Posted on: Friday, October 29, 2004

EDITORIAL
For OHA, we endorse Apoliona and Burke

Voting for members of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will be a relatively quiet event this time around.

There were four seats up this year and two incumbents, Donald Cataluna and Colette Machado, were elected automatically because they were unopposed.

Huge issues face OHA in the coming years, including resolving the political status of the Hawaiian people, dealing with legal challenges to programs aimed at Hawaiians and stewarding OHA's substantial endowment for the betterment of the Hawaiian people.

For the at-large seat on the OHA board, The Advertiser endorses veteran board member and current chair Haunani Apoliona.

Apoliona has been a calming figure on the often contentious board who brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to the job.

For the Big Island seat, which features a number of intriguing and competent challengers, we endorse Jackie Burke, an independent publisher who holds a master's degree in public health and a certificate in urban planning from the University of Hawai'i.

Burke's focus is on improving the financial and physical health of the Hawaiian people.