Four Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees ousted from leadership posts last week have initially refused to serve on any of OHA's committees, despite an attempt to accommodate one of them. 4 ousted OHA leaders
refuse committee postsBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comThat's not a good omen for newly installed Chairman Clayton Hee, who must deal with the political standoff at a time when OHA faces cornerstone political and legal battles.
Trustees Haunani Apoliona, Oswald Stender and Colette Machado declined efforts by Hee yesterday to assign them to committees.
They all disagree with the current five-committee process and prefer any board action be conducted through one Committee of the Whole.
The fourth trustee, Donald Cataluna, declined to serve on any committee while he recovers from hip surgery over the next six weeks. Hee had suggested Cataluna continue as chairman of the Land Committee, but Cataluna refused to consider any assignments until his situation changes.
In response the five-member majority of Hee, Rowena Akana, Charles Ota, John D. Waihee IV and Linda Dela Cruz will each lead a committee while serving as members of another. Akana, board vice chairwoman, vowed the work of OHA will continue despite the "sour grapes" efforts of the others to slow things down.
"Are you trying to say because you people are not in power that the whole place is going to fall down? I don't think so," Akana said yesterday at a board meeting.
"OHA was here long before you, and it will be here long after you're gone," said Akana, who added these trustees should resign if they do not want to do the work.
Nevertheless, Waihee -- who was the swing vote in favor of Hee for chairman and remains the most independent trustee -- threatened to delay approval of the committee assignments if the leadership did not offer the dissidents a chance to serve on committees.
As a result, Machado was twice offered a seat on a budget committee, but she refused for various reasons.
"So the question to you is, you have made a choice not to serve on any committee -- is that your final answer?" Hee asked Machado.
Machado said she was disappointed at the political gamesmanship and power plays apparent in the new committee assignments. It shows little regard for the skills and abilities of each trustee, she said.
Now, she said, there are fewer trustees involved in the decision-making, and a simple majority of three is all that is required to pass these matters to the board.
"I will challenge you trustees that we will be there to observe and to ask questions, because that's why I was elected," Machado said.
Apoliona criticized Hee for not discussing his proposed assignments with the minority trustees before yesterday's meeting. Stender, who is on vacation, said he fully intends to follow the work of the committees to ensure the needs of beneficiaries are met.
"For myself, inasmuch as I have philosophical differences in management style, objectives and behavior than you, it would be inconsistent for me to participate in and support this process," Stender told Hee yesterday in a memo.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs
