Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 8, 1 August 1998 — Eeonomie engines to drive our peoples dreams [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Eeonomie engines to drive our peoples dreams

RECENTLY A friend, for whom I have great respect, wrote me a letter criticizing my ideas on eeonomie development as OHA and the state move toward settling the debt owed Hawaiians. I have said on several occasions that OHA would be wise to look at economically developable lands that presently have liūle or no value to the state and whieh OHA could "redevelop" into a profit center. I said, for example, that Diamond Head, the

Pali and Makapu'u Lookout. Koko Head and Molokini Islet are sites from whieh the state derives not a single penny, whieh could immediately turn into eeonomie profit centers, provide the state with jobs and tax dollars. while improving the area's infrastructure and beauty. Who could dispute that Diamond Head is a gold mine that, if done tastefully, could provide eeonomie development and improve what I believe to be the biggest urban blight in the United States? Nonsense, my friend wrote, "Your imagination

nas gone amueK! tnetaeas are revolting to me. Why cover areas such as Pali, Makapu'u and Lē'ahi with restaurants and shops?" Instead. my friend continued, "I propose we take Hamakua lands and state-owned fishponds on Moloka'i. Establish money-mak-ing learning centers where young Hawaiians ean learn how to produce and market food crops, medicinal plants, pigs, chickens and fish." I think my friend's ideas are great. And there's really no disagreement from me. After all, I too believe there ought to be centers of learning where young Hawaiians ean learn about our culture and, while doing so, produce an eeonomie product to sustain the activity. Fishponds on Moloka'i, where activities like this could occur, immediately eome to mind. And so it was one day when Walter Ritte took me to Honouliwai to show me the labor of

i love that he and several youngsters recreated by rebuilding a fish trap/pond where, he espoused, "this demonstration project could multiply to every fishpond on Moloka'i." I asked, "How'd you do it. How'd you get the youngsters to work and move all the boulders back into plaee?" Ritte answered. "We paid them from a grant." So herein is the poinL Without any quarrel with my friend's views, it is my firm belief that larger eeonomie proiects

offer the seeds to be harvested by "cultural, educational and other agrarian based activities." If the one million tourists who hike the Diamond Head crater eaeh year were assessed $2.50, and then at the top opted for a soft drink ($1.50), a T-shirt ($5), a souvenir ($5), sureiy you'd agree with me that therein lies an eeonomie development activity that would reap millions of dollars yearly. This single lowimpact development could provide the revenue for every fishpond on the entire island of Moloka'i to be rebuilt. And with state-of-the art designs, there's no reason

to oeueve tnat ptaces tuce Diamond Head, the Pali Lookout or other areas heavily frequented by visitors could be tastefully enhanced with infrastrucūire that would add beauty to the areas, One need look no further than other places frequented by visitors throughout the Pacific and the world to decide what kinds of developmenl ean add beauty and facilitate human need. Finally, I believe that eeonomie engines will also drive our future sovereignty efforts, support historic sites like the Royal Mausoleum and 'Iolani Palaee, where admission is nominal, and expand our Hawaiian language immersion schools like Nāwahīokalani'ōpu'u and Anuenue. What's required here are people willing to listen to eaeh other. Everyone has value to add to the discussion — even when we might appear to disagree. ■

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