Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 5, 1 May 1997 — Why the Vote? [ARTICLE]

Why the Vote?

After five years of watching me cross swords with Clayton Hee, some of you were probably surprised if not downright shocked that I voted for Mr. Hee for Chairman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs at our organizational meeting on April 8. Those of you who read my Ka Wai Ola o OHA eolumn along with my articles and letters in other newspapers know that my vote cannot be bought at any price. As I always do, I voted my conscience and did what I thought was in the best interest of OHA's beneficiaries. I arrived at my decision after carefully eonsidering conditions inside OHA and the environment outside. The November election swept into office the promise of lōkahi and weleome changes in the persons of new Trustees Haunani Apoliona, Colette Machado and Hannah Springer. Within three weeks. however. defeated Trustees Moani

Akaka and Sam Kealoha filed a lawsuit charging that the voting process was flawed; embarrassed the Office, Hawaiian voters and themselves by offering to drop the suit in exchange for positions at OHA as paid "consultants; and, worst of all paralyzed the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for some five months, leaving us unable to elect leadership or assign committees. But the five-month window turned into an opportunity to reflect, observe and take stock of our challenges, our board and ourselves. A Constitutional Convention loomed as a done deal, threatening to eliminate the protections enjoyed by the Hawaiian people since 1980. Additionally, certain key legislators positioned themselves for an all-out assault on Hawaiian rights, benefits and entitlements with such monstrous bills as S.B. 8, whieh

would have reversed the PASH decision; H.B. 2207, eroding OHA's revenues; and H.B. 1857, cruelly barring suits based on Hawaiian Homelands waitlist claims. Although at first we had been misled that we could only hmction as guardians of the status quo as lone as the SuDreme

Court's ruling on the eleetion challenge was still pending, both the new and the seated trustees soon jumped into the fray. We worked together as hard as we could to defeat these efforts targeting the Hawaiian people. Meanwhile, it was obvious that three coalitions were forming at OHA: the old leadership consisting of Trustees Hee, Aiona and DeSoto; new Trustees Apohona, Machado and Springer; and the independent minority consisting of Trustees Keale, Beamer and myself. I knew Clayton Hee wanted to retain his position, and I also learned that one of the new trustees was seeking the chairmanship. So we trustees, split three-three-three, faced a ehoiee between a new trustee and an old chair — with no sign of yielding, compromising or lōkahi from anyone. I realized the honeymoon was over and I began to look for lōkahi within myself. As Kahu Abraham Akaka has often said, lōkahi is not necessarily unity, but the coming together of people who share different philosophies in the hope of effecting harmony. Change at OHA is necessary and desirable, but with an inexperienced Chair in these crucial times, it could have its price. All of us trustees have served on numerous boards, but OHA is a different animal, complex and unique. Many things must be harmonized: investments, the implementation of programs in health, education, housing and other areas of need; the return of land; interaction with the state and federal government; the formation of a sovereign entity; from investments to public image, in order to serve the interests of our people. 1 decided the more experience the OHA Chair has, the stronger the office. Particularly in view of the governor's eampaign to create hysteria, the Legislature's eoneem with the state's dismal eeonomie picture and general hostility towards OHA, it seemed dangerous to select a Chair who would have to learn on-the-job. In spite of my previous differences with Clayton Hee, I had to admit that he had mastered more of the details and specifics involved in the chairmanship of a board responsible for protecting a $240,000,000 trust. Therefore, I committed my vote for Chair to Mr. Hee. WHILE I MAY DISAGREE W1TH HIM FROM TIME TO TIME, I WISH HIM WELL. As for change, that has happened too, because the newly elected trustees have caused me to reflect, to Iook inside myself and to realize that lōkahi, leadership and eompassion begin with me.

I realized the honeymoon was over and I began to look for lōkahi wiihin myself.