Honolulu rail
The over-budget, behind-schedule rail project of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) has been rife with mismanagement and abuse of its taxpayer funding. In response, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been promoting a campaign to "Audit The Rail," so as to hold government officials accountable and make sure that taxpayers’ dollars are being spent wisely and efficiently.
First part of HART audit is bad; will rest be worse?
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii denounces the “egregious” behavior so far uncovered HONOLULU, Jan. 10, 2019 >> The first installment of a four-part audit by the state auditor is more proof that the over-budget and behind-schedule Honolulu rail project has been...
The problem with rail isn’t PR
This is a letter to the editor that was published Thursday, Dec. 20, in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. We commend the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for putting the spotlight on the failed public relations efforts of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (“Loss on...
Not all public-private partnerships are good
In the past, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been favorably disposed to public-private partnerships (P3s). While not quite the same thing as privatization, these partnerships are often a good way to improve public services and relieve taxpayers of some of the...
HART’s P3 Plan Another Bad Sign For Rail
This article was originally published as a "Community Voice" in Civil Beat on Nov. 14, 2018. The Honolulu rail system is projected to lose millions of dollars every year after opening in 2026. So it’s baffling that any company would want to partner with the Honolulu...
City Council broke promise on rail
This was originally published as a Letter to the Editor in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday, Nov. 4. The Honolulu City Council’s decision to approve Bill 42 violates the promise made to Honolulu taxpayers in 2006 that city funds would not be used for the rail...
Rail vote breaks promise – again
Sometimes, addressing rail funding can feel like you’re standing on the tracks, politely asking Hawaii’s policymakers to consider hitting the switch and redirecting the train before it runs us over. That is why the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii last week was at a...
Honolulu rail funding bill would break a promise
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii submitted testimony today (Oct. 30, 2018) to the Honolulu City Council Committee on Legislative Matters regarding Bill 42, relating to funding for Honolulu County's rail project. The comments were submitted Joe Kent, Grassroot...
‘P3′ for rail a budgetary ruse
Honolulu’s rail project is hoping to save costs by partnering with private companies in a process known as a public-private partnership, or “P3.” But experts say that nationally many rail P3s have enabled the government project managers to duck budgetary limits in the...
#AuditTheRail, now more than ever
A few years ago, I did an interview for our “E Hana Kakou” show with LaVonda Atkinson, a cost engineer and whistleblower on a San Francisco project that extended part of that city’s existing subway by two miles — “at a billion dollars a mile.” After looking over the...