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"NO DEAL" For State, OHA On Lands,

Posted by Pomaikaiokalani on May 2, 2009 at 6:05am
Saturday, May 2, 2009 Honolulu AdvertiserNo Deal For State, OHA On landsBy Gordon Y. K. PangAdvertiser Staff WriterA bill that would have the state negotiating to transfer nearly 20 percent of its land inventory to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in exchange for giving up all future claims to ceded lands appeared dead last night at the Legislature.Conferees from the House and Senate had until midnight to find an agreement on Senate Bill 995 which may end up settling, once and for all, how much OHA should receive as its share of the revenues generated from the use of ceded lands. But key House members declined to support the bill, effectively killing it.OHA and the state have long agreed that the agency is owed a portion of money generated by lands once owned by the Hawaiian monarchy and that are now part of the state's inventory. In fact, the state in recent years has paid OHA $15.1 million annually.What's been in dispute is how much OHA should receive, and should have received over the past three decades.But what really had people raising eyebrows was a new wrinkle in the plan that allows OHA the option of settling all ceded land issues involving OHA. The proposal was introduced by Sen. Clayton Hee, D-23rd (Kane'ohe, Kahuku), chairman of the Senate Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs.By offering OHA $251 million in cash and 20 percent of the 1.8 million acres of ceded lands to be determined in negotiations between the agency and the Lingle administration, OHA would need to agree to no longer make any claims to "income or proceeds of any kind or nature whatsoever" stemming from ceded lands. It would also no longer receive $15.1 million annually.While those in favor of a larger settlement see it as a way of resolving the ceded land dispute with the state once and for all, opponents say it is not enough to resolve the so-called "global" issue of the overthrow and worry that it could extinguish any of their claims.Hee said such a settlement would make it difficult for OHA to "assert other entitlements" but he does not think it would stop others from filing claims if they wished."This doesn't preclude or prevent others from asserting their rights to other issues," Hee said.The full houses of the House and Senate would still need to have approved House Bill 995. The bill would allow OHA the option to accept either a settlement to resolve revenues from past years only, or a broader package for both past and future revenues. OHA would have until Jan. 1, 2010, just before the state of next year's legislative session, to decide if it wants either option, or neither.The past-revenue-only settlement option would allow OHA to accept a $200 million package of cash and/or land, with the properties expected to include lands in Kaka'ako Makai, Kahana Valley, La Mariana and Pier 60 at Sand Island, the He'eia Meadlowlands, the upper reaches of Mauna Kea, Waikiki Yacht Club, state-owned fishponds, the Ala Wai Boat Harbor and Kalaeloa Makai. OHA would still receive $15.1 million annually until the future revenues issue is resolved.Rep. Mele Carroll, D-13th (E. Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i), chairwoman of the House Hawaiian Affairs Committee, said yesterday afternoon while she was supporting the plan, she was trying to get key colleagues to agree.OHA's board members discussed the bill at its board meeting on Thursday, but chose not to formally approve it. However, according to administrator Clyde Namu'o, attorney William Meheula was asked to make suggestions to lawmakers on how to make the language more palatable.LONG LIVE THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM, o Pomai
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Comments

  • kukuna o ka la June 16, 2009 at 1:41pm
    So any Tom, Dick, Or Harry tin horn politician has jurisdiction over the Hawaiian National Lands ?? A State Agency of junior politicians have jurisdiction over the Hawaiian National Lands ?? When will someone plunge a wooden stake through OHA's heart ??
  • Maika May 3, 2009 at 4:59am
    I like the idea of the land not being able to be sold. The old feudal system of land delegation probably had a lot of faults, but the idea of the land being Kuleana'd out perhaps similar to the Mahele to individual Families, of which the land cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of but only returned to the larger community. The land signifying ones kuleana, and the kuleana signifying one's land. Of course, problems would be sure to arise when the time comes to divide the land up. Oh well, my utopia will figure it out somehow ;p

    i aloha'aha'a,

    Maika.
  • Ululani May 2, 2009 at 1:57pm
    Thanks for posting this here.

    Yeah because they know that Hawaiians didn't sign so we can litigate. (Gotta have hope and faith in the good in some people.)

    Malama, Lana
  • Kawehi Kanui May 2, 2009 at 12:50pm
    We would like to know which key legislators killed the bill?
    I'm confused. Did Mele support the plan to give OHA 20% and don't talk about settlement again?
    What kind of crap is that? OHA has no right to make any deals without consultation of the people.

    We have to be on OHA to hold hearings to discuss the settlement portion.

    For sure we should visit the "global settlement" and see if it has any international stipulations there. I personally from a gut feeling...don't trust it because it came from Cayetano, the American Filipino. He cannot speak for us, he is not even from Hawai'i...he is Filipino...not Hawaiian by nationality.

    I would say, call for a moratorium on all Crown and Government lands which means that the State of Hawai'i cannot lease, transfer, exchange, executive ordered and sold to others than native tenants and nationals as we did in the kingdom.

    For your education, see: "hawaiiankingdom.org" for your self; read and listen to everything on this site and prepare yourself for the ride of your life. For sure. You will never be the same, I can guarantee you that. It will be good and healing for all of those who take the time to know instead of guessing or being led.

    In the end, the killing of the bill was a good thing. It gives us the time to get OHA to take our testimony...if you cannot make it to the hearings you should write it down and send it in anyway...to OHA. I am writing mine and sending it in because I'm too busy.
  • Maika May 2, 2009 at 6:46am
    What a load of crap. What they are trying to do is nothing short of imminent domain, albeit dressed up as a 'resolution' that appears to play up the 'native resolution' mantra that crooked politicians conceive to deceive with the intention of creating their own personal piggy banks by way of back door deals with certain land barons. They get rich on the backs of the people living in poverty on the beach being evicted from the beach. karma come soon enough, but not soon enough.
  • Pomaikaiokalani May 2, 2009 at 6:22am
    Mahalo nui to all who were there and kokua to KILL the State-OHA Settlement Bill. Expect OHA to hold community meetings on the Settement Bill for next year's Legislature.
    Long LIve The Hawaiian Kingdom, o Pomai
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