[IMC-Editorial] NEWS: Moloka'i versus Goliath

[Rich Zubaty]

[please forward to anyone who might help]

December 12, 2002

Moloka'i versus Goliath

Contact: Walter Ritte: 808-558-0111
          Rich Zubaty: 808-553-8320

NEWS
...............................


Moloka'i versus Goliath

The 6000 residents of the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i are preparing to greet 
the December 28 arrival of the Holland America cruise ship Statendam with 
chants, pickets, and a "No Cruise Ships in Moloka'i" 'protest party'. While 
no violence is anticipated in this refuge of the Aloha spirit, some members 
of the "rescue the land" grassroots organization feel very passionately 
about this multi-billion dollar corporate incursion onto their quiet island. 
"How can an island without a single traffic signal and one public toilet be 
expected to handle 2000 visitors at once?" asks resident Walter Ritte Jr.

Residents' concerns -- on this island with the highest per capita Hawaiian 
lineage, and home of Father Damien's Leper Colony -- include: destruction of 
their coral reef by a five-ton anchor, importation of viral diseases and 
non-indigenous plant and animal species, massive social and cultural 
disruptions, and the utter lack of cruise ship regulations -- particularly 
their freedom to dump photo chemicals, bilge oil, and the human feces of 
3000 people three miles offshore the beaches of this tropical hermitage. 
Unlike the other Hawaiian islands, Moloka'i has rigorously declined tourist 
development -- there's only one small hotel.

Says resident Rich Zubaty, "These ships are foreign registry -- foreign 
soil. They (sic) can come on our island but we can't go on their boat. Even 
the Coast Guard can't go on their boat to inspect it. It's like having a 
chunk of Liberia parked in your back yard...They got away with this by 
paying off politicians, from the Feds on down to Charles Taguchi on 
(outgoing governor) Cayetano's cabinet. It stinks."

State Circuit Court Judge Shackley Raffetto has refused to HEAR the 
arguments to require an environmental impact statement put forth in the 
Motion for an Injunction filed by Earthjustice lawyer Isaac Moriwake -- 
which even the pro-business Honolulu Advertiser called "sensible". So let 
the 'party' rage. And remember. Aloha means "hello" -- AND "goodbye".

[end]



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