Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 11, 1 November 1992 — Republicans state case for Hawaiians [ARTICLE]

Republicans state case for Hawaiians

by Jared H. Jossem, chairman Republican Party of Hawai'i Ka Wai Ola: How has the Republican Party of Hawai'i supported Hawaiian issues? At our 1992 state convention we adopted the following as Resoluūon No. 1 : Be it resolved that the Party, through its representaūves on Ūie Republican Naūonal Committee and through its delegates to the naūonal convention, advance the following policies: 1. The United States government should acknowledge its involvement in the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. 2. The United States govemment should acknowledge ūiat the annexation of Hawai'i was not brought about through democratic means, and address the taking of Hawaiian lands. 3. The United States government, in eonjunction with ūie govemment of the State of Hawai'i, should acknowledge that Ūie Hawaiian Home Lands program has been an inadequate means of addressing the wrongs inflicted upon the people of Hawai'i and should assure equitable and just restitution. Our elected legislators supported and helped author the resolution on Hawaiian Rights adopted last vear. KWO: What are your plans for Hawaiian issues? The flrst step is to bring more people who are concemed and interested in the outcomes into acūve roles in the Party — as leaders and candidates. This implies Ūiat more Hawaiians will opt for convenūonal poliūeal activity as opposed to pa^m^oluūona^ and confrontational tactics. The GOP is not interested in being used to foment a secessionist move-

ment or to help foreign interests take eontrol of Hawai'i. We see Hawai'i and Hawaiians as better off as American, now and into Ūie future. Other plans are more detailed. We hope to see ūie federal government, for example, extend to Hawaiians full recogniūon as a Native American nation, with all appropriate enūtlements. KWO: What would motivate Hawaiians to vote for your party? Noūiing. People should not vote for a party, but for ūie candidates it presents to lead the community. The voters of Hawai'i, including Hawaiians, should realize that nearly 40 years of Democrats have produced a sad ehain of broken promises. Whether Hawaiian Homelands, public educaūon, housing generally, or ūie cost of living is Ūie issue, ūie simple fact is ūiat the Democrats have failed all of us. What would motivate Hawaiians to vote for Republicans? Facing ūie truth about who is screwing the Hawaiians around today, that's what. KWO: In what concrete ways will the Republican Party support Hawaiian self-determination,self-governance/restitution? There are clearly two areas of priority. One is ūie ending of ūie dependency fostered by state and federal control of ceded lands and Ūie unlawful diversion of revenues therefrom. The oŪier is converting Hawaiian interests in Hawaiian home lands to fee simple interests so that bank financing is more available. If land belongs to Ūie Hawaiian people, Ūie state should not deprive Hawaiians of Ūie real incidents of ownership.