I’m not saying anybody lied.
I’m not saying this is surprising.
But dang it, we all saw it coming, covered our eyes and crossed our fingers like maybe it wouldn’t happen. And of course it’s happening.
In January 2007, Hawaiʻi started paying an extra 0.5% excise tax on all business activities to help pay for the rail. It was framed as almost an emergency make-or-break move to save the Honolulu rail project. “This is our last chance to qualify for federal dollars,” Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said…