Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 1995 — Trustees evaluate operations [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Trustees evaluate operations

by Billie Beamer Trustee-at-large "Onee you realize you have given your power away, you ean make the decision to take it back. " Billie Beamer, Trustee At 68 years of age, 1 am well beyond the need to compromise myself for the adulation of crowds. I have learned that the fragility of truth is always being bruised by groups spurred by self-serving power seekers. As I search for the eyes of truth I am not intimidated by name calling or ugly facsimile messages. Neither am I interested in confrontations. Those who received and spent more than 300 Million dollars in the past 15 years supposedly for the betterment of the Hawaiians cry foul. Their transparent defensive responses are indicative of their

collective challenges that have exploited racial inferiorities to gain entitlement payola. The continuing advancement of we Hawaiians lies with our individuai achieve-

ments. Heaven forbid that we would all become unified as a collective centralized nation of victims. Remember! Kamehameha collected control by devastating the tribal land hold system. He then divvied the land amongst his advisors, mostly non-Hawaiians. The displaced joined the wandering home-

less. Knowing this historical fact, I am leery of moves to consolidate our resources under one chief. Non-profit self appointing

and self perpetuating foundations too often vacillate between greed and charity. Averse to scrutiny, their inflated productivitv claims are auestionable. To 2uarantee

their survival, these special interest groups have infīltrated the ranks of OHA. These kinds are called "cash cows" those gluttons who fattened themselves in the Federal and State's green feeder lots. After grazing without stop, the pasture is dry. Instead of adjusting their appetities they eall the troops to pressure

OHA to provide their fodder. The wish to make decisions for OHA via politicians or infiltration is pompous arrogance. OHA has two mandates, first, Statute 10

enumerates the authority and responsilality of an ELECTED TRUSTEE, and seeondly, Chapter 30 defines our oveniding beneficiary trust obligation. All of OHA's meelings and books must be open. How inany of you have received meeting notices through the mail from these foundations? We are a $200 Million dollar lrust. Our fiduciary oath is to protect ihe resources of the trust with care. prudence. loyalty to the beneficiaries and to exercise due diligence. The non-elected, non-accountable. noninformed cannot expect to take over the trust obligations without the responsibility of accountability. OHA's assessment of Administrator, staff and programs is underwav Ongoing evaluation is a primaiy tnistee responsibility. Just as the Bishop Estate is

undergoing massive reengineering, so, OHA trustees are also fulfilling its trust promise of duty. These are difficult times for all of us. Federal and State monies cut from an Alu Like's, Papa 01a's, and Bishop Estate*s onee pet projects are sloughed lo OHA. To assume that OHA is oblīged to piek up their shortfall without review is reckless naivete. They as we must reassess, reevaluate, and reconsolidate into focused affordable priorities. Chairman Aiona of the Budget and Finance and Policy committee iteraled the Board's obligation for fiscal years '95-96 and '96-97, that, with emergency exceptions totaling $1.2 million, OHA should maintain a conservative no growtfa budget Trustees have yet to receive an impmdeet 'candy store' supplementary budget increa.se proposal from the Administration that will eonūnue to dip inlo tbe trust fund for an unacceptable $7.6 million. Trustees are sounding the nouee that. ihe authority of management is not vested by an organizatinal chart, that growth al any cost is not acceptable, and that service at lower costs and individual staff aeeounlability should be management's credo. The self serving bureaucracy of high salaries, short hours and a sloppy service product is unacceptable.