Hooser's Position on the Hawaii Superferry

When the Hawaii Superferry first came before the legislature asking for support, I originally endorsed the proposal (and signed a Resolution to that effect) until learning the company was requesting $40 Million in harbor improvements from the State of Hawaii and were refusing to participate in the EIS process which was required by law.

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the Superferry could not operate because the State of Hawaii and the Hawaii Superferry had failed to comply with the law requiring an environmental impact statement (EIS).

My position as a State Senator representing Kauai and Ni’iha, was that the Hawaii Superferry and the State of Hawaii should follow the law, and that it was unconstitutional for the Hawaii State Legislature to attempt to change the law for the benefit of any single business. This is the same position ultimately decided by the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Pacific Business News blamed the demise of the Hawaii Superferry on a poor business plan and said in a September 2009 editorial:

“Putting aside state officials’ blunder in reasoning that the Superferry didn’t need an environmental assessment, we are not convinced that there was enough passenger, vehicle and freight revenue to cover the cost of running two big ships.

In its brief time in service, the ferry showed it was unreliable and that the trip to Maui produced a nightmare of seasickness. Small businesses found it still made more sense to put their goods on a barge than to commit a driver and truck to an all-day run to or from Oahu.”