Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 4, 1 ʻApelila 2001 — If trustees had to decide on lunch together [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

If trustees had to decide on lunch together

Aday in the life of the OHA board of Trustees? Consider this potential scenario: Chairwoman Apoliona: Members - your choices for today's luneh are beef or ehieken. Any discussion? Trustee Hee: Madame Chair, I question the appropriateness of the motion before the board. Sure, people eat, they have luneh. But we are here as trustees. Is it proper for us to have luneh 'as trustees?' This is not about having luneh; it is about being accountable. It is about being a leader. I would like to ask counsel if we have gone through the proper procedures to legally be having luneh today. Counsel Broder: "It is okay for us to have luneh." Trustee Hee: "I did not ask if it was 'okay.' I asked if we had gone through the proper procedures." Chairwoman Apoliona: "Trustee Hee, counsel has already answered your question and there are other people who want to talk." Trustee Machado: "Thank you Madame chair. Before I answer this question, I'm sorry, but I have a few

comments. First of all I am very concerned that certain issues have not been addressed. For example, nothing has been mentioned about the preparation of these different lunches. What are the garnishes or sides that accompany them? Also, what process will be used to serve them? What about the plates they will be served on or the utensils that we will be given to eat with? We need to continue discussion and provide information as these are very important issues that have so far been overlooked." Trustee Dela Cruz : "Madame Chair, I must admit, I have no idea what Clayton and Colette just said. And why do we continue to eall it iuneh?' I have been trying to bring forth the truth of what it is. It is not luneh; it is a 'sustenance program.' Also, why aren't we including staff in this decision? I would like to know what Mr. Ogata thinks of all of this. Administrator Ogata: "Actually, it's really up to the trustees what they want to order for luneh. If you're asking for my personal opinion, I'd rather have salmon." *

Chairwoman Apoliona: "Thank you Mr. Ogata. Salmon is not an option." Trustee Stender: "Madame Chair, I just wanted to state for the record that I may have a conflict of interest here. You see, I serve on the Hawai'i Cattleman's Beef Council, as well as the Chicken Farmers of Hawai'i Commission." Trustee Ota: "Madame Chair, I've been thinking about this luneh thing for awhile, and I have this idea, kind of a pet-project of mine. You know, people are making big bucks off this so-called 'Native Hawaiian food,' and I was thinking, 'Hey, we should be making some money off this.' So I thought we could charge the tourists coming over to Hawai'i $15 a head and they could get a so-called Native Hawaiian meal on the plane and we could have hula dancers entertain them. You know, people spend $35, $45, up to $100 on a lū'au, so this is still a good deal. And with 7 million-plus tourists coming to Hawai'i every year, hey, that's $105 million a year OHA could be making."

Trustee Akana: "Madame Chair, while I am certainly in favor of us having luneh, I must also state that I am not pleased with either of the choices being offered to us today. To bring it up this way is not a kosher kind of thing to do, especially when there is no reason why the selection process of these two dishes could not have included all the trustees. I'm with the administrator, I'd rather have salmon." Trustee Cataluna: "Madame Chair, I think that we need to focus not just on what we want to eat for luneh today, but also, what do we want to eat for luneh, tomorrow. As long as we only concentrate on what we want to eat right now, we are just sustaining ourselves for the moment. We should also be thinking about fulfilling our luneh obligations for the future!" Chairwoman Apoliona: "Thankyou Trustee Cataluna. Anyone else? Trustee Waihe'e?" Trustee Waihe 'e: "You know after all this discussion I really don't feel like eating. I sure could use a beer, though." ■

John D. Waihe'e IV

Trustee, At-large