Many times Gov. David Ige has said that the trajectory of our islands must change to ensure Hawai‘i is a place we want to live, where our environment is healthy, our economy vibrant, our people thrive. We agree that Hawai‘i needs this kind of fundamental transformation in our society and our economy. That is why we, as ‘Aina Aloha Economic Futures, strongly urge the governor to veto House Bill 499.

HB 499 is the latest in a long list of violations against the rights and respect of Native Hawaiians. Without the votes to adopt an actual treaty of annexation for the Hawaiian Islands in 1959, U.S. politicians fashioned a workaround to allow the U.S. to count Hawai‘i as theirs without directly addressing the festering problems stemming from the 1893 illegal overthrow of the sovereign Hawaiian kingdom. The U.S. said the newly formed State of Hawai‘i is required to hold the crown and government lands of the Hawaiian kingdom “in trust” for Native Hawaiians and the public, presumably until a solution could be worked.

The deal has not panned out for Hawaiians or the public. Natural and cultural resources held in this trust — sometimes called “ceded” lands — have been continuously alienated from the public trust with little or no benefit accruing to the public or Hawaiians, while the value inherent in Hawaiian lands is extracted and enjoyed by a few.

HB 499 perpetuates this awful injustice by allowing the state to directly negotiate infinite extensions for leases of public lands, 40 years at a time. If this bill becomes law, it would mean a 65-year lease for a warehouse issued in 1959 could be extended now through 2064 on a flimsy promise by the leaseholder to invest in the property. That means these lands, which were supposed to be directly benefiting Native Hawaiians and indirectly the public, could be treated as private property from which Hawaiians and the public are generally excluded for more than 100 years. Because there are no limits in the bill, adopting it would allow an endless number of these lease extensions to be authorized.

HB 499 is not the visionary, innovative economic policy we need to ensure everyone here has the essentials for a dignified life or that kickstarts new local industries of the future. Sadly, it is just a double-down on the business as usual that got us into this awful predicament — another sweetheart deal for a few handpicked companies that further impoverishes the public and Native Hawaiians, while perpetuating historical injustices and economic inequality.

Instead of HB 499, we urge our elected and appointed officials to adopt economic policies that:

>> Address historical injustices, so that all of Hawai‘i’s residents can fully engage in the stewardship of our islands’ bounty. Public trust lands should be used to ensure we have enough food grown locally for everyone to eat, and — where appropriate — affordable housing and social services are available to Hawaiians and those in need.

>> Rebuild our economy to be fundamentally resilient and regenerative. World-renowned Oxford economist Kate Raworth challenges us to design “dynamic balance” into our societies “to meet the needs of all people within the means of this extraordinary, unique planet so that we and the rest of nature can all thrive.”

>> Respect and rely on the indigenous wisdom of Native Hawaiians. For centuries, Native Hawaiians successfully overcame the obstacles that all of us are now confronting — disease, inequality, instability. With an economy rooted in this history of resilience, Hawai‘i should and can be the world-leader in the evolution to the next economic future.

Returning to the old normal in Hawai‘i is unsustainable and simply unacceptable. We must change our trajectory to provide a better future. We have done it before and we can do it again, and it starts with the veto of HB 499.

Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, Na‘alehu Anthony and Mahina Paishon-Duarte submitted this on behalf of ‘Aina Aloha Economic Futures.