2000-04-12 Charter Commission Minutes

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minutes 04-12-00Page 6 of 26 because it doesn’t apply to them? JIM: Your Corporation Counsel clearly says that. That’s a problem, okay? And I’d like to address that so maybe you’d have a clear ground rules with our thinking. All of us, we need to find a process to allow some kind of regulations upon Hawaiian homes that be equal to the public. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian Home Commission Act was brought from the territory over, total restrictions. They made a lot of restrictions. And we are not the people. You and us can make it so the way it’s supposed to be. That’s simple as that. There is Constitution Amendments to do it and the Admission Act, Section 4, allows it. Your Constitution allows it. We just got to get together to work it. It’s simple. It is because when it was mandated, they made certain laws. Trust me, you’re going to have the people that don’t like the idea, and you’re going to have that like the idea. And that’s the problem you’re having. I’m one of them. I’m old. I’m 68 years old, and I’m going to die a Hawaiian. With respect to what I’m doing, but I believe that dying and knowing that there’s no balance is not right. That’s where I come from. That’s why I’m here. It’s not right. KAHAWAIOLA’A: And Mr. Kurozawa, may I address that, and this is my own personal experience, not as President of Keaukaha Community Association. I’m not here speaking as them today, but I give you my relationship as that - is that the confusion among the Native Hawaiians is I’ve got the Native Hawaiians now calling the police, saying my neighbor kids are drinking underage in the yard, boom boxes going all night. That’s one Hawaiian who said policeman come. The policeman gets there and they go to that house, and the person in that house says hey, wait, all the kids are on my property. This is Hawaiian home lands. And the policeman jumps back and say well, oh, yeah, it’s a private party. Because I inquired as the President of the Community Association; hey, what’s the problem? Boom boxes, 3 o’clock in the morning. We don’t know or we do know. Can we go, or we no can go? It’s a private party or is the law being broken? Is it unlawful underage drinking? What is the problem? You see, that’s where we get the confusion. So, I believe, to answer your question, will they want it? I guess some will, some won’t. As Mr. Jim said, I do believe the process should be put there because there are still people who believe full heartedly in America, and we’ve been assimilated into the society, and whatever. I thought that way for several years because I volunteered to join the military, served in Viet Nam, and did what I needed to do. However, I’m like Mr. Jim. I decided I’m going to die one Hawaiian. They made me a Hawaiian. They made me a citizen of the United States in 1952. Everybody born in the State of Hawaii, in the islands, the Hawaiians were of a different class. We were not citizens born just because we were part of a territory. But I had to do the research to find out that the process was that in ‘52, the United States made me a citizen, whether I liked it or not. So I decided I’m not going to vote here. I’m going to be this Hawaiian but I fought in 1963 to 1969 for America. See, so, that was my impressionable age, 17 to 20 something, so I did that. So to answer your question, I would believe if it’s put in there, there might be some that don’t want it, and you’re getting that right now. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You say will the people say, hey, I want Hawaiian - they’re doing it right now by saying well, I don’t know if you can. And the response that we’re getting, as a community leader, I’m having the problem of trying to mitigate two Native Hawaiians within the community. Well sister, you’re wrong and she’s right. She’s right and you’re wrong. Where’s the law that tells us how we can do it? That’s why we’re coming before this body, to find out. Because I believe there is a body who’s supposed to be taking care of it. We think we addressed it. We told you it was the Hawaiian Home Commission that’s got the power. Your Corporation Counsel said this – Because this county is non-administrators of the Act, you’re restricted by Constitution, you’re restricted by language in your Constitution, that the burden should be on the people who is supposed to be running it. Right now, for lack of a better word - please don’t get offended - This county, this body, and everything in this county is being used as a donkey for someone else to say you guys, you carry the burden for us. You know, we’re just going to look the other way, or we’re going to assume that something going on. So, I think when you’re saying whether they like it, when it’s in or not, it’s not there now and the people are telling you, hey, I’m this Hawaiian and you’re not supposed to come on my land. What is the difficult part is that individual who’s out there, trying to protect life, liberty, pursuit. The people are saying well, gee, I’m wondering if I can. I don’t know. And I’m quite sure all of you know that it’s happening. So that’s what we need. We’d like to have continuity too. No one’s included, or excluded, us and we’d like to have continuity too. And we believe there’s a body out there to help do the work, and I think this body should, at least, maybe if we could, work to find out how we can resolve it. And that’s why I thank this body again, to the Vice Chair, for allowing us to at least submit something. This is the first time we’ve ever been allowed to do something. We were just shined off before as some erratics and sent out the door. JIM: Let me give you an example so I can answer your question. It will help this body that they can make a great future for the newer generation. I’m very disturbed when a policeman come in there and cannot enforce because it’s the next neighbor that face the consequences. Unfortunately, you get group like us going to sue the policemans and all of that. It’s because of the fraud and conspiracy of a crime, and maybe that’s the only way the State will take action to do something. And we found in the future, when we raised the question in the court, they hear. We even have the Interior right now, and the Attorney General made tremendous investigations. The Hans case one, we had a whole year investigation before we filed the lawsuit, and we sued the Federal Government for not fulfilling that investigation. We have right now, (indiscernible) your County Council, and Wal-Mart is right ongoing now, and we’re prepared to take a lawsuit again. It’s unnecessary. The reason we’re doing it is to bring it out so when it gets out, it has to be taken care of. It’s not to be put on the shelf on the bottom, and don’t even include, or exclude, the Hawaiian Affairs. With respect to what I’m going to say, you’re fathers to us. Read the file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 04-12-00.htm7/1/2011