As he has done so many times in the past, the author of that article insists on belittling the credentials of University of Hawaii Professor Dr. Panos Prevedouros, fabricating the existence of some sinister plot to consume more gasoline and manufacture more automobiles and naming as its "ring-leaders Cliff Slater and Dale Evans" and now adds to his repertoire of McCarthyism a cheap and slanderous attack against Jamie Story, President of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

While I do not claim to be an expert, an engineer, or a professional planner, the City's assertion that rail will be the messiah of our transportation woes, reduce fuel consumption, and extol the environment seems a bit of a stretch to me.

Commuter rail has historically had the worst ridership, with most systems running empty as most people recognize that the automobile is still superlative in its mobility and its capacity to go nearly anyplace, anytime.

If a rail system runs mostly empty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that is a waste of fuel and a waste of tax dollars. If my Toyota seats four people and the only occupant of my car is myself, the driver, me operating my automobile at 25% occupancy is still better than some of the rail occupancy rates in other cities around the world.

Furthermore, what exactly is going to power the proposed Honolulu steel on steel rail system? Since Oahu doesn't use nuclear or coal power, it's obvious that petroleum-powered plants will provide the energy to run that system, thus increasing the consumption rate of fuel and as demand increases, so does cost. As it is, 95% of the State of Hawaii's energy is imported, so why would we want to put a higher demand for energy consumption?

Last but not least, while I don't claim to be a physicist, I seem to recall that running an electrical current through dry air creates O3 (ozone) which is hazardous to human tissues – something which occurs at the ground level whenever a rail runs over the tracks. I'm only a layman and I could be wrong, but it seems to me from my initial first glance that rail isn't any safer for the environment than cars.

At present, Toyota's Prius is one of the most fuel efficient cars on the market, and it represents what kind of green and energy-smart technology is available to consumers. Honda's hydrogen fuel cell powered FCX Clarity which is now being distributed on a limited basis in the United States represents the next generation of consumer transportation. If gasoline continues to rise in price, it only stands to reason that more and more people are going to demand systems like the Prius and the FCX. I don't consider it science fiction to say that 10 years from now, the majority of cars on the road could be hydrogen fuel cell powered.

In either case, I'm quite certain that people like Jamie Story and the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii are interested in allowing the people, not the government, to decide their own future – whatever it may be – and allowing the free market to make its own choices rather than be dominated by control freak, nanny state big government.

As an expatriate Texan living here in Hawaii, I want to say that Jamie Story brings to Grassroot Institute and our local Oahu community a refreshing perspective, competent leadership, and a moral clarity of conscience that is desperately needed.

Like all other members and staff at the Grassroot Institute, her credentials are impeccable, having graduated from the prestigious Rice University in Houston. I trust the conclusions that Ms. Story makes because I know the kind of values and excellence that are instilled in the place she comes from, and I thank her and Grassroot Institute for giving all of us the ability to see things from an alternate, informed position.

In Texas, we have a saying: "This is a place where decent people live." I thank Ms. Story for being a part of helping Hawaii to be a decent, brighter, and more prosperous place to live, work, and play.

The City owes an apology to Ms. Story and to the Board of Directors of the Grassroot Institute for Mr. Rollman's attempt at character assassination.

I hope that everyone will see that no matter what we believe about rail, whether we are for or against it, that in the end, democracy, not intellectual suppression, is good for our environment, and the public should be allowed to vote on the project this November.

Daniel de Gracia, II lives in Waipahu. Reach him at mailto:daniel.p.degracia@gmail.com

HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com

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