Stopping at Middle St would flush all the money down the drain; it has to go through downtown to attract riders. The cost is breathtaking, but the alternative is worse. Brubaker is right, it would just be another nail in the coffin of our reputation to bail on such an important and huge investment in infrastructure. 

Keep in mind: there are about 100,000 visitors on Oahu every day, and they spend an average of $200 each, for a total of about $20 million dollars a day, on which they pay GET. How many residents make enough money to spend that much and pay that much GET per day? Between the visitors and the feds, a significant portion of the rail costs are paid by others instead of us. 

Everything takes longer and is more expensive in Hawaii; rail is no different. Same thing happened way back with the H-3. But it was an investment in the future and we made it. Imua rail.