Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Stop Rail Now accuses Go Rail Go of promoting special interest

Advertiser Staff

The anti-rail transit group Stop Rail Now accused a pro-rail transit group Go Rail Go of promoting the interests of developers, transportation companies and Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

"They're acting like they're just regular folks who woke up one day and wanted a multibillion dollar heavy rail project plus all the real-estate development opportunities which rail opens up. Yeah, right," said Eric Ryan, campaign manager for Stop Rail Now. "Financial beneficiaries of the rail project are hiding behind a secretly funded, make believe created for the sole purpose of pushing the multi-billion get-rich-quick rail project at the expense of the taxpayers."

Ryan said one of Hannemann's advisors, Keith Rollman organized the group, which he said is made up of city sub contractors and city employees.

Rollman, a senior Hannemann adviser who is on vacation from the city and working on Hannemann's re-election campaign, said the accusations are unfounded.

He said he registered a domain name for the group that was never used and that action concluded his involvement.

"I categorically deny that I'm organizing Go Rail Go; it's just not happening," said Rollman. "It's no more fraudulent than a conservative think tank, passing themselves off as any number of the causes that they propose to represent, from smokers rights to stop rail it's all the same guys with different t-shirts on. It's the pot calling the kettle black."

Hannemann, speaking this morning, said the public should "focus on the merits of rail."