Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 7, 1 July 1998 — State to OHA: hana hou again! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

State to OHA: hana hou again!

ĪHE CAYETANO administration has said from the get-go that the state is in a serious financial crisis. During the past five years, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has seen one Hawaiian program after another cut back or cut entirely by the legislature, eveiything from education to housing. Three years ago, the Department of Land and Natural Resources eame to OHA asking for help in funding two state burial eouneil positions to keep the program going for another year. The argument was that if OHA didn't fund these positions, the bones of our ancestors would not be interred. OHA agreed on the condition that the state get its act together and find the money to continue this program in the future. DLNR is a department within the state and is funded through the administrative budget. Legally, the state is mandated to fund the burial programs.

Last year, DLNR eame to OHA for the second time with the same tales of woe. Again, the trustees agreed to spend another $100,000 on the condition that this would be the last time. On May 31, DLNR was again knocking at OHA's door, this time asking for three years of funding with the same arguments. DLNR has never disclosed that the salaries paid by OHA to

the employees who bury the iwi and also bury the bones of non-Hawaiians. The puneh line is that DLNR has always sent its Hawaiian employees to OHA to plead its case, saying in efifect that if OHA did not agree to fund the program, we would be putting Hawaiians out of work. Personally, I resent being put in this position by the

k Cayetano administration. This administration must be tmthful with the | people of this state. | Either the state has the I money or it doesn't. It appears that when it suits l the administration, it ean I lind the money for programs it deems worthy, as with the Miss Universe pageant. More recently, I the governor olfered to fund upwards of $400,000 | to eight fonner WAC' | teams if they woukl allow Hawai'i to ioin them in

their new conference. The same administration cannot find the $100,000 to bury our dead ancestors! Why should they, when they ean coerce OHA into paying for it? All the while, the govemor is looking into new ways to withhold OHA's money. For two years, he withheld $9 million in airport funds, and he has appealed Judge

Healy's decision to pay OHA on past due revenues. He continues to urge the legislature to introduce legislation that would reduce our 20 percent revenue share, and, at the same time, he tries to privatize harbors and other public entities, thus controlling the Hawaiian portion of revenues. Last year the govemor suspended the landing fees of all commercial airlines, costing the state millions in revenue, including OHA's 20 percent. If the state needs money so badly, someone needs to ask him why he does this. Let's not allow this administration to say "hana hou" to us again! It is incumbent on all of us to be vigilant in holding our elected officials accountable to their campaign promises. IMUA! On a sad note, Aloha 'oe to Aunty Lydia Nāmahana Maioho. On May 28, one of Hawai'i's living treasures left us to join our ancestors. To thefamily and dear friends of Aunty Lydia, I say mahalofor sharing her with me. This beautiful, spiritual leader will be sorely missed. I will always cherish the quiet times we shared together. ■

" The puneh line is that DLNR has always sent its Hawaiian employees to OHA to plead its case, saying m effect that if OHA did not agree to fund the program, we would be putting Hawaiians out of work." — Kowena Akana

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