Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 9, 1 September 1998 — Standing firm [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Standing firm

^ ongratulations to all who participated in the I march in Washington. D.C., as well as in the walk here at home commemorating the 1 anniversary of annexation. Ourkūpuna \# walked with you. You ean definitely tell it's election time. Our

newspapers are filled with polls, surveys and mud slinging. AJuly 16 editorial in the Advertiser on Hawaiian issues stated "ceded land ^ talks long overdue, badly needed." Actually there wouldn't be a need for talks if the state would honor its financial obligation to OHA. As former Circuit Couiī Judge Daniel Heely raled, 20 percent of all ineome derived ffom, or because of, use of ceded lands should be paid to OHA. This same editorial stated that settlement of this critical issue would lift the cloud of uncertainty over the improvement or use of cededlands. Hey, there's no uncertainty. Goahead! Improveoruse thelands. Just pay OHA its FAIR share of revenue derived, including for airport usage. So, whyarewe

negotiating? What's to negotiate? It's all clear to me. You owe, you pay! A recent poll shows Govemor Cayetano in need of embracing the Hawaiian vote. Arethesesupposed negotiations just a ploy? How ironic that Hawaiian issues are suddenly being addressed just before election. This same paper asks what specific plan eaeh gubernatorial candidate has for resolving the pressing social problems as well as delayed entitlements ofHawaiians. Good question! Butwe don't need more questions, we neeei more answers! In a recent letter to Chairman DeSoto, Senator Whitney Anderson warns us to take heed. Past history shows our govemor is no friend to Hawaiians. There is no guarantee that Gov. Cayetano, if reelected, will honor any settlement, nor ean we be assured, that, when one is presented to the Legislature, it will be enacted. I am opposed to negotiations, but we don't seem to have any other recourse. I feel that with a deadline of Dec. 1 just four months away, we are being

rushed. We need to step forward with a strong, experienced, knowledgeable and unbending negotiatingteam. I agree with Trastee Clayton Hee that hiring Noima Wong, (formerly an officer of the state planning office and chief negotiator for the state), to sit as a consultant to the OHA Settlement

Negotiating Team is like hiring the fox to watch the hen house. Where are her loyalties? ffMs. Wonghadnegotiated in good faith with OHA, OHA would not have sued the state in the first plaee. whieh caused OHA to spend in excess of $200,000 in Native Hawaiian trast dollars to eontinue this effort caused by the state's 1992 position. Chairman DeSoto also seems to feel putting Trastee Campos on OHA's team will | be doing him a "disservice as he really should be out eam1 paigning." This statement really makes me nervous. Failure is not an option. All efforts have to be concentrated

on settlement and nothing else. As trustees, we must not allow any compromise of our entitlements. We must also legally stop the state from destroying the trast by withholding duly owed revenues now or in the ftiture. The future of our children must not be forgotten in these negotiations. Only by voting ean you let your voices be heard. Remembering the overthrow and annexation, we Hawaiians will stand together and not be ignored again. At this time I would like to say a big MAHALO to Trustee Hee. Without his wisdom and expertise, we would still be sitting at the table working on the budget. Mahalo, Clayton. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:7 ■

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