Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 12, 1 December 1997 — Evolution of Reorganization at OHA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Evolution of Reorganization at OHA

N 1 996, just before the November elections, Trustees Billie Beamer and Frenchy DeSoto, along with four other trustees, decided that they would "reorganize" the Board of Trustees. Trustee Beamer walked into Chairman Hee's office while he and I were meeting on board matters and showed us an agenda with a date set as required and the signatures of the trustees. Little did she know that we had just met with Trustee DeSoto and formerTrustee Sam Kealoha who were taking their names OFF. Trustee Beamer was politely informed that she had only four trustee signatures. Fairly

"beaten," she stomped out of Chairman Hee's office. Interestingly, Trustees DeSoto and Kealoha were a part of our majorit>' at the time. When asked why they signed. they replied that Trustee Beamer had pushed to change the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship. The plot backfired and she had to liek her wounds. At the BOT meeting on Lāna'i Aug. 29, whieh Trustee DeSoto did not attend. the issue of the legislative committee purview was up for board action. Since Trustee DeSoto was not there to defend her eommittee, Trastee Akana was

considerate of Trastee DeSoto, the legislative review chairperson at the time, and asked that we defer the item until the BOT meeting on Maui Sept. 23. At the Maui meeting, the purview of the legislative committee eame up for consideration. Trastee DeSoto had indicated that she would not make a motion since Trastee Akana was away on a trip. In a telephone conversation with Chairman Hee and me, Trastee DeSoto had indicated that she was willing to defer. Unfortunately, she changed her mind during the Maui meeting and made a motion on the purview of the legislative committee even though Trastee Akana was absent. During the roll-call vote, I cast two kānalua

votes, whieh is to abstain. Trastee DeSoto was "huhū" with me over this. After, I asked her to "talk story" and she said she did not like my "kānalua." I told her that she had been unfair as she had told Chairman Hee and me that she was not going to make a motion on the legislative committee's purview. Like someone who wants her own way, she did make the motion and the new purview was adopted. She also informed me that Trastee Beamer and the lōkahi gang, Trastees Apoliona, Maehado, and Springer, wanted to take away Trustee Keale's chairmanship of the program management committee, because he had been "ma'i" a Inno Imii' anH Trn«tee

Akana's chairmanship of the land and sovereignty | eomminee because the | eomminee was in disarray. I told Trastee DeSoto that it was NOT HAWAĪIAN to do it the way they wanted | and to hold off. She assured | me she would talk to I Trustees Beamer, Apoliona. | Machado, and Springer. The straw that broke the camel's back was the BOT meeting held on Oct. 6, | where the Board of T rastees interviewed consultants to assist OHA in our legal battle for our $550 million entitlement. I saw that the "five" were unhappy with Chairman Hee's prelimi-

nary work to get the best people to do the job. It was noticeable in their decoram and behavior. On Tuesday morning, Oct. 14, the "five" took over the Board of Trastees and said that they wanted us to be "INCLUSIVE." If you look at the new organization, Chairman Hee, Trustee Akana, Trastee Keale, and I do not chair any committees. We have membership on some, but we have been relegated to the extent that the five will run the whole show. This does not speak well of the "LŌKAHI AND PONO" spirit they talked about during their campaign. I pray that akua will touch their hearts and make them realize what they have done. It is not in the trae spirit of cooperation and inclusiveness. ■

- i i 'MUĒMmwm fy§

TRUSTEE MESSAGES

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