OHA'S Omitted Expenditures
Office of Hawaiian Affairs officials stated in an article titled “OHA spends millions on trying to create a Native Hawaiian nation” in the Honolulu Advertiser on July 16, 2008 that “the numbers (dollar amount) does not include salaries, wages, and related expenses paid to OHA employees involved with the efforts.” OHA sources have shared the following examples of omitted expenditures from the posted expenditures on OHA’s Web site:
* Travel per diem for Hawaiian Governance staff to attend the Pineapple Festival from 06/30/06 to 07/01/06 totals $520.00.
* Travel per diem to Aulani Apoliona to travel to Carson, California from 01/18/06 to 01/23/06 totals $727.50.
* Travel per diem to Aulani Apoliona to travel to Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada beginning on 03/16/06 to 04/11/06 totals $1,496.00.
* Travel per diem to Aulani Apoliona to travel to California, Oregon, and Washington from 04/28/06 to 05/02/06 totals $212.50.
* Travel per diem to Aulani Apoliona to travel to the Makaha Sons Concert in San Antonio, Texas on 09/16/06 totals $67.50.
* Travel per diem to Aulani Apoliona to travel to Oxnard, California from 09/29/06 to 10/26/06 totals $252.50.
Travel per diem relates to daily allowances paid to employees for out-of-pocket expenses while conducting a business transaction, such as meals and hotel expenses. If the employer (i.e. OHA) purchases the meals and pays for the hotel expenses, the employee (i.e. Aulani Apoliona) in normal circumstances would not receive a full per diem.
Speculation of possible procurement violations pertaining to the above travel per diem paid to Aulani Apoliona currently exist, as OHA paid for the following meals for Aulani Apoliona and her guest, while she traveled first class throughout the continent “pushing” Kau Inoa on native Hawaiian trust fund dollars:
* Dinner meeting for 12 Northern California Hawaiians at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City, California on 03/21/06 in the amount of $770.50.
* Dinner with one guest on 03/22/06 at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City, California in the amount of $67.75.
* Dinner meeting on 03/25/06 at the Bamboo Grove Hawaiian Grill in Portland, Oregon in the amount of $500.
These figures represent brief time frames. More realistic figures are arrived at upon multiplying the numbers over a three-year period. Other examples of highly questionable expenditures related to OHA trying to create a Native Hawaiian nation include the following:
* Rooms at the Four Seasons Resorts Lana‘i at Manaele Bay for 1 night at $1,290.00 from 07/01/06 to 07/02/06.
* 2 Rooms at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa for 1 night on 09/02/06 at $376.59.
* A first class roundtrip airfare for Aulani Apoliona to attend a Ho‘olaulea in Northridge, California in the amount of $2,300.
* A reimbursement to Aulani Apoliona for Continental Community Outreach Travel in the amount of $1,675.99 on 04/25/06.
* 1 first class roundtrip airfare for Aulani Apoliona to an Aloha Expo 2006 in Heritage Park, Santa Fe Springs, California on 05/21/06 in the amount of $2,300.
* Aloha Expo 2006, Heritage Park, Santa Fe Springs, California from 05/20 to 05/21/06 Community Outreach Sponsorship in the amount of $2,000.
* Northridge Ho‘olaulea in Southern California on 06/03 to 06/04/06 Sponsorship in the amount of $2,400.
* 50 dinners in Oklahoma at $21.35 per person for a Kau Inoa presentation with Aulani Apoliona on 05/20/06 in the amount of $1,067.50.
* 50 dinners in Texas at $30.24 per person for a Kau Inoa presentation with Aulani Apoliona on 05/21/06 in the amount of $1,512.00.
* A reimbursement to Aulani Apoliona for Continental Community Outreach Travel in the amount of $1,338.25 on 04/25/06.
OHA Chair and Procurement Officer Haunanai Apoliona, sister to Aulani Apoliona, Administrator Clyde Namu‘o (who spends time learning to play the ukulele and sing with Aulani Apoliona at her personal residence,) and Deputy Administrator Mona Bernardino who is known to spend holidays at the personal residence of Aulani Apoliona must be held accountable for such egregious expenditures.
Since these individuals must approve all expenditures and have demonstrated their personal relationships have conflicted with their fiscal duties to the native Hawaiian trust, OHA is a “Broken Trust.” The trust is being financially mismanaged and the people of Hawai‘i must demand a change in leadership.
It begins by voting for “new” OHA Trustees. Say no to Apoliona at the polls.
