05-21-2017, 06:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by MarkD
geochem,
1) You asked if we should “burden” the taxpayers with supporting a single racial group. Should not the Hawaiians control their trust lands (and possibly ceded lands?) for market-level profits? If there is a reason that the answer ought to be No, I am interested in hearing it. (200,000 acres trust land, 1.8 million acres ceded land)
Who do you think runs DHHL? The executive directors, or the ones I have interfaced with for the last dozen years, have all been of Hawaiian ancestry. Likewise, the Hawaiian Homes Commission, who acts as an oversight board for the Department, have, as far as I can recall from past interactions, been of Hawaiian ancestry. They are hamstrung for funds to provide infrastructure for the beneficiaries - where are those funds to come from? That is why they lease land to commercial enterprises - to generate those funds. But you seemed to suggest that the State provide them with funds - those are taxpayer monies...
In years past, there have been inappropriate uses of DHHL lands - I believe that there was a settlement made by the state a decade or more ago - for a substantial amount of money - but I frankly don't recall what role DHHL played in that. Insofar as ceded lands, the State, as successor to the territory, received those lands. I'm not at all sure that you would get much political support for turning over all ceded lands to an as yet unnamed Hawaiian entity.... Given the misfeasance and malfeasance by OHA over the years, how would you expect that to work out???