TMT construction begins Monday 15 July

[randomq]

OHA is paying for the gas with your tax dollars.

[SBH]

Tom, I never said anything about using helicopters for regular operations for 75 people. I said, “I’m not sure why helicopters haven’t been an option to shuttle employees in an emergency for a few days with all the millions of dollars at stake.”

Such as when MK Observatories were abandoned in July and the protectors wouldn’t allow two technicians to go up Mauna Kea Access Rd. to work on a critical piece of equipment quickly, and also if need be in the future if they were to shut down Saddle Rd temporarily until those protectors leave because of no resupply of food, water and cleaned luas.

HPD would takeover access to Mauna Kea so it would no longer be an issue for MK Observatory employees to come and go as they wish.

I’m not sure arresting hundreds of people up there with hundreds of police is really the best solution. What’s the next step?

[kalakoa]

What’s the next step?

There isn't one.

[randomq]

It's the only solution, considering the activists won't negotiate.

They would only have to arrest people blocking the road, and it doesn't have to be a fast thing. Just start arresting them and hold them until their bail hearing. Condition of bail is they do not block the road again. If caught a second time, bigger fine, contempt of court, held for hearing...

[kalakoa]

arrest people blocking the road

We've seen the previews, now stay tuned for the feature:

Lenghty appeals process while Act 14 is re-litigated up to the Supreme Court, with judgement summarily ignored if ruling is in favor of TMT.

[TomK]

SBH - even using helicopters for emergency-only operations is not acceptable. They only fly in daylight and in VFR conditions. That means you could have a medical emergency on the mountain without having access to transportation off the mountain. It's why the MK observatories withdrew their summit crews at the start of the protest; it was an unacceptable risk to keep them on the mountain.

In the meantime, the observatories found ways to mitigate the risks to the instrumentation in other ways without risking people, but the option of helicopter evacuations is still a possibility in the direst of situations - we've talked to the tour companies about this. But if we're not given notice of a full out blockage of the highway we could end up with dozens of people stuck on the mountain.

[randomq]

The lengthy appeals process is fine, as long as the activists are locked up long enough for police to establish a presence and keep the road open. An appeal on the arrests wouldn't stop construction.

[lisa]

I wonder if the Marquesans received the same deference when they objected to being "overthrown". Or the Menehune?

Were they allowed to break the Hawaiian's kapu system since they were here first?

[terracore]

If they removed all the illegal temporary structures / camp sites up there most of the people would go away on their own.

[Obie]

A lot of the protesters sleep in their cars.