Ige going too far with that low-key thing?

Gov. David Ige is known for a low-key style, but his announcement regarding the Thirty Meter Telescope was so understated that observers are left wondering how he actually feels about the astronomy project atop Mauna Kea.

"The TMT team is legally entitled to use its discretion to proceed with construction," he announced in a statement late Friday afternoon.

Well, yeah, but does he think it should? The TMT group received the necessary permits after an almost seven-year planning and permitting process that included public hearings. Nothing in that legal process dissuaded protesters who risked arrest rather than let construction proceed unimpeded. Does the governor believe that his restating the obvious will dissuade them now, after they have been emboldened by a construction "timeout" that he supported?

Moreover, can the TMT team have any confidence that authorities stand ready to enforce construction workers’ access to the site? The governor’s exceedingly careful rhetoric falls short of the unambiguous leadership needed in this tense situation.