When we have money to fund tax credits for powerful film studios, but no money to invest in tax credits for our keiki, the lines between fictional exploitation and the dismal reality of life start to feel blurred. Are we not, in fact, living The White Lotus?

Built backwards, started 30 years too late and handled by the most bumbling assortment of public and private officials imaginable, and now—with yet another lawsuit to slow it down and expand its cost to the taxpayer—it’s no wonder the Honolulu Rail project is making everyone a little crazy.