Mike was a stage manager on a tour I did once. Part of a stage managers job is to manage where all the empty cases would go backstage after the contents were taken out and set up. I remember more than once pushing an empty case towards Mike and asking him where I should put it. "Not there," was often the answer, which was always followed by the question, "Okay, how about here?" Which would always garner the answer, "No, not there." Which brought the follow up, "Well, where then?" To which Mike always replied, "Not there."
"Here?"
"Not there."
"Here?"
"Not there."
Never would there be a direction where to go, just where not to go.
I bring this up because I read an article on line today about the continuing saga of the Hawai'i Superferry. To sum up the article, the Superferry has gone bankrupt and they can no longer support the maintenance of the ships, but the state government of Hawai'i and creditors of the Superferry, don't want them to give up. Quoting from the article:
"The state, which is owed about $40 million for dock facilities, and other creditors said Superferry should make more of an effort to revive the business."
Make more of an effort to revive the business. A business that has constantly been prevented from running by groups of people who oppose it. It appears no one wants the Superferry to operate (although I know this not to be true, more in a bit), and yet, no one wants it to go out of business.
"Where can I park this boat?"
"Not here."
"How about this island?"
"Not there."
"Here?"
"Not there."
"Well, I guess I can't operate a business, I'm going bankrupt and I have to abandon my equipment."
"No, you can't do that either."
Maybe I'm over simplifying things. Granted, the Superferry tried to skirt the law and not do an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Bad Superferry. But then they tried to make good by doing the EIS, which would be impossible to do without funds, which they could generate by running the ships, but by law they can't until the statement is complete. So the governor and state legislature step in and pass a bill that allows them to operate at a higher safety standard than other businesses (i.e. observers on board the vessels to watch for whales and inspectors on the docks to monitor cars for foreign species, think - Koki frogs). And the ships make the rounds between O'ahu and Maui only.
But then the district court of Maui rules that the bill that the legislature passed is unconstitutional. Bad legislature. So the Superferry is no longer allowed to dock on Maui. Kaua'i was already out because of too many protestors, and the Big Island doesn't have a dock yet. So now the Superferry has no where to sail too. Business is done, time to file bankruptcy.
No, you can't file bankruptcy, shame on you says the state and the creditors. But wait, where were you Mr. state and Mr. creditors when the Superferry (a business I assume you guys like and want, otherwise why invest in it) needed help to continue operating? Maybe shovel a few more bucks their way so they can get the EIS done and can resume business? Bad creditors.
Then again, why would the Superferry want to stick around when it seems nobody wants them? People diving into the water in front of the vessel on Kaua'i, people blocking the roads on Maui. Because I know there are people out there who thought that the Superferry was a good idea. I am one of them. But we are a silent majority. I read a poll once that said a majority of people want the Superferry to operate, but they also agree that the EIS needs to be completed. A squeaky wheel gets the grease, or in this case, the loud minority got the media coverage.
I don't know what the solution is. I just know that this Nashville logic has to stop. Either help the Superferry become a viable business (and take a ride, I hear from a friend who went to Maui while it was operating that it was really great), or let it file bankruptcy, take the economic hit you are going to take and move on. Find a place for them to put the empty case.
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