Synopsis: How did the national debt get out of hand and what to do?

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale, he mea weliweli paha ke kumuhana o kēia lā a i ‘ike ‘ia ma ia po’omana’o e kau a’ela i luna. ‘O ia nō ka ‘ai’ē o ‘Amelika Hui pū ‘ia. He $14 Teriliona a ‘oi aku. Ua lilo nō ia i mea kama’ilio nui ‘ia e nā luna aupuni ma Wakinekona. Ma mua o ke kama’ilio ‘ana no ka hana e pau ai ia ‘ai’ē, e nīnau ‘ia kekahi mau nīnau i kupu a’e nei.

‘O ka nīnau mua, na wai e hō’ai’ē mau aku i ka mea nona nā ‘ai’ē he nui lehulehu e like me ko ‘Amelika Hui pū? E pane mai paha kekahi, “Pēlā nō ka makemake o nā hui hō’ai’ē, ke nui ka ‘ai’ē, nui pū nō ka uku pane’e.” A pololei nō, e like me kekahi mau hui kāleka hō’ai’ē. Ua nui nō nā hui hō’ai’ē e ho’ouna mai ana i ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ke kono ‘ana e ‘ai’ē i ke kālā. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki na’e, pohā ka lae i ka pākeneka uku pane’e, he 20% a ‘oi aku paha. A i loko nō o ia pipi’i, ‘a’ole e ‘āpono ‘ia nā noi ‘ai’ē a pau e like me ka’u i ‘ike maka ai. No ke aha e ho’omau ‘ia nei ka hō’ai’ē ‘ana iā ‘Amelika Hui pū? He kumu nō paha.

‘O ka lua o ka nīnau, no ke aha e lū aku nei ke aupuni i ke kālā i loa’a ‘ole? Ma muli paha o ka hiki i nā luna aupuni ke ho’onui i ka palena ‘ai’ē. Inā i hiki i ko ‘oukou mea kākau ke ho’onui wale i ka palena ‘ai’ē o kāna kāleka ‘ai’ē, inā ua hiki pū aku kona mau ‘ai’ē i ka teriliona a ‘oi a e kū pū ana i loko o ka pilikia ho’okahi o ‘Amelika Hui pū. ‘A’ohe nao ‘ai i ka pāpa’a. E nunui ana ka ‘ai’ē, a pēlā pū nō me ka uku pane’e. He kūpiliki’i ‘i’o nō.

Eia mai ka nīnau hope loa me kahi mana’o o ko ‘oukou mea kākau e hahai koke ana. He hiki ke uku ‘ia ka ‘ai ‘ē he $14 teriliona a pau loa. Aia paha ka uku pau loa ‘ana a pa’i ‘ia ke kālā hou e pono ai. Inā ‘a’ole ia he ala e hele ai, eia mai kekahi. E hai aku paha i kekahi mau mākua ‘ilihune nāna nā keiki he nui no ka ho’oponopono ‘ana i ka mo’ohelu kālā, ‘oiai, he akamai nō ia ‘ano makua ma ka ho’olilo ‘ana i ka uku mahina e pono ai ka ‘ohana. ‘A’ole nō e lū wale ‘ia aku ke kālā ma kahi kūpono ‘ole. E ‘ōlelo auane’i paha kekahi, “’A’ole lū wale ‘ia ke kālā e nā luna aupuni. No ke kaua kekahi pu’u kālā nui.” Inā ‘o ke kaua kahi i nui ai ka lilo o ke aupuni, ‘o ka maluhia ka nu’u e kūlia ai.

A ‘o kekahi mea paha e emi ai ka ‘ai’ē o ke aupuni, ‘o ia ke noi ‘ana aku i nā mea nāna i hō’ai’ē i ke kālā, e kāpae ‘ia ka uku pane’e i kekahi mau makahiki. ‘O ka uku pane’e i kēlā makahiki aku nei, he $414 biliona. ‘O ka huina pau o ka uku pane’e ma nā makahiki ‘ekolu i hala, he $1.248 teriliona. No laila, he kōkua nui ke kāpae ‘ia ‘ana iho o ka uku pane’e. A ‘o kekahi o ia mau mea, ‘o ka po’e ‘Amelika ia. Wahi a ka lohe, he nui ke aloha aupuni o ka po’e ‘Amelika a no laila, e ‘ae nō paha lākou i ke kāpae ‘ia ‘ana o ka uku pane’e. No nā aupuni o nā ‘āina ‘ē nāna i hō’ai’ē mai i ke kālā, ‘a’ole paha e like ka ‘olu’olu, akā, e noi aku paha ‘o ‘Amelika a e ‘ike i ka hopena.

A inā ‘a’ole nō e holo ia mau mana’o, ho’okahi wale nō paha ala e hele ai, ‘o ia ho’i, e noi paha ‘o ‘Amelika Hui pū ‘ia i ka ho’omalu ‘ia ma lalo o ka panakalupa.

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.