More Fuel For The Rail Project

Our Founding Fathers created a constitution that made despotic and tyrannical rule impossible. From the looks of it, that was the easy part. What it appears they were unable to do is to effectively block special interests’ ability to capture the consumer and any product surpluses that result from specialization and exchange. But as the Founding Fathers probably knew what would happen when government officials get involved in the economy, people try to steer the government’s action in directions that bring personal gains at the expense of the general interest.

As if some magic wand had been waved over the state, on the verge of a contentious mayoral debate and construction of our multibillion-dollar rail transit system taking shape on the Ewa plains, INRIX unveiled its fifth annual Traffic Scorecard revealing a startling 30-percent drop in traffic congestion across the United States in 2011. And Honolulu topped Los Angeles and New York as America’s worst traffic city.

What is going to be impressive is how many “nonprofit” groups are going to steer the report to those who will benefit from any kind of attention shed on public transportation.

Years ago, when the construction of freeways and tunnels was in full swing, they were all supposed to make it easier for the public to get around the state safely and quickly. Years later, Zipper Lanes were added, along with coning strategies, HOV lanes and now even parking meters that take credit and debit cards.

Toll roads can’t be too far away.