“America should be free ground - all of it. Not divided by a line between slave state and free, all the way from here to the Pacific Ocean. No man has to bow. No man born to royalty. Here, we judge you by what you do, not by who your father was. Here, you can be something. Here, is the place to build a home. But it's not the land. There's always more land. It's the idea that we all have value - you and me. What we're fighting for, in the end, we're fighting for each other.” ~ Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Gettysburg

1. HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSIT (HART)
JUDGEMENT AT HONOLULU HALE
Kirk Caldwell, Mayor
City & County of Honolulu
A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it
stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the
most difcult ! Before the people of the world, let it now be noted that
here, in our decision, this is what we stand for: Justice, truth, and the
value of a single human being.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Abby Mann, Screenwriter
RAIL RECOVERY PLAN PASSES. HOW THEY VOTED
The City Council voted 5-3 to approve the rail recovery plan
Councilman Ernie Martin was not present
By Marcel Honoré. Honolulu Star Advertiser. October 7, 2017, accessed November 13, 2017
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/honolulu-star-advertiser/20171007/281492161530040
The recovery plan, sent to the Federal Transit Administration on Sept. 15,
shifts the responsibility to the city to cover an estimated $160 million in
administration costs for its local rail agency which is technically part of
the project’s larger, capital costs.
Councilwoman Kymberly Pine, who joined Menor in voting to
approve, was scathing in her comments toward the state.Council
members Ikaika Anderson, Brandon Elefante and Joey Manahan
joined Menor and Pine. Council members Carol Fukunaga, Ann
Kobayashi and Trevor Ozawa voted against. Councilman Ernie Martin did
not attend Friday’s special full-Council meeting. In a Thursday memo to
Menor, Martin asked to be excused because the recovery plan had already
been delivered to the FTA. He considered the resolution an “after the
fact” action that “would preclude any deliberative discussion.”

2. Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART) Rail Recovery Plan – April 28, 2017
Krlshnlah Murthy HART Interim Executive Director and Chief Executive OffIcer
http://hartdocs.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-20510/20170428-hart-recovery-plan.pdf
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART) Rail Recovery Plan – September 15, 2017
Andrew S. Robbins HART Executive Director and Chief Executive OffIcer
http://hartdocs.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-21210/20170915-hart-recovery-plan.pdf
HART PROGRESS – APRIL 2017 [MURTY] to SEPTEMBER 2017 [ROBBINS]
HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSIT (HART)
RAIL RECOVERY PLAN – PROJECT PROGRESS & STATUS
Overall Progress Construction Design Utilities
April 28, 2017 36.00% 31.00% 70.70% 34.60%
% Complete Cost to Date
West Oahu Farrington Guideway 97.1%% 662M
West Oahu Stations (3) 17.50% 58M
Farrington Hwy Stations (3) 4.21% 82M
Kamehameha Hwy Guideway 88.9*% 82M
Kamehameha Stations (3) 8.10% 116M
Airport Guideway & Stations (4) 5.00% 875M
City Center Guideway & Stations (8) *********** **********
Overall Progress Construction Design Utilities
September 15, 2017 38.00% 31.00% 70.70% 34.60%
% Complete Cost to Date
West Oahu Farrington Guideway 99.30% 662M
West Oahu Stations (3) 17.50% 58M
Farrington Hwy Stations (3) 4.21% 82M
Kamehameha Hwy Guideway 96.40% 82M
Kamehameha Stations (3) 8.10% 116M
Airport Guideway & Stations (4) 9.80% 875M
City Center Guideway & Stations (8) *********** **********

3. New revelations from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have
raised questions about whether City and County of Honolulu
employees and elected ofcials misrepresented the federal
government’s position in order to persuade the Hawaii Legislature to
approve a favored tax increase and funding plan for rail.
Obtained by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii via a Freedom of
Information Act (FIOA) request, the FTA’s clarifcation directly
contradicts testimony given by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and
gives additional weight to calls for a forensic audit of Honolulu’s
vastly over-budget and behind schedule rail project.
“The Legislature pushed through an unpopular tax based on
faulty information,” he said. “It’s clear that HART and
other public ofcials skewed the truth about rail in order
to advance their agenda. This is exactly why the public has
lost trust in the project — and in the state leaders who
are not pushing for greater honesty and transparency
from HART.”
Keli`i Akina, Ph.D., President, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Source: FOIA request raises questions about rail misrepresentations
By Grassroot Institute of Hawaii President Keli`i Akina
October 24, 2017, accessed November 13, 2017
http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/2017/10/more-reason-to-audit-the-rail/