$85k+ of your taxes SUPPORTING Mauna Kea Activists

[randomq]

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), part of our state government, has been providing financial support to the protesters and illegal road blockers, approximately $85k so far. This money comes from your taxes. We are literally paying these nuts to block the road:

OHA contracts totaling $67K through December 31, 2019, cover the cost of protesters’ luas, dumpsters, and large rented tents and lighting systems. $28,772 of the contract amounts have been spent so far.

According to documents made available the OHA Board meeting, OHA also burned through $39,052.11 pumping up protesters’ social media presence, putting on a “Jam4Maunakea” concert, and editing protest videos.

Another $2,246.35 provided training travel and supplies for pro-bono attorneys assisting the protesters and $991.84 was spent flying lawyers to the Big Island.

OHA staff spent 159.5 hours on the protests and $3,803.27 on travel-related expenses. OHA Trustees spent another $3,237.94 on travel-related expenses.

$28,772 + $39,052.11 + $2,246.35 + $991.84 + (159.5 * $30?) + $3,803.27 + $3,237.94 = $85,888.51

Are there no consequences for OHA aiding and abetting illegal activity?

http://hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/...sible.aspx

[Punatic007]

This debacle is incomprehensible in its entirety. Only clarity I get is a clear window into local and state corruption. One can only imagine how the rest of the state and county business is handled.

[Kaimana]

Is OHA even funded by the state?

[EightFingers]

Don’t forget EBT and Section 8......

Puna: Our roosters crow first

[randomq]

OHA's funding includes state general fund appropriations.

https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/civilb...2018-final

[Kaimana]

I guess the next step is to figure out if the money is can from the State discretionary fund or from their other ventures.

[ironyak]

The vast majority of OHA's funding comes from the State, as Ceded Lands are owned entirely by the State, from which OHA receives 20% of the revenue. Other that the ~$5 million in grants and Federal funds, the other 90% of OHA's 2016 funding appears to derive from the State in some form.

But yeah, I'm sure they earmarked the Federal funds (a.k.a. U.S. public tax dollars) as they sole source for protester support.

Only in Hawaii does the State government fund a department whose efforts are to undermine and overthrow it (and yet somehow are still amazed and confused by the results)

[terracore]

I'm sure OHA will "pay it back" just like Billy Kenoi's $120k hostess bar / surfboard tab.... right?

[kalakoa]

Ceded Lands are owned entirely by the State, from which OHA receives 20%

OHA gets a cut of State revenue for doing nothing?

Why does it sound like a scam...

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

OHA gets a cut of State revenue for doing nothing?

Of course, they are supposed to do something. Like DHHL it’s in their charter.
Imagine if you will, OHA & DHHL offer the services for which they were established, provide homesteads for the Hawaiian people, as well as funding for projects that would further the well being of all Hawaiians, not just a few and their cuz skimming off the top.

Do you think we would have a protest on Mauna Kea?
And yet, the perpetrators of this deception fund the protestors.
They pay $85,000 so a few hundred Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians can have tents, food and toilets. That’s a lot of money left over which the trustees can appropriate for relatives who are the high bidders on projects, friends on the approved vendors list, and attorneys every time they get caught.

We pay for that too.