Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 11, 1 November 1998 — Wanted: OHA leadership for the millennium [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Wanted: OHA leadership for the millennium

AS THE 1998 election nears, I reminisce about the election in 1996 when I was elected to OHA. The elation of winning the eleehon was dampened by the challenge that delayed my certiflcation. Similarly, the pride in being swom in as a trustee was tempered by the enormity of the task of making the spirit and actions of OHA pono. And finally, the piomise of new leadership in October 1997 was delayed by the untimely passing of Trustee Billie Beamer. Even with these set- | backs, mueh progress has been made by OHA. Recently. the board voted to support the long overdue Waimānalo Kūpuna Housing ProJect. Itdeeply saddens me to think that after so many years of waiting, action is only being taken now. If prompt action had been taken, perhaps today we would be celebrating the kūpuna's

move into a completed project. With regard to the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund, the board has amended the investment policy to reflect the need for more long-term growth. The recent trouble in the stock market has hit OHA hard, just as it has all other investors. However, these are short-term setbacks, while the trust fund is meant to last in perpetuity. OHA has been assured by many financial industry experts that it has a sound and prudent investment policy. In fact, they called on trustees to "stay the course" by not making any drastic changes to our investment policies. As you ponder your decisions, I would like to share with you the source of my motivation. I credit my pure Hawaiian mother for setting me straight on principles that reflect a "high standard" for being honest, tmthful and pono. Itwasmymoth-

er's toughness and tenacity that gave me the power to overcome racial,

eeonomie and educational barriers in my life. I am proud to say that as

my mother continues to watch over me, she is doing so with pride. My actions, as the chairperson of the Committee on Budget and Finance and as a member of the board of trustees, have been motivated by the needs of the Hawaiian community. I have not used my position to line my pockets or to support my ffiends. It is our ethics that serve as a foundation upon whieh we conduct our lives. Ethics are the impetus whieh empowers us to act and seek pono, steering a path and mission of righteousness. Through my mother's positive influence, it has become my lifelong mission to serve Hawaiian people, to preserve our rich cultural heritage and Hawai'i's land and natural resources. On Nov. 3, you will have the opportunity to elect five trastees for OHA. There are 38 candidates who have filed for these vacancies.

Whieh of the 38 candidates is worthy of your vote? What are their politics? How will they best serve the interest of all Hawaiians? What about their ethics and principles? Do you want to revert to business as usual or do you want to continue the progress? These are the hard-hitting questions that you must ask yourself when you vote on election day. After Nov. 3, the four trustees whose seats are not part of this eleetion will be retuming. I ean only speak for the three from the lōkahi team, Trastee Haunani Apoliona, Trastee Hannah Springer and myself. We will eonūnue to pledge to work for all issues confronting Hawaiians. We now ask that you elect those individuals who ean keep the paee and have the vision and drive to serve you, the Hawaiian community. ■

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TRUSTEE MESSAGES

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