OHA approves ‘no-growth’
budget for two years

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has approved a "no-growth" legislative budget for fiscal years 1999-2001, the last official act for OHA until a new board reorganizes in early December after today's special elections.

Up for election today are five of the nine board seats, including those of incumbents A. Frenchy DeSoto, Herbert Campos, Clayton Hee and Rowena Akana, with 37 candidates vying. A fifth OHA seat is held by interim trustee Gladys Brandt, who will not seek election to the office held by the late Billie Beamer.

By a 5-0 vote with four trustees excused, the board yesterday voted to request a "core" general fund budget of $2.73 million for each of the next two years from the 1999 state Legislature, the same amount it received this year.

Trustees, however, did add one new initiative this biennium: $31,259 for the next two years to develop a comprehensive native Hawaiian master plan. Trustees say the document will be used to guide development of all programs for Hawaiians because the state plan does not refer to native Hawaiians as stakeholders in the future of their land, culture and language.

The board's budget decision came after a handful of people yesterday gave trustees an earful of some problems facing the agency. They complained about the lack of public information on agenda items and the need for Hawaiians to review any settlement negotiated by trustees before it is accepted.

Johanna Lawrence and Meta D. Nicola, regulars at OHA meetings, asked Chairwoman DeSoto why her administration is stalling on their request last May to have copies of meeting material available for the public. DeSoto in June appointed a working group to develop a uniform process to distribute copies of meeting materials, but the pair believe OHA is dragging its feet.

Lawrence said it has been difficult for them to get copies of what moves on the table, especially when those actions affect people like herself.

"It seems that the only way we can find out what's going on in OHA is through the newspapers," she said. "I can't understand how the trustees can treat the beneficiaries in this manner."

Virginia Kepano added allowing people to speak their minds during the community concerns portion of a meeting does not provide enough feedback for them. The office has to be more inclusive that exclusive for all Hawaiians to benefit, she said.

DeSoto responded that the board has tentatively approved a policy addressing the issue of public information.