The much talked about “train on the Ewa Plain” is an extremely complex undertaking. Sophisticated long term planning detailed engineering and complicated construction are all involved.

Yet, as reported in the Honolulu Star Bulletin headline story (first page)10/11/06, “Many crosswalk signals in the state do not allow enough time for people to safely cross, an audit by the AARP finds.”

Golly, the government transportation experts can’t get it all together to set appropriate walking time into traffic signals? And we are supposed to trust them to build and operate miles and miles of a train?

That is a conundrum to some, I expect.

But in actuality it is simply hopelessly silly. As Will Rogers once said “Thank God we don’t get all the government we pay for.”

Richard O. Rowland is president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. He can be reached via email at: dick@grassrootinstitute.com