i L i n d . n e t

Yesterday’s late entry drew several comments, so be sure to check them out.

One reader responded via email rather than thru a comment.

In Friday’s blog you wrote:
“The crowd that gathered on Kauai last night for Gov. Linglefs appearance, estimated at more than 1,100 by the Adveriser, comprised 1.7 percent of the islandfs population of just about 63,000. Thatfs a huge showing of concern and opposition.”

Your comment implies that every single person in the audience was anti-SuperFerry, which is far from correct. Watching the proceedings, I noticed that many of the speakers comments drew much loud applause, followed by the applause being countered with boos.

My ears showed me a 50-50 mix of pro- and anti- attendees.

I know you’re anti-SuperFerry, Ian, but try to be fair, please, and to retain your credibility.

It seems to me that it really isn’t necessary to quibble over the percent of the crowd made up of opponents, which published reports described as the bulk of the crowd. In any case, such a large crowd on Kauai was clearly, as I said, “a huge showing of concern and opposition”.

Today’s Advertiser has an excellent story by Kevin Dayton and Jan TenBruggencate which gives an overview of the issue and the underlying public issues that the Superferry has at least temporarily run aground on.

Beyond that, I wouldn’t characterize myself as “anti-Superferry”. I’m really still an agnostic on the ship itself. But I am an opponent of corporate power brokers and special favors to those with lots of money and positions of power, especially when it involves secret favors by public officials. I do bristle at such things, which is why I find the chain of events leading to the current Superferry fiasco so galling.

I note the Superferry made it to the Daily Kos yesterday.

For Sunday reading, Rick Daysog has a follow-up on the Extreme Makeover house in Kalihi, which he reports is facing an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s tax division. And the Star-Bulletin’s Diana Leone has a good piece today on the impact of rising ocean levels expected over the next century. Banks holding big mortgages on oceanfront properties will get heartburn from this read.

Farther afield, Paul Krugman’s new NY Times blog is worth following for its commentary and links.

I thought it might be good to add a moment of calm. I expect this morning will look much like this photo, taken a few days ago. I may get back to this entry later, but now it’s time to walk to the dawn.