Posted on: Tuesday, October 2, 2001

OHA seeks to help the newly jobless

By Yasmin Anwar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Supporters of Chairman Clayton Hee took over key committees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs yesterday while their leader rolled out a proposal intended to help Hawai'i's economy.

Hee, expected to run for lieutenant governor next year, proposed that the agency appropriate $5 million to an Emergency Recovery Employment Program in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The program is for Hawai'i residents who have been laid off in the economic fallout of the tragedy. They would work for nonprofit agencies that assist Native Hawaiians. The jobs would last up to six months and pay $12 an hour.

Implementation of the proposal is subject to the approval of five trustees.

As expected, Charles Ota won the chairmanship of the agency's Budget and Finance Committee yesterday. Trustee Rowena Akana became the board's chief lobbyist as head of Legislative and Government Affairs.

John Waihe'e IV was named head of Program Management, and Big Island trustee Linda Dela Cruz took over Policy and Planning.

Meanwhile, the board's new minority turned down committee memberships for a variety of reasons.

Kaua'i trustee Donald Cataluna, whom Hee selected as head of the Land Committee, said he could not lead or participate on any panels until after he recovers from hip replacement surgery.

Unseated chairwoman Haunani Apoliona, former Budget and Finance chairman Oswald Stender and Moloka'i Trustee Colette Machado declined board memberships, saying they preferred to conduct OHA business through full board meetings.

In a memo to the board, Stender said OHA's committee process "protracts decision making, burdens the staff needlessly and adds to the cost of operations."

Machado said she would like to join the Budget and Finance Committee, but only if the committee was made up of seven members and did not include Hee. Under Hee's reorganization, the budget committee has been reduced from seven to five members.

Machado also said she would like to be reinstated as head of the Legislative and Government Affairs Committee. Neither of her requests was met yesterday.

Akana called the minority position "sour grapes," but said their withdrawal from committee memberships would not cripple the new regime.

"You know what? We're going to beat you guys. We're going to show you what real leadership is all about," Akana said.

Machado replied that their stand was in response to not being included in reorganization discussions.