Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 9, 1 September 2002 — Candidates square off on Hawaiian issues [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Candidates square off on Hawaiian issues

By Manu Boyd Hawaiian organizations stepped forward this election season organizing fomms, inviting candidates for public office to speak on suchHawaiian issues as ceded lands revenue to Federal recognition. One such forum3 the OHA 2002 Gubernatorial Forum3 held Sept. 9 at UH Hlānoa, is scheduled to air Sat.3Sept. 1 4, 6:30 p.m., onKITV 4. Last month3 the Ocahu Oouneil of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs3 under the leadership of its Governmental Affairs Chair Ki'na'u Boyd Kamalil, assembled five gubernatorial candidates to discuss Native Hawaiian issues. Among them were Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono (D), Rep. Ed Case (D), D.G. Andy Anderson (D); John Carroll (R); and George Peabody (L). Republican front runner, Linda Lingle3 declined participation3 according to civic clubs officials. Over the three-hour forum moderated by

Annelle Amaral of 'Ahahui Siwila Hawaici o Kapolei, candidates offered remarks on how they stood on a number of Hawaiian issues. A panel whieh included Kamali'i, Linda Delaney, Kahoconei Panoke and Scotty Eowman - posed questions to the panel. Following are excerpts from the candidates' responses: See CANDIDATES on page 7

OHA 2002 Gubernatorial Forum Sat., Sept. 14 6:30-8 p.m. KITV 4

CANDIDATES SPE,AK — George Peabody (L),Lt. Governor Mazie Hirono (D), Rep. Ed Case (D), and D.G. "Andy" Anderson (D) are among 20 candidates vying for Hawai'i's top govemmental post.

CAJNDIDATES from page 1 Recently, Sen. īnouye was quoted in the newspaper saying that the Na ti ve Ha wai ian Fe de ra 1 Recognition Bill would not pass in Congress because of Republican opposition in both the House and Senate. īf you became governor, would you be supportive, and what would you do iohelp assure passage of a similar bill next year? John CarroII (R): First of all, I think Sen. Inouye is wrong. I don't think it's being stopped because of ihe Republicans3 it's being stopped because of ihe legal problems that are attended to the Akaka Bill. Anybody who's studied that bill knows that there are many many flaws in it. I will look to ihe Hawaiian community as governorto determine whieh way we ihink we should go. I personally look at it in terms of international law and ihe impact of whatever is going to be considered the last viable constitution of ihe kingdom to make that kind of determination. Mazie Hirono (D):Yes, I would support a Native Hawaiian Recognition Bill. I agree wilh ihe senator's (Carroll) assessment. The fact of ihe matter is that this bill needs to be sent to ihe floor of ihe

senate for debate and a vote going up or down. There are 50 members of ihe senate, all democrats who have agreed to do this. They need 60 membeis of ihe senate to send it down for a vote, and so they obviously need 1 0 republicans, and they are not getting ihe republicans. I ihink one of ihe major opponents of this bill is Sen. Kyl from Arizona who basically has - is completely against this bill. So if we don't get this to ihe floor of ihe senate - and it looks as though it's going to be a hard road, I hope that we'd create ihe en\'ironment for continuing to educate ihem. As governor, I would go to Washington, D.C. and meet wilhlhe appropriate people, including senators, and, of course, working closely wilh our congressional delegation. Wheu I attended ihe U.S. Supreme Court hearing on ihe Rice decision, I wentthere for many reasons, one of whieh, though, was to listen to ihe Supreme Court's questioning. It was very clear to me that ihe majority of ihe Supreme Court members had no undemtanding of ihe Hawaiian Community as an indigenous group, that they did view ihe OHA elections as a racebased election, so we clearly have to a lot of educating in Washington, D.C. in order to support this bill. George Peabody (L): The gover-

nor doesn't really have anything to do with what goes on in ihe U.S. Congress. That's up there in Washington, D.C., that's a federal initiative that's going on, that is put forth by our Washington representatives. Also I fmd it to be offensive in that it is race-based, and as our Constitution states, we are all of one blood. We're all here to live in peaee and harmony and in prosperity wilhout government pushing us into Socialist programs and div iding our community into differeut factions. D.G. "Andy" Anderson (D): From everything Fve read and ihe briefings I've had whieh have been somewhat limited, I ihink its partisan politics. The U.S. Senate has a policy thata senator has an automatie veto and need not declare who he is to hold up a bill. I understand that this is the case, that a republican senator is holding it up, and when they getto him, another undisclosed senator will hold it up. Fve got to remind you all that I ihink ihe Bush Administration is opposed to it. The solicitor general of the Untied States is Mr. Waxman who represented ihe lawsuit against the Hawaiian ihe first time around. I would say from what limited knowledge I have and information I have, I would say it's partisan politics. Fm confident, Fm comfortable that

if anybody ean spring it, it's going to be our two senators. Ed Case (D): As your governor, my administration will do everything possible to obtain federal recognition. As you believe is neeessary and helpful, I will pemonally work with our congressional delegation, and personally lobby in Washington, D.C. whieh I know well from three yeam wilh Sen. Matsunaga on your behalf. And I will have all ihe time necessary for this effort whieh is simply too important to ihe long-term sur\''ival of our native culture and preservation of ihe Hawai' i we all treasure to be put on ihe governor's shelf or avoided in a campaign. This is about partisan politics. The situation is that there are sufficient numbers of republicans who want to prevent this bill from coming to debate. We do not have ihe sufficient number of votes, apparently, in ihe Senate today, to overcome a filibuster. Now, eome on, that is of course something that any republican ean, should and could lobby in Washington D.C. to overcome ... I very mueh agree that it is ihe job of the governor to advocate in Washington, D.C., on behalf of federal recognition, and to work wilh our congressional delegation. ■