If you read the opinion piece, "Will Mayor Hannemann Forgo Federal Funding for the Honolulu Rail?", you will know that the current plan among the majority of City Councilmembers is to pass the Budget Bill on Monday.
See it here: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?522ba65a-8c41-4855-9996-1442fa82b68c
It will have $1.1 billion in construction funds to be used at the Mayor's sole discretion together with the authority to sell nearly $1 billion in bonds. None of this will require assurances that we will get federal funds.
If the Mayor thinks he is not going to get federal funds, he will go ahead and use the $1.1 billion to build the six-mile East Kapolei to Waipahu line — "The Train to Nowhere" — and leave taxpayers holding the bag.
Those opposed to this kind of reckless abandonment of restrictions on one person being able to spend this kind of money at their sole discretion will want to testify before the Council Budget Committee this coming Monday at 9:00AM.
For full details, view the Budget Committee Agenda.
http://tinyurl.com/qkxd76
To see the hearing live, log onto http://www.olelo.org or tune into Olelo channel 54 on Oahu.
Cliff Slater is with http://www.honolulutraffic.com
