Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 4, 1 April 1999 — Beneficiary: Approve Trustee Machado's travel [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Beneficiary: Approve Trustee Machado's travel

ALOHA MAl e nā 'oiwi Hawai'i, e nā mamo o kēia 'āina nei. This 32nd article in my series of46 highlights a beneficiary voice raised in eoneem on behalfofTrustee Colette Y. Pi'ipi'i Machado, trustee for Moloka 'i/Lāna 'i. The beneficiary is Pi'olani Motta, Native Hawaiian and retiree from Hawaiian Air's personnel office. The letter, dated Feb. 15 and addressed to the Board ofTrustees ofthe Office of Hawaiian Affairs, says, "As a beneficiary of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, I was shocked to read in the Febraary issue of Ka Wai Ola o OHA that Trastee Colette Machado was denied approval for her travel/per diem expense request from Chair Rowena Akana. "If a trastee cannot conduct business with her eonstiments on the different islands, whieh necessitates travel across the water, then there would be no reason to have representation ffom these islands that make up the Hawaiian state. Their voices are not heard when matters of importance govern their fifestyles. Programs that are important to them will not eome to fraition. Is this the purpose of OHA's direction? "The pofitics involved in this declaration against

Trastee Machado's travel/per diem expense request for her work with Hawaiian "beneficiairies defeats the main purpose of OHA's existence: to be of service to the Hawaiian people, providing for their needs: Health, housing, education, finance and

whatever other needs are required. There OHA should be! "Trastees take an oath to be of service to their people. Who better than Trastee Machado who gives of her time, talent, and treasure to care for her people whether it is on Moloka'i or any other island that needs her mana'o and kōkua. "lt is not like Trastee Machado to back away from a challenge and this is why her constituents voted for her. Let her continue her work on all the programs that necessitate their fruition and rectify this motion against her travel needs. "I feel sorry for all OHA beneficiaries who depend on a trastee's presence to air (kūkākūkā) their views but

would be silent because of this poliheal situtation. "I pray Trastee Akana. that you, as a Christian and a minister, look into your heart and use this spiritual source in making your decision PONO. Correct this wrong. "It will help other trastees perform their duties to their constituents to the best of their abifities whieh reflects your leadership. "We, as beneficiairies, look to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as our 'spokesperson' when affairs affecting our Hawaiian people are at stake. Let us not add more fuel to the fire when it comes to Hawaiians trying to make decisions governing their lives and the future of other Hawaiians.

"I remain, Pi'olani G. Motta, a Hawaiian beneficiary." As ofthis writing, Trustee Machado continues to be restricted in her travel and ean eome to Honolulu only for OHA committee and board meetings. No pre-meeting prep days are allowed. The question that beneficiaries should be asking is how the other neighbor island trustees are treated. Is travel to the OHA office on Oahu as equally restrictive when applieā to the Kaua'i trustee, the Hawai'i trustee, and the Maui trustee trustee?'A 'ohe hana i nele i ka uku. A hui hou aku. ■

uTrustees take an oath to be of service to their people," — Pi'olani Motta

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