Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 1996 — Know your candidates [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Know your candidates

by Rowena Akana Trustee At-Large

Onee again the elections are upon us and I want to encourage all Hawaiians to exercise your right to vote, whether it be for the President, our mayor, state legislators, or OHA trustees. Don't surrender your vote to

apathy or you'll lose your voice in the political process and nowhere is your voice more important, than at OHA. Four tmstees are mnning for reelection: Moanike'ala Akaka, Kīna'u Boyd Kamali'i, Moses Keale, and Samuel Kealoha. There will be scores of candidates vying for their seats. īt is the duty of all Hawaiians to become informed about who these candidates are and how will they work on your behalf. Some OHA beneficiaries believe that it really doesn't make a difference who their trustees are — so they eheek off those they're related to or those names they recognize. This is voter apathy at its worst! Hawaiians are a proud people and you should never trivialize your vote by thinking the choices you make won't have an impact. The trustees you elect to serve you at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs could have a lasting and profound effect on you, your children, grandchildren, and generations that follow. This is a critieal time for OHA. One of the most dangerous threats to Hawaiians is our goVernor. Recent articles in the press

have made Governor Ben Cayetano's position very clear.

■ He doesn t give a I darn about the 1 Hawaiian people and could care less , whether OHA F exists or not! He has publicly denied being antiHawaiian, but his actions speak louder than his words. Cayetano has stopped paying

OHA its share of airport revenues in spite of Circuit Court Judge Daniel Heely's ruling that says he can't. It is clear that Cayetano will do everything he ean, including disregarding the law, to diminish the revenues to whieh OHA's beneficiaries are entitled. And before the non-Hawaiian community thinks Cayetano is doing them a favor, they must realize that part of Judge Heely's mling stipulated that any money withheld from OHA will be assessed interest. The final bill, onee the issue is finally settled, will cost all taxpayers a lot more because of the governor's actions. I believe what has handicapped members of OHA's Board of Trustees is our own Chairman's close, personal relationship with Cayetano and State Budget Director, Earl Anzai. Anzai was a consultant to OHA from 1991 until he was appointed Budget Director by Cayetano. While Anzai worked with OHA, he helped develop a strategy to argue our case against the state for past due revenues. Now he's on the other side, developing strategies for the govemor to be

used against OHA. There appears to be a moral and ethical question here regarding Anzai's loyalties. In my opīnion, there is a conflict of-fnt0fest- between' OHA Chairman Clayton Hee and his two closest buddies, Cayetano and Anzai. Some might question whether the Chairman values his friendships over the interests of our beneficiaries. In addition, OHA is anticipating that the 1997 Legislature will attempt another frontal assault to our trust assets and perhaps our very existence. These are perilous times for OHA and for all Hawaiians who could benefit from the many programs OHA has to offef. We'll need strong, dedicated leaders to fight our lawmakers in order to protect these programs and your entitlements, not trustees who will succumb to pressures exerted by OHA's Chairman (request a copy of trustees' expenditures 19941996 from our Administrator).

The choices you make in this year's OHA elections will impact the Board of Tmstees for the next four years and possibly longer. That's why it is so important that you know eaeh of the candidates you vote for, including who they are, what they have done in the Hawaiian community, who is supporting them and why, who is giving them campaign money and why, and do they have the qualifications and visions to serve the needs of our people (request copies of campaign spending reports of the candidates running for OHA). To all of our beneficiaries, my message is clear: KNOW YOUR CANDIDATES AND WHAT THEY STAND FOR!