Vote for Bumpy and Jackie to OHA seats

I'm asking all voters to vote for exactly two Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee candidates: Bumpy Kanahele and Jackie Burke.

In February 2000 the Supreme Court (Rice v. Cayetano) ordered Hawaii to desegregate voting. All citizens regardless of race can vote for OHA trustees. All Hawaii voters may vote for every seat; even Maui residents can vote for the Oahu seat.

OHA serves an agenda of racial separatism, which I consider reprehensible. But until a court rules it unconstitutional, we're stuck with it. I cannot approve or endorse any candidate, because they all (including Kanahele and Burke) support race-based programs. But we can use our votes to shake things up at OHA. Every now-sitting trustee should be thrown out.

Bumpy Kanahele (at large) and Jackie Burke (Oahu seat) oppose the Akaka Bill.That's why I will vote only for them. I believe they'll demand an honest public accounting of how OHA's money has been spent, and they'll support programs to help needy people instead of spending untold millions on lobbying and advertising the Akaka Bill.

Kenneth R. Conklin
Kaneohe