Synopsis: A few ideas on how to offset the budget shortfall in order to lessen proposed cuts to human services programs.

Aloha mai kākou e nā makamaka heluhelu mai Hawai’i moku o Keawe a i ka moku kā’ili lā o lalo ē. Ke ‘ike maka aku nei kākou i ke kūpihipihi loa ‘ana o kahi koena ‘opihi a kākou (ke emi loa o ke kālā), a lohe ‘ia ho’i paha ke kani a ka nēnē, “Unele! Unele!”

‘O ka wā makapehu i’a ‘ole kēia o ke aupuni moku’āina. Ua lawa ‘ole ke kālā o ka waihona o ke aupuni e pono ai ka mo’ohelu kālā o ka makahiki e hiki mai ana, ua emi iho he $1.3 piliona. E ho’ā’ā ana nō paha nā mea kau kānāwai o Hawai’i nei i ke kālā e pono ai ko Hawai’i. A no laila, ‘o ka mea i ho’oholo ‘ia e ua mau mea kau kānāwai lā, ‘o ia ke ‘oki ‘ana aku i kahi māhele nui o ka mo’ohelu kālā o nā polokalamu like ‘ole, nāna e mālama ana i ka pono o ka lehulehu.

He keu aku ia a ka minamina, ‘oiai, he mau polokalamu ia e pono ai nā ‘elemākule, nā luāhine, a hiki loa aku i nā keiki e kōkō ‘ia ana e nā mākuahine.

He alahele ‘oko’a paha e hele ai, i ‘ole e pilikia ia mau polokalamu mālama kanaka. A ‘o ia ka mea a ko ‘oukou mea kākau e hāpai ana i kēia kolamu nūpepa nei, ‘o Kauakūkalahale.

‘O kekahi hana paha, he pili nō i ka palapala uku ‘auhau moku’āina. Ma ka ‘ao’ao hope loa o ia ‘ao’ao ma luna a’e o kahi e pūlima ai i ka inoa, he nīnau e kau ana ma laila, ‘o ia ho’i, he mana’o kou e hā’awi aku he ‘ekolu kālā i ka Waihona Paipai Kālai’āina o Hawai’i? E ho’ololi ‘ia paha i mea e lilo ai ia kālā i nā polokalamu mālama kanaka. E kau ana paha kahi mana’o, “He kenikeni wale nō ia, ‘a’ole nō e piha nā kālā he piliona.” ‘Eā, he ma’ū nō ia. I ka makahiki 1992, he $499,092 i hā’awi ‘ia aku i ia waihona paipai kālai’āina, a ua emi loa nō i ka makahiki 2010, he $216, 561. Inā he waihona ia no ka pono o ka lehulehu, e māhuahua hou aku paha nā kānaka hā’awi kālā a hiki aku i ka $500,000 a ‘oi aku paha. Ua lawa ia no kekahi polokalamu, ‘o ia ke kula kamali’i ka’ahele ‘o Tūtū and Me ma Maui. (‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu, e kuhihewa paha kekahi, he ho’opau kālā paha, ‘a’ole paha he pono ia ‘ano kula kamali’i, ‘a’ole i loa’a ia ‘ano kula kamali’i ka’ahele ma mua. He kuhihewa ‘i’o nō ia. He mea ia ‘ano polokalamu e kāko’o ana i nā ‘ohana e noho nei ma kahi mamao.)

A eia kekahi mea e pili ana i ka paipai kālai’āina, kahi e ho’oulu ‘ia ai ke kālā.

I ka wā e alualu ana nā moho kālai’āina i ke kūlana, e ho’oulu kālā ana nō lākou no ka paipai kālai’āina ‘ana a he nui nō ka loa’a, ‘o ka nui o ke kālā i ho’oulu ‘ia e nā moho kia’āina o ka makahiki nei i hala, he $4 miliona kālā a ‘oi a Neil Abercrombie. He $2 miliona a ‘oi a Duke Aiona, a pēlā pū nō me kahi Mufi Hannemann. A no laila, e kau paha ke kānāwai, ‘o nā kālā a pau i ho’oulu ‘ia e nā moho kālai’āina, ‘a’ole e hiki ke ho’olilo ‘ia ma ka paipai kālai’āina. E lilo aku ia mau pu’u kālā i mea e ‘olohaka ‘ole ai kahi waihona kālā o ke aupuni, a i ‘ole ia, e lilo na nā polokalamu mālama kanaka.

‘O ia ihola kahi mana’o. Ke ho’i aku nei ko Mānoa keiki, ua ahiahi. Ke aloha.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
» kwong@hawaii.edu
» rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.