Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 11, 1 Nowemapa 2004 — An open letter to Trustee Rowena Akana and the readers of Ka Wai Ola [ARTICLE]

An open letter to Trustee Rowena Akana and the readers of Ka Wai Ola

By Winona E. Rubin Editor's note: Winona Rubin, chairperson of ALU LIKE, ine. anā an aiāe to OHA Chairperson Haunani Apoliona, purchased advertising space in ord.er to run this open Jetter in its entirety. On page 24 of the Ka Wai Ola o OHA (KWO) edition of October 2004, Trustee Akana's article insults me and my integrity with distortions and misinformation. I would have expected anyone who needs to know the truth to ask and receive direct honest responses. At least that is the way all responsible public officials need to deal with information - verify and document your statements. Therefore, as a public official Trustee Akana has failed the basic principles of ethics with blatant innuendo and falsehoods. If Trustee Akana had wanted the truth she could have checked with me directly, since my office is right next door to her office suite. She would have received the correct information. However, since she has chosen to make this a public issue with the KWO article, she will receive a public response. The latter I loathe to do, and seldom do, but too many people have read Trustee Akana's untruths before, and some have believed the distortions. Enough already. People deserve to receive the truth.

• Lie No. 1: "Since Apoliona's administrative aide worked with Ward Research on the poll, one ean only guess who gave them the names for the list." Response: While I am aware that Ward Research is a large organization whieh conducts surveys for many organizations and businesses throughout the state, I have not been in direct nor indirect contact with them for more than a decade. Using innuendo still counts as abetting untruths, Trustee Akana. • Lie No. 2: "Last year, OHA invited the Hawaiian community to attend presentations on federal recognition. Again, Apoliona's aide (among others) was asked to sign the invitation letter. Her aide missed 95 percent of the meetings they invited the community to attend." Response: OHA contracted Ho'ākea, a public information firm, to facilitate convening leaders of Hawaiian organizations to discuss possible first steps toward Hawaiian self-governance. The meetings had nothing to do with federal recognition, as Trustee Akana erroneously stated. The contractor, Ho'ākea, asked five Hawaiians, who have been involved with the invited Hawaiian organizations over decades, to sign the letter of invitation to meetings on O'ahu, Kaua'i, Maui and Hawai'i. I was one of the signators because I am chairperson of the board of ALU

LIKE, ine., whieh has served over 100,000 Hawaiians over nearly 30 years; and I have been involved with Hawaiian issues for over 40 years - longer than Trustee Akana has been back living in Hawai'i. In addition, I attended and participated in meetings on O'ahu, Kaua'i and Maui and had conflicting engagements for the meetings on Hawai'i island. Trustee Akana has difficulty with math, it seems. My absence from two meetings certainly does not equate to her erroneous 95 percent absence figure. While playing the attendance game, Trustee Akana may wish to explain her record of absences from OHA board and committee meetings over the past few years. That information should be of interest to all beneficiaries who elected her. • Lie No. 3: "Apoliona's aide appears again in a soon to be released OHA video as the narrator. Since this video is being produced by a noted loeal film maker, one has to question why a trustee's aide was chosen over a recognized professional." Response: I have been approached on a number of occasions over the years to narrate videos and other presentations. I have refused all of those requests because, as those who know me understand, I do not relish taking a prominent visible role in programs. Especially since my retirement some several years ago, that has been a firm position. If Trustee Akana had checked with film producer Edgy Lee, she would have found that Lee had sought me out because I had the "quality of voice" she was looking for. I turned her down, as is my usual response, but she prevailed on me to read the script before I made a final decision. After a few days and two versions of the script, I gave a tentative okay pending approval by OHA. I checked

with the Administrator and Chairperson Apoliona on whether they saw a conflict with my participation as a Hawaiian individual (not as the Chair's aide). They saw no conflict; I agreed to narrate the film, and I am pleased to have been part of that meaningful production. I choose not to deal with the other untruths in the rest of Trustee Akana's article, but I do wish to comment further on the total shameful article, whieh disparages me and her fellow Trustees, who have unquestionable reputations for integrity and honesty. I suggest that Trustee Akana practice the qualities she "talks about" but forgets to practice. Also, reference to Trustee Akana's website is made at the bottom of her article, a website in whieh she takes personal credit for actions for whieh the majority of the board should be acknowledged. As we all know, one Trustee alone cannot and should not take credit for the good things that the OHA Administrator, staff and the Board of Trustees have collectively accomplished in the past three years in whieh Haunani Apoliona has been chairperson. This open letter to Trustee Akana and the readers of Ka Wai Ola o OHA has been written by a proud Hawaiian OHA beneficiary and a policy maker of a large Hawaiian organization who would expect consistent honesty and professional ethics from all elected officials, especially those who represent Hawaiians. I consider this matter ended. I look forward to honest communication in the public arena in the future. Mahalo. ■