Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 9, 1 September 1999 — Straight talk [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Straight talk

AS SENIOR trustee, I have tried to focus my articles on information, advice or praise. Itrynottouse the space provided for personal agendas or to vent my anger or frustration, or to manipulate the truth. Perhaps this is a lesson learned fiom experience or perhaps this is my principle of being culturally Hawaiian. Whatever the case, this may be the first time I am forced to respond in a manner not eompletely comfortable to me. I have patiently listened in silence to a few of my fehow trustees express their unwarranted opinions on the retirement provisions of OHA's budget. Their opinions are their kuleana. However, when we plaee things in the media, the things we allow to be printed under our own names must be accurate, not misleading or misrepresented. Inthelasttwo months, several self-serving statements have misrepresented the issue of trustee retirement. As stated in Trustee Apohona's August article, the facts regarding trustee retirement were clearly laid out in the required documents. The action item approved by six of nine trustees clearly stated this retirement was meant as a supplemental program whieh could not be applied to any trustee until said trustee had exhausted his retirement benefits from all other employment sources. OHA's retirement compensation plans would supplement a trustee's retirement compensation if the trustee's benefits from all other sources (except Social Security) did not exceeid the minimumbase retirement compensation offered by OHA according to a formula based length of service and age. In addition, ehgible trastees who retire would receive medical benefits under the same formula - supplemental to any existing plan that tiie trastee would be ehgible for under any other coverage. All of these facts were detailed in the aeūon item. The exact cost for this item cannot be determined and could not have been included because, in order to determine cost, you would need to know whieh trustee would be retiring, when, any benefits from other sources, and, finally, whaL if anything, OHA would be required to supplement. Eaeh trastee who has served at least one term is a potential program participant and eaeh would represent a different cost Budgeting for this potential retirement cost would be a best guess situation, just as budgeting for potential lawsuits or legal fees is a best guess proposition. This brings up another point of misrepresenta-

tion, the $35,000 budget appropriation for a retirement contingency ftmd. Ihis amount is a best guess effort at funding a trustee retirement category. If no one retires, no money is expended from this budget category. If someone does retire, then only the sum that person is ehgible to receive under the compensatory formula will be used. In fact, if more than one

trastee retires and is eligible for benefits, the budgeted amount may be inadequate. finally, let me express my disappointment in Trustee Apohona's printing of Richard Kinney's words. One of the precious freedoms we enjoy is the freedom to express ourselves. But in exercising that freedom we must be aware we are responsible for the accuracy of our statements. The statements that were made by Richard Kinney became Trustee Apohona's thoughts when she pubhshed them. I have never been a participant in any "payoff" nor have I made any deals for my vote on this or any issue. I always vote my conscience and diligently strive to cast informed votes on everything. Also, as Trustee Trask so eloquently stated, let's remember that trastees "were not elected to be a servant. . ,they were elected by Hawaiians to represent their interest." Every working class of people has retirement benefits. Why not Hawaiians? Over the past 20 years I have tried to represent the peoples' interests well. "Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12 ■

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