Senate investigators expect straight answers from UH

Donna Mercado Kim says she watches University of Hawaii sports on TV but rarely attends in person. She’s been to just one football game and one volleyball match in recent years, partly because she dislikes "fighting the crowds and looking for parking," which she pays for herself.

Jill Tokuda says she usually loses out to her brothers on the family season tickets for UH football her father buys each year and doesn’t go to games.

Sam Slom buys football tickets and sits in the north end zone seats at Aloha Stadium. Never in UH’s VIP box.

Definitely not what you would call super fans. But more important, they are not buddy-buddy with UH administrators — on upper or lower campus. And that makes this group especially qualified for the job in front of it.

Kim chairs, Tokuda co-chairs and Slom is a member of the Senate’s special committee investigating UH’s loss of $200,000 in the failed Stevie Wonder "benefit" concert and its even more expensive and ridiculous aftermath that has the public still wanting accountability.

Maybe this intervention will lead to some answers from UH.

This has been going on for two months now.

So far there’s been very little other than expended public resources, lame blanket apologies and passing of the buck. The 57-page report stemming from its internal investigation, hours of private meetings between the Board of Regents and UH administrators and creation of a new six-figure job for former athletic director Jim Donovan have done little but spawn more questions and continual public outrage.

Some of the senators have had their own sessions with the regents and university president M.R.C. Greenwood this week as part of preparation for the Sept. 24 public hearing at the Capitol.

"I told (Greenwood) some of my concerns (Tuesday)," Slom said. "I’m also concerned that the Board of Regents spends nearly eight hours behind closed doors, then 2 1/2 after that. I think we have too many of these meetings and decisions made behind closed doors."

Kim has strongly criticized the Board of Regents and met with them on Monday.

"I told them the way they handled it is what prompted us to get involved. I guess their idea is (the BOR will) form this task group and come up with recommendations. That’s not what the public is asking for."

The question I still hear most often is the same one as when this story first broke back in July: Where did the $200,000 go?

"We will be asking that," Kim promised. "I am curious as to the status of the FBI report and what happened to the money."

Kim, after reading the UH investigation report several times, also said the timeline of events raises questions about the "benefit" motive of the concert.

Tokuda said the investigation is an opportunity to improve the institution in the long term.

"Clearly this hasn’t been one of the university’s shining moments. I’m going into this with an open mind and looking forward to productive dialogue with UH officials and stakeholders. How are we going to make sure this never happens again?"

Everyone expects the hearing to last more than one day.

"When Donna Kim chairs an investigation it’s very surgical," Slom said. "And very complete."

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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.