Missing at LWV’s Anti-Rail Event: Oahu’s Youth

What would happen if the League of Women Voters held a “Doing Rail Right” panel and nobody under 30 showed up? That’s essentially what happened Saturday morning if “nobody” can be defined as “less than two.”

It’s probable Oahu’s youth stayed clear of the event (except for one anti-rail college student) because of LWV’s reputation opposing Honolulu rail. Also opposed to the project were all but one member of the event's panel.

With its reputation preceding it, the League and its decidedly senior age distribution wasn’t likely to create a buzz among the next generation of leaders on a beautiful Saturday morning. The only “independent” voice on the panel was a Civil Beat reporter who said the online news organization has taken no stand on rail and neither would he that day.

Other panelists included a member of Stop Rail Now; a University of Hawaii economist who authored a study that has been criticized by a frequent pro-rail contributor; an attorney who voiced objections to the project because of its potential to disturb buried human remains; an architect who advocated building an at-grade rail system, and a moderator who urged continued opposition to the project at the City Council level.

Generation Relevant?

Yes2Rail attended the event and is giving it more space here than the Honolulu Star-Advertiser did the next day. Unmentioned in the newspaper’s report was the age range of the participants, which we think is significant.

Of the 24 audience participants, one was a member of “generation next.” Most were a lot closer to the Yes2Rail writer’s age, which we mention only to pre-empt accusations of “ageism.”

We noted the age differential between rail opponents and supporters back in July when the City Council held a hearing on rail’s final environmental impact statement. The opponents were represented principally by Cliff Slater; Oahu’s youth testified in favor of rail.

A Kamehameha Schools graduate who’s attending Yale University said: “I support rail development in Hawaii because I want to return home. I want to have a reason to be back here. Without innovation, without a look to the future, without development that can make us a competitive force in the Pacific region and the United States, there’s no reason for students to want to come back from the mainland.”

Another young person said he represented a group called “We Will Ride.” “We represent over 400 young people, mostly high school- and college-age students that are dedicated to the promise that rail transit has for the future of Honolulu…. So essentially, I’m here and we’re here to tell you all and to tell the people and the Council that if you build a rail system, we will ride it.”

We said back in July that if the Council members were paying attention, they saw and heard the future, and it was decidedly with rail. The two Council members and one member-elect at Saturday’s event did not see or hear what Oahu’s youth want for their future. It simply wasn’t in the cards because the League had no interest in exposing that side of the debate.

Surely the full City Council can't ignore it.