LEO 'ELELE - TRUSTEE MESSAGES

2009: Hele pololei me ka mahalo

Haunani Apoliona, MSW, Chairperson, Trustee, At-large

Aloha e nā 'ōiwi 'ōlino, nā pulapula a Hāloa mai Hawai'i a Ni'ihau puni ke ao mālamalama. Post-election 2008 highlights inspiring political results both nationally and locally.

In Hawai'i, the Con Con vote is NO, the 2008 electorate has spoken; all OHA incumbents return to serve 2008-2012, overwhelming the competition by outstanding vote margins.

The Hawai'i electorate message to OHA is decisive and encouraging,“keep current leadership stable at OHA,” “OHA's work is appreciated by people of Hawai'i,” “stay the course, keep moving forward,” the expansive and expensive negative strategy opposition rejected.

Former OHA deputy administrator, staff and former trustees hard at work to undermine OHA sullied the campaign period.

Trustee Rowena Akana worked overtly, politically endorsing a former OHA deputy director for trusteeship by misinforming and misleading the voting public, and exposing herself by stooping to remove Apoliona and Machado campaign signs along Likelike Highway.

Personal media testimonies by recognizable community figures supported their erroneous and reckless statements in the media.

Among this collection of people, we find common patterns. Several did not do their homework to find out the facts; some, even armed with facts, chose to manipulate them to fit their preferred political message; others just went along because they have personal issues with OHA, the remaining were pawns in the negative campaign scheme.

We can only hope that in the aftermath of this election cycle honest assessment of personal actions will prevail. One of our Trustees noted, “this election also demonstrates a very important lesson in civics and that is, a campaign based on lies and hate does not work, no matter how much money you throw at it. The people in this community and the Nation are more discriminating between good and bad, what is true and what is false and what is hateful.” Such actions were irresponsible, reckless and undermined community trust.

The next four years will bring great challenges along with stellar opportunities for Native Hawaiians and Hawai'i. Through its past experiences OHA will be prepared for the challenges.

For nearly a year Trustee Rowena Akana has lodged attacks against OHA Administrator Nāmu'o, administrative and line staff, other sitting OHA Trustees, including me, in KWO. As OHA Trustee, she accesses substantial and substantive factual information but chooses to manipulate such details to fit her preferred political message. Only she knows what underlies her mean-spirited actions.

I have been silently observant, choosing not to be drawn into Akana's contentious exchanges in Ka Wai Ola. However, this time, the untruths in Akana's November 2008 Ka Wai Ola column, Apoliona sells out the Hawaiians, will not go unchallenged. Akana's “alleged facts” are erroneous statements designed to misinform and mislead.

2008 Ceded Land Agreement

Contrary to Akana's effort to misinform KWO readers, the Settlement Agreement (terms and conditions) between OHA and the State of Hawai'i was approved by the vote of the OHA Board of Trustees. I affixed my signature to the Settlement Agreement as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees only after the OHA Board of Trustees approved the Settlement document. Settlement discussions between OHA and the State of Hawai'i took more than three-and-a-half years. Over 34 OHA Board of Trustees meetings were held to deliberate these matters each step of the way. As with other negotiations by unions and contractors, our meetings were confidential. Akana chose to be absent from many Board meetings.

The OHA-State 2008 Agreement to resolve payment on “disputed” income and proceeds from the Public Land Trust, owing to OHA since 1978, addressed items remaining since OHA's earlier partial settlement.

The 2008 House Bill provided codification of the $15.1 million annual payments establishing $15.1m as the “floor” payment and exposing the State to litigation if diminished. The Bill provided language for biennial review of such income and proceeds in consideration of increased payments to OHA. Although income and proceeds payments to OHA were restored in 2003 and increased in 2006, currently, any future increase in payments must be legislated anyway.

On April 16, 1999, OHA Chair Rowena Akana signed a letter during negotiation with the Cayetano administration on these same matters in which OHA agreed to repeal Act 304 and Chapter 10 in exchange for a successful Settlement. No OHA Board vote was taken to approve that agreement, as I recall.In fact, on April 27, 1999, to Chair Akana's dismay, a majority of the OHA Board voted to terminate unsatisfactory Settlement Negotiations with the State.

Akana's Travel

While demanding transparency of OHA financial reports on the one hand, Rowena Akana was infuriated when travel costs for Trustees were displayed on the OHA web site and the media asked her to explain why her expenses as a Board member exceeded that of BOT Chairperson Apoliona and the two BOT Committee Chairs. Akana attempted to deflect inquiries about her travel expenditures by pointing fingers and misrepresenting travel expenditures of the Chair.

The OHA Bylaws advise that “official business” means an activity authorized by the Chair for members of the Board, or the Administrator for employees, and performed or conducted pursuant to the duties of the Board, committee or Office.”

Cook Islands

As OHA Chairperson, I did not authorize Rowena Akana's travel to the Cook Islands as “official business.”

In a letter dated Oct. 30, 2007, and faxed to OHA administration, the Executive Advisor in the Minister's Office refers to Trustee Akana as Ad Hoc Committee Chair for Health. In 2007 no such Ad Hoc Committee on Health existed under the OHA Standing Committee for Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment, nor under OHA's Asset Resource Management Committee, nor under the Board of Trustees.

Akana was once Chair of a BAE Advisory Health Committee, which went defunct in 2004. In 2007 no such OHA Ad Hoc Committee on Health existed. Knowing that as fact, Akana apparently misled the Cook Island government.

Governor's Interstate Indian Council (GIIC)

On Sept. 3, 2008, Akana sought approval from the OHA Administrator for travel to the Governor's Interstate Indian Council meeting (GIIC) in South Dakota. As noted above, designation of “official business” for Trustees is authorized by the Chairperson.

GIIC Bylaws in Section 1.03 Delegate states that: “Delegates must have a letter of appointment from the Office of the Governor of their respective state or in the case of Hawai'i a letter from the Governor and/or Chair of the Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs…”

I have not appointed Rowena Akana to the GIIC in my tenure as Chair. Akana was asked to provide a copy of her appointment letter presumably signed by the Governor of Hawai'i. Akana did not produce any documentation. Her 2008 November KWO column admits participation as the Hawai'i representative for five years. By whose authority?

On Sept. 26, 2008, for lack of required documentation for travel as “official business,” her travel request was denied.

With this column I hope to leave this 'ōpala in 2008. For the future, check out “setting the record straight” and other information on the OHA web site, attend OHA community and Board meetings, contact your island Trustee or OHA's administrator, listen to OHA's daily radio program.

Mahalo to all who support OHA in its mission to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians through which all of Hawai'i benefits. I continue to serve, honorably. Have a blessed New Year! 1/48