Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 18, Number 5, 1 Mei 2001 — Spinning out of control like a broken record [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Spinning out of control like a broken record

Colette Machado Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i

Recent articles in the news have described OHA in very stark terms. Though OHA tries to ignore the issues and blame the newspaper for painting a negative picture of the agency, we eannot deny the facts. The State Auditor warns Trustees that there are serious fiduciary obligations not being met. The Auditor also says that the administration's treatment of employees is at a "crisis" situation, and that beneficiary programs are severely lacking. So what will OHA do? Will we continue to live in denial or work diligently to make things right? So far, administration has done little to better the conditions of OHA's employees. The employment crisis situation is increasingly hostile. Just three weeks ago OHA administration fired its only eontracts and procurement attorney without cause. Now OHA is lacking a contracts attorney to assure proper eomplianee whieh may create delays in payment and services. Now, Trustees and staff are haggling over the recruitment of an

OHA Administrator. The current administrator's contract ends June 30. Mueh of the effort to advertise for the administrator position is mired in racial innuendoes, hateful speeches and senseless filibusters.

Delays continue with many Trustees eager to allow the administrator's contract to lapse without any process to recruit or hire. The result

will be a void in administrative leadership at OHA. Recruitment and hiring is now critical. The entire Trustee meeting and employment crisis debacle was accented by a flurry of angry, abusive behavior that creates an atmosphere mueh like old MacDonald's farm. There was a gripe, gripe here and a scream, scream there and a filibuster here and some hate speech there. The results are deferred meetings and a failure to make things right. More than a month later, we have the same personnel crisis situation, and we have OHA contracts dangling for laek of an attorney to review and monitor the agreements. OHA has dissatisfied beneficiaries, employees working out of fear or resentment, and Trustees using hate speech to dehumanize the other people on the table. In a way, it has become a sad medley of the repetitive "OZd MacDonald" tune that just keeps adding circular, unhelpful verses to a situation that needs ho'oponopono and healthy debate to move past the stagnation.

OHA is at a serious stage of development. Hawaiian people are in need of services and programs that will truly lift them up. Blaming outsiders and denying responsibility for our actions serves no one except those whom wish to see OHA stop wōrking for the betterment of Hawaiians. It's time for OHA, Hawaiians and those who support the mission to better Hawaiians to sing a new song — a song that speaks of growth and healing. A song that brings together old and new. A song that reminds us of our purpose. A song that reminds Trustees and administration of their duty to Hawaiians. A song that will not tolerate abusive behavior and that will build a foundation for a future Hawaiian nation. Enough of the "Olel MacDonald" songs, this is mueh more serious and there is mueh more at stake. We need to stop spinning in circles like a broken record and put on a CD for more clarity and precision. Perhaps then we will be better heard and listen with greater intent. ■

lt's time for OHA, Hawaiians and those who support the mission to better Hawaiians to sing a new song — a song that speaks of growth and healing. A song that reminds Trustees and administration of their duty to Hawaiians.