Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 8, 1 August 2001 — Ota comment [ARTICLE]

Ota comment

I have tried to stay out of this eontroversy and have never written anything about OHA because to attack OHA is to attack myself. The not-so-smart U.S. Supreme Court ruling changed all of that. Trustee Ota's profanity, on Island Television no less, now becomes a different situation. I was happy when Charlie Ota who won the Maui seat. He was a smart businessman and would be good for OHA. I thought Ota might be like the former Bishop Estate Trustee Takabuki, a wise investor. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Months ago, I requested financial help from Ota, for funding a group of dancers and artisans from Hawai'i and the Mainland to travel to Australia on a cultural exchange. Trustee Ota said that this is the kind of thing OHA should fund. Five months later, I found out from other trustees that he had done nothing with the request, and does not regularly attend board meetings. My question is: Why, Charlie, after spending $50,000 to "buy" the eleeūon and deny other qualified people from holding this important office, you don't participate, and use language that is unbecoming of the office you hold? You should do the right thing, as your culture dictates: Resign and "save face," and let someone else with class represent Maui. Please do it now. Kahu Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Pukalani