Rail stirs up old rivalry felt among the islands

Was anyone actually surprised that the discussion of the rail bailout at the Legislature this week turned into an us-versus-them beef?

Rail has been us-versus­-them since the beginning. Ask the folks on the Windward side and East Honolulu how they feel about throwing in for a train they will never ride.

But during this week’s special session, some were actually expressing surprise, almost dismay, that neighbor island leaders were balking at having to help pay for Oahu’s rapid transit system. The rivalry for attention, resources, even respect, is a familiar undercurrent at the Legislature, but what was different with the rail discussion was that this time, it came right out in the open, even though increasing the hotel room tax statewide is not a direct hit to neighbor islands the way a sales tax would be.

Neighbor islands-versus-­Oahu is an old rivalry, though it’s not often the neighbor islands get to push back and it’s probably something Oahu never even notices.

When charitable organizations do fundraising on the neighbor islands, one of the first things said in the pitch is, “All the money raised will stay right here on the island.” If that is not explicitly stated, it’s one of the first questions that is asked: “Is the money we give going to stay here or … what?” The “what” is code for, “Are you sending it to Honolulu for those guys to decide how much of it we get to keep?”

It goes beyond fighting for funding. You know how on Oahu sometimes people ask “What school you grad?” to figure out if you’re Punahou elite or Farrington real? When people on the neighbor islands ask “What school you grad?” they’re checking to see if you’re a Honolulu snob who is coming to town to tell people what to do. Not always, but sometimes.

It’s only been in recent years that Oahu people have deigned to say “neighbor islands” instead of “outer islands,” the latter conjuring an image of Oahu being in the center of everything, with the lesser populated rocks surrounding it like distant outposts or meek supplicants. People on the neighbor islands have pretty much been saying “neighbor islands” all along.

Sometimes, the struggle is subtle, as when someone from Kauai answers the question, “So when did you come UP to Honolulu?” with, “I’ve been DOWN here for a week,” thereby correcting the perception that Oahu is on some higher level than the other islands, even one that is farther north.

It’s there. It’s been there. The rail project just made it rise up and spill out a bit. The rail project has that effect on things.

Meanwhile, legislative leadership seemed to have brokered deals so that some of the neighbor island politicians could save face at home. Dissenters were allowed to make their speeches, huff and puff, call it an outrage while all along the votes were secure. Now, the undercurrent of neighbor islands-versus-Oahu can go back to being “under.”

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.