Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 6, 1 May 2008 — A good opportunity squandered [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A good opportunity squandered

Bnyd P. Mūssman TrustEE, Maui

Now that the opportunity for Hawaiians to receive the equivalent of more than $200 million due OHA has been lost for perhaps ever . . . what? We squandered progression and advancement on so many fronts by loss in the state Senate of a hill whieh would have effectively provided at least the equivalent of interest from $10 to $20 million dollars per year for Hawaiian causes, more than most every other Hawaiian nonprofit. Why? Because five senators decided to listen to disgrruitled former employees, ex-Tmstees, sovereignty activists and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), employees who presented to them a laundry list of complaints from "we weren"t at the table ourselves," to "we want more," to "50 percenters should receive the debt due to OHA by the state," with no better solution. As a result, Hawaiians get zero with absolutely no promise of anything next year or thereafter. I surely wouldn"t hlame the state administration if they just ignored any further attempts to settle this debt due from 1980. Gov. Cayetano gave up and instead stopped all ceded lands payments until Gov. Lingle took over. Well, after this debacle let"s hope the same thing doesn"t happen again. The difference here is that the settlement presented to OHA by Clayton Hee, Rowena Akana and their attorney, Kali Watson, in 1999 reflected a "global" demand from Gov. Cayetano unlike the settlement agreed to by Gov. Lingle. Though Hawaiians would have received money and lands, no final agreement could be reached. The deal was scuttled when the OHA Board declined to sacrifice the rights of Hawaiians to elaim lands in the future. The current Board took care to preserve this right this time as testified to by OHA,

its attorneys and the attorney general; further, this time, despite the governor agreeing, OHA agreeing and Hawaiians being apprised, the Senate nevertheless killed the bill. So again, absent a sudden manifestation from heaven to the Senate, the long overdue debt will remain ruipaid as they continue to exercise selective hearing, screening out the majority for the vocal minority. Polls reporting 72 percent approval have no effect on them. Muhiple hearings with legal and eommunity support are meaningless. The benefits of the settlement and the time, energy and money spent to arrive at a fair resolution over a four-year period were completely ignored by Senate leadership who ean simply hlame Hawaiians and prevent any repayment to OHA and its beneficiaries ever after. Now OHA must go forward with whatever it has, but no more, for investing, grants, loans, scholarships and aid to Hawaiians; no more to provide for the betterment of our people. Instead, we wait for angry Hawaiian activists to satisfy their egos by delaying and preventing anything OHA achieves that helps Hawaiians. The failed opportunity to develop the settlement lands has deprived Hawaiians and a future government of critical time-sensitive returns whieh must now be delayed indefinitely. If we cannot even agree to secure future ineome for a governing entity, why have a Hawaiian government? Indeed, another lawsuit by the Arakaki plaintiffs has been filed seeking everything OHA has, and they must be pleased that Hawaiians are helping make their job easier. So will we get more tomorrow? No. Will we satisfy the detractors? No. Will we get any benefit out of an audit that has nothing to do with the $200 million settlement? No. Will we get up to $20 million annually in interest? No. Will we change the narrow minds of a few senators? No. So what next year? We return to the Legislature begging for the same thing and likely getting the same pompous reaction less interest. Hawaiians, wake up! Don"t slumber while others work to keep from you and yours the promise of a better tomorrow. o

LEO 'ELELE ■ TRUSTEE MESSAGES