▪ A Camel is a Horse Designed by Committee

Is it just me, or is Honolulu's proposed rail system -- whoops, sorry, "fixed guideway" -- beginning to look like the camel in the timeworn cliche?  The city council has approved a transit system, while leaving decisions about the actual location of the route, and whether the system will be rail or something else, until later (but the tax to pay for a portion of the $4B+ cost will be charged starting 1/1/2007). 

On Friday, the council first delayed the final vote on the transit system's footprint in order to consider adding another section, then reconsidered the delay and decided it would vote, then voted 7-2 in favor of the system, whatever it might be.  The delay was suggested in order to consider adding another section to the line, which would have resulted in the need to take even more private property by eminent domain. 

While there may be sound arguments on both sides of Honolulu's mass transit issue (rail? bus? toll lanes?), the one thing for sure is that if the system is expanded, more private property will be needed, and more Honolulu property owners will be receiving the dreaded "dear interested person" letter in the mail.