Berg, Neighborhood Board Bang Heads Over Rail
KAPOLEI — Tom Berg, booed in his own backyard.
The District 1 City Council member received a rough reception at the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board Wednesday night, facing criticism for his recent rail panel that some perceived was slanted against the $5 billion project.
The frustrations were summed up by board Chair Maeda Timson, who was running her last meeting after a 12-year reign. She said Berg was a “disgrace” for using taxpayer dollars on a one-sided meeting. Timson is leaving her post to focus on other pursuits — among them, Go Rail Go, a pro-rail advocacy group for which she serves as president.
Timson remarks were cheered by dozens of attendees, the majority of whom were wearing shirts expressing support for a variety of construction worker unions. They were there mainly to express support for the job-creating Hoopili project, but many appear to support rail as well.
Timson and Berg banged heads during the council member’s monthly report to the board, after which Timson repeatedly and bluntly reminded Berg to directly answer questions from citizens. Even when Berg took to the microphone to thank Timson and two other outgoing board members for their service with a certification from the City Council, Timson was cold.
Berg couldn’t catch a break from the crowd, even drawing jeers as he expressed his support for the Hoopili project that many had come to push for. When he said that he’d continue to support the project if re-elected — he first secured his seat in December by drawing 18.5 percent of the vote (4.3 percent of registered district voters) in a 14-person runoff — the crowd audibly groaned and laughed derisively.
For his part, Berg kept a sense of humor. When one citizen thanked Timson for her 15 years on the board, much of which were spent dealing with “people like Tom Berg,” the councilman stood and played to the crowd, bowing as if he were the one being recognized.
