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March 11, 2008
Deteriorating infrastructure is a crisis at hand. Putting the horse in front of the cart is definitely the best way to travel down the highway of life. Our island needs to create a bank or a slush fund that will keep our infrastructure way ahead of the game, instead of always lamely trying to catch up.
Not too long ago, a Minneapolis bridge collapsed during rush hour; 13 people died. A Manhattan steam pipe exploded, and, reminded of 911, one lady had a heart attack. In Hawaii, an aging sewer pipe poisoned the Ala Wai Canal, causing one fatality and keeping folks out of Waikiki waters for over a month. The deaths resulting from the dam failure at Kileaua on Kauai is an issue in court presently. Repairs to the Big Island’s earthquake damage are moving along at a snails’ pace. And will the bridge near Kaupo ever work again?
The residents of New Orleans had prior knowledge that levees were in neglect, but lack of action resulted in thousands of deaths in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Again on Maui, last December’s rains ran down a poorly designed new development road, filled up the Ka‘anapali sewer drain, and gushed; there was a 500,000 gallon sewage spill. But, with all the failed retention basins and ‘Ulupalakua floods, the sewage spill wasn't really a newsworthy topic.
Infrastructure stories aren’t a news highlight until failure results in a catastrophe. Nationally, however, Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican, and Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat, have co-sponsored legislation to create a national infrastructure bank that would help finance large national projects. Hagel said, “the basic infrastructure of a country will determine that country’s future, and we are far behind. Our ports are overwhelmed by the ever-expanding volume of international trade. Rail lines are overloaded. Highways are clogged.”
In times of economic downturns, Public Works projects can aid the recovery plan. Government work programs were the cure for the 30’s depression, and kept food on many tables. A 2005 study by the American Society of Engineers stated that it would take more than a trillion and a half dollars over a five-year period to bring the U.S. infrastructure into reasonably decent shape. The Federal Government, State and County need to willingly invest. Public transportation, schools, water projects, power systems, dams and reservoirs and much more should be prioritized.
When I spoke to local residents about this subject recently, they were quick to point out their concerns. Most couldn’t think of any infrastructure work ever being done on Maui, with the exception of resurfacing roads. Thinking back to the great Kaanapali sewer fiasco that seemed to take a decade, tackling infrastructure is a tough job to address. The new highway to Kihei is coming along. But of all the people I spoke with, only Lindsay Ball’s first concern was the roads. Seemingly, most people have given up on some kind of miracle freeway, figuring out that the more roads we make, the more cars will fill them.
My question to these local people was, “If you were king (or queen) of the island, and you could fix one infrastructure problem, what would you do first?”
Rob Parsons was good for some wise words on infrastructure; “The public utilities need to be restructured to bring power to the people. Hawaiian Electric monopolizes all power; that’s the reason our electric bill is so high. New provisional incentives for independent power producers have to be incorporated so all power producers can work to bring us economical rates.”
Linda Rickabaugh of Lahaina is manager at Lightning Bolt, Kahului. Her concern was, “We need a hospital for West Maui. To benefit everyone, not just the rich or the poor, but us struggling middle class. We gotta die on the pali waiting to get to the hospital.”
Newlywed Laurie Powers was concerned about the lack of “an evacuation plan by boat if the roads were shut down due to some catastrophes. Some way to get people to safety instead of an ambulance, a water safety system.”
Lindsay Ball is the principal at Lahaina’s Kamehameha III Elementary school. He was the first person to mention roads. We spoke on how short classroom space was at the old campus, as I steered him off on an educational tangent and he said, “There is a need to fund schools in a new way. Perhaps taxing development, liquor, cigarettes and such to provide more revenue.The funding is horrible, the county needs to work with the state!”
County Environmental Coordinator Kuhea Paracuelles wanted as her first infrastructure priority, to emphasize waste water treatment modernization.
Jim Kingwell, a Lahaina artist, said that after living in West Maui and driving daily past the Honokowai Sewage Treatment Plant; “We need to work on an updated sewer system, especially with all the building going on. Where’s it all going to go?”
Tamara Paltin, a county lifeguard and local letter writer, said, “I would build a community shelter for each community. It would be stocked with cooking supplies, canned goods, water, etc. I live in a flood zone, but would build it to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes and tidal waves. Fire victims and stranded travelers could use this also.”
Wayne Nishiki says his first concern for an infrastructure problem is DRAINAGE! He pointed to the parking lot in front of the Farmers Market on South Kihei Road as he said, “Where do you think all the oil and trash from all these parking lots end up? The ocean. Places like Honolua Ridge development drain right into the Marine Reserve area. My first concern would be drainage.”
Alyssa Waltze wishes: “We need a clean-air public transportation system to get all the cars off the road. If there was an easier way for them, the tourists wouldn’t all have to rent a car. If my daughter could easily ride the bus to Lahaina, I’d feel she was safe, not like riding in the back of a pickup truck. The bus could use a gas alternative, so the island would be less oil dependent.”
Jack Kean, a developer from Kihei, says: “Rent cars at the resorts and have hotels work in conjunction with public transportation. Transport visitors to their destination and they could rent cars daily as needed.”
Contractor Doug Pitzer has an interesting idea; “Make West Maui a separate county that is allowed to keep one percent of its revenue to support itself. Create a pier in front of Lahaina Civic center that would unload container ships and cruise ships. Allowing the west side self sufficiency and self rule. One percent would be plenty!”
14 year old Zane Schweitzer, who is a young Maui waterman, said, with insight beyond his years, “I would control water flow on our island. We don’t have a water shortage, we’ve just lost control of it. With turbo-electric hydro-power, our streams would give us a cheap natural system for electricity, so no stealing water from our streams! We could maybe utilize the constant current of the Pailolo channel for power.”
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Wayne Cochran
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