It would be easy to just call this whole piece a tone-deaf attempt to sway an argument that has never gone Panos's way, and only went Cliff's way the first time back in the 90's, only to lose it by 2004. But, instead, I want to elaborate on one point they make here: "Last but not least is the economy: Without roads, our economy is dead. Without rail, the economy is better off". 
Here is my question for these gentlemen: How is the economy any better when, at 3:00 in the afternoon it takes one hour to go from the Ala Moana Hotel to the Airport? How much better is the economy when leaders of industries come here to Honolulu only to discover that the transit infrastructure for basics like passenger and bulk cargo transportation is gridlocked throughout the work day? Sure the drivers get more time on the clock, but that is not economic development...that is ignoring real transit problems that plague this island and prevent this state's economy from expanding beyond the military and tourism.