Ikaika Hussey - sloppy with the facts

In the end, it is possible that the lies about oha can all be traced to a few people.

Let’s fisk one: Mr. Ikaika Hussey has been in the main papers a great deal and now has his own web page disguising as a newspaper (http://www.hawaiistandard.com/).

Unfortunately, despite his being sought out by reporters for quotes, he is often disingenuous and inaccurate. As a result, he is one of the key sources of misinformation about OHA.

For instance, at the hearing on the Senate Bill that would effectuate the OHA settlement, he asked a number of questions about OHA's creation of a Limited Liability Corporation to manage Waimea Valley. He neglected to mention he had asked all of these questions previously of OHA and they had answered him. Grandstanding during testimony was apparently better than speaking the truth.

More recently his website links to a UH student newspaper website and Mr. Hussey highlights it and comments that this is a good article. The fact that he thinks that this piece of student journalism that was never fact checked is good is quite telling about his standards. The article itself is filled with many inaccuracies, including:

• Incorrectly stating that HB 266 does not provide for increases in annual payments over time
• Saying OHA will gain bonds (uh, it will gain funding from the bonds)
• Saying the US government manages all ceded lands
• Claiming OHA was holding its first community meeting on the settlement this past Monday (it was around the 35th)

If you want to believe in the continued independence of the Hawaiian Kingdom, fine. But remember that the Queen you love had a high standard for the truth you are woefully missing.

Too many lies about oha, too little time to respond

I am going to try and shed some light in this blog to help folks understand that so much of what they hear about OHA - from the far left and far right -- is just wrong.  Due to idiocy, ignorance, malice, or a combination, I am not sure.

Let's take a look at the latest post from ohalies referring to an oha phone bank meant to answer beneficiary questions about the public land trust revenue settlement. "Ms. Linda Gomes" states:

There is no doubt that the use of trust funds and government property to lobby support for the Ceded Land Settlement is unethical. This is a clear violation of beneficiary trust. OHA should not be utilizing trust funds and government property to lobby for public support, particularly the beneficiaries, pertaining to the Ceded Land Settlement and their 2008 Legislative Package. This is clear evidence that OHA is a Broken Trust.

Apparently "Linda" hasn't read either the Hawai'i State Constitution or Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 10. Both obligate -- require -- that OHA advocate on behalf of Hawaiians. Obviously, advocacy includes lobbying. What issue could be more important for OHA to advocate on than the settlement --to be paid a minimal amount of funds that the law requires, income that has been unpaid for three decades? This is more like clear evidence that ohalies is a broken record...grasping at straws for whatever bitter personal agenda that writer has.