Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 10, 1 October 1996 — Choose your Hawaiian leadership carefully, local attorney advises [ARTICLE]

Choose your Hawaiian leadership carefully, local attorney advises

hy VVarren Perry

Trustee Keale is absolutely correct when he advises OHA voters to choose their leadership carefully (Ka Wai Ola O OHA, September 1996). For 16 years the history of OHA has been one of anticipation, where Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians have waited for: • Leadership, not bickering and childish behavior among the trustees; •Positive attitudes and actions that reflect well on OHA and all Hawaiians; •Credible accomplishments to build upon for the future; and •Respect among the trustees and from them to the beneficiaries. (If it did happen, I think it to be the height of arrogance and stupidity that a trustee publicly compared beneficia-

ries requesting help from OHA as "swine feeding from the OHA trough.") Now, OHA and all Hawaiians are at a critical time. The State has decided not to fund the Kamehameha Day Parade, the Governor has gone on record saying that he will appeal Judge Heely's decision about the revenues to whieh OHA is entitlted, and the State Legislature has reduced by 50 percent matching funds for OHA's budget. We have the very important issue of sovereignty looming and the state supposedly is facing another financial shortfall. OHA and the community could benefit greatly from lōkahi at the trustee level. Without lōkahi within the Board of Trustees, and without the support of Hawaiian organizations, Hawaiians

and the community, OHA ean expect more of the negative treatment to whieh it has been subjected. It is not too hard to imagine that with lōkahi, respect and tolerance at the top level, OHA could form lasting and sincere partnerships with other Hawaiian organizations. From those partnerships could eome not only needed support, but also more efficient use of funds in serving Hawaiians. It would be inarguable that OHA, Hawaiians and the community would benefit if the four who are elected (to the seats that are up for election), along with this spirit of lōkahi, bring to the board a history of positive eontributions to the Hawaiian community, and valuable competence and experienee. This election year, by all means,

» please choose your leadership carefully. While making that important decision, look at where OHA is, who got it there, where it should go, and the people needed to make it what it should be.

Editor's note: This response to a eolumn written hy Trustee Moses Keale in the Septemher 1996 issue of Ka Wai Ola O OHA, is puhlished in the interest of fairness and as a puhlie information service to our beneficiaries. Mr. Perry's remarks have heen edited to remove references that might he construed as campaigning. Warren Perry is a candidate for OHA trustee running for the Kaua'i and Ni'ihau seat