September 11, 2011 by
Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
** Author's note: This essay is posted on September 11, 2011 as ho'okupu [an offering] in honor of the victims of the terrorist airplane hijackings ten years ago, and especially those who fought back on United Airlines Flight 93. Just as the terrorists took over cockpits to use airplanes as weapons of mass destruction, so today's Hawaiian racial separatists have taken over agencies of the state government, including committees in the legislature. They are destroying Hawaii's unity and equality under the law by trying to seize federal and state resources to create a government of their own. But just as some brave passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 stormed the cockpit and forced the plane to crash in Shanksville Pennsylvania before the hijackers could use it to destroy the Capitol or White House, so today we must fight back against the racial separatists by denying them the resources they need to complete their mission. As heroic passenger Todd Beamer said ten years ago when rallying his fellow passengers to attack the cockpit: "Are you guys ready? Okay. Let's roll!" How do we do that? Let's use the fiscal crisis to rally Congress and the state legislature to cut off funding for racial entitlement programs.
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Our government's fiscal crisis offers a rare opportunity to make deep budget cuts while also eliminating harmful social programs. As Rahm Emanuel famously said about the financial crisis when Barack Obama named him Chief of Staff three days after winning election as President: "You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it's an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid."[1] Racial entitlements have wasted billions of dollars. But what's worse is that they have established powerful bureaucracies devoted to racial separatism, tearing apart our society and even threatening to rip the 50th star off the flag.
In Hawaii nearly 900 federally funded programs have been identified which provide benefits restricted to people who have at least one drop of Hawaiian native blood.[2] The U.S. House Republican Study Committee targeted $40 Million of Hawaiian racial entitlements in 2005, proposing to cut them to offset other government spending, and President Bush proposed cutting similar racial entitlements from 2006 to 2008.[3] On September 4, 2011 the Maui News reported the National Science Foundation pledged $20 Million for a ten-year program of race-based scholarships to encourage ethnic Hawaiians to learn about astronomy, as a sort of bribe to soften ethnic Hawaiian "sacred land" opposition to building a new solar telescope atop Haleakala mountain.[4] Besides all those programs there are two branches of the state government which have provided about $3 Billion of handouts exclusively to ethnic Hawaiians,[5] plus an entire island[6] pledged to the government envisioned by the Akaka bill. Then there's one of the world's wealthiest private trust funds which is also Hawaii's largest private landowner, valued at $8-15 Billion depending on land values (Bishop Estate, Kamehameha Schools), whose trustees fiercely defend their school's racially exclusionary admissions policy not required by the will of Princess Pauahi which founded it.[7]
The federal budget-cutters in Congress, and the local legislators in Hawaii, should eliminate all racial entitlement programs. Of course they are unconstitutional,[8] but also immoral and socially divisive. They waste money by duplicating services already available for everyone without racial restriction. Abolishing these programs might contribute only a few billion dollars to the trillions needed to save our nation from declaring bankruptcy, but will also contribute a huge amount of social capital to the rebuilding of Hawaii's multiracial Aloha Spirit.[9] Racial entitlements should not only be eliminated from the budget for future expenditures, there should also be rescissions of existing programs to offset emergency spending for hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Lists of racial entitlement programs are provided in the extended essay, along with a link to a lengthy, detailed analysis of one particular bill in the 112th Congress, S.66 "The Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act." The purpose of S.66 is to reauthorize an entrenched racial separatist bureaucracy going back more than two decades. Most of the assertions in the bill's preamble, or "findings", are very similar to what's found in other racial entitlement bills; so the analysis of them has widespread applicability.[10]
There's no justification for having racially segregated programs for healthcare, housing, education, and other social services -- except to establish empires under the control of racial separatists. The tycoons of the "Native Hawaiian" grievance industry happily proclaim twisted statistics purporting to show that ethnic Hawaiians are the poorest, most downtrodden group. The statistics evoke public sympathy and thus political power, in addition to government money to feed the institutional patronage empire.[11] But even if the statistics were correct, they would merely prove that if government help is given to needy people based on need alone, then ethnic Hawaiians would receive the lion's share of the help simply because they are the neediest. It's time to put an end to racial segregation in government programs.
Some federally recognized Indian tribes have longstanding treaties whereby a tribe gave up its war against the U.S. more than a century ago in return for land and special kinds of government handouts. The U.S. should uphold its treaties. Tribes without treaties have a weaker claim to federal resources. In any case Congress should reconsider whether to exercise its plenary power over the tribes to gradually put an end to long-outmoded tribalism, working toward full integration of sovereignty with one set of laws for all Americans.
How did federal racial entitlements for ethnic Hawaiians get created? Hawaii is the only state that has had both of its Senators serving together on the Indian Affairs committee. Inouye was chairman for several years. They've been on that committee for decades, even though there are no Indian tribes in Hawaii. Why? Pork! Whenever a bill came through that committee to provide benefits for all the genuine Indian tribes for healthcare, housing, education etc., Akaka and Inouye simply inserted the phrase "and Native Hawaiians." Even if Congress believes the genuine tribes should have entitlements, Hawaii's fake tribe should be removed from future legislation and rescinded from programs already in place where it never should have been included.
State-recognized tribes which lack federal recognition[12] are really nothing more than private clubs or condominiums, granted special powers by statute. In nearly all cases the state-recognized tribes existed before the states themselves existed; so there is some rational basis for the state to grant them a degree of self-governance comparable to a county or municipality. But having limited self-governance does not mean the tribe must have its own government-funded welfare programs separate from the general welfare programs available to all citizens based on need. In any case, state-recognized tribes are not entitled to handouts from the federal government.
There is no federally recognized tribe in Hawaii, although a bill to create one has been pushed in Congress continuously since 2000.[13] A state-recognized tribe is now being created by SB1520, which became Act 195 of 2011.[14] But unlike the well-established tribes in other states, the Act 195 tribe is a completely artificial entity created out of thin air by the state. Its membership list will be compiled by a five-member committee appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees submitted in compliance with requirements in Act 195. The members of the "tribe" will be individuals who satisfy criteria imposed by Act 195. The recruitment of members and expenses of creating the list are paid for by government money. Whatever lands or jurisdictional authority the "tribe" eventually has will be bestowed upon it by the generosity of the legislature. Thus the Act 195 "tribe" is merely an agency of the state government, completely under the authority of the Governor, legislature, and state courts.[15] It deserves very little deference, not only because it is merely a state agency but especially because membership is restricted by race.
In the entire history of Hawaii since the first canoe arrived, there was never a unified government for all the islands that restricted leadership, membership, and voting rights to ethnic Hawaiians alone. The Akaka bill envisions a federally recognized tribe, while Act 195 sets the groundwork for a state-recognized tribe. Both pieces of legislation are racist to the core and have no
historical, legal, or moral justification. The plethora of governmentally and privately funded racial entitlement programs serve only to fuel the institutional and political power of Hawaii's racial separatist movement, superimposing racial segregation onto welfare programs otherwise available to all Hawaii's people based solely on need.
The oldest bones in the Royal Mausoleum, guarded by a pair of sacred kapu sticks, belong to Englishman John Young without whom Kamehameha The Great could never have defeated his enemies to create the Kingdom; Young served not only as a battlefield general but also as Governor of Hawaii Island and a member of the King's ruling council of chiefs. Throughout the Hawaiian Kingdom (unified in 1810) most department heads and cabinet ministers, and many members of the legislature (both Nobles and Representatives), were Caucasian. The first sentence of the first Constitution of the Kingdom, in 1840, set the tone when it proclaimed "God hath made of one blood all races of people to dwell upon this Earth in unity and blessedness."[For further information see footnote #9 about the Aloha Spirit] Over a thousand Chinese businessmen and plantation laborers, and some Japanese, became naturalized subjects of the Kingdom and had voting rights until King Kalakaua stripped them of voting rights by his signature on the Constitution of 1887 (Asians would soon become the majority of Hawaii's residents and eventually the majority of Hawaii's native-born subjects, so both the natives and the Caucasians wanted to take away their voting rights; which, however, were restored to them when Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898).
Just as the federal government's fiscal crisis offers an opportunity to eliminate racial entitlement programs, so also Hawaii's fiscal crisis offers the legislature a face-saving way to avoid giving land or money to the Act 195 tribe it created. When the tribe asks, just say no. When its leaders loudly bang their pahu drums in the capitol rotunda, just put in your earplugs.
Ten years ago on September 11, 2001 some very brave and patriotic passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 stormed the cockpit to fight back against the terrorists who had hijacked their airplane as a weapon to destroy the Capitol or White House. Today Hawaii citizens, legislators, and Congressmembers need to fight back against those who have hijacked government money as a weapon to push for racial separatism. In the words of heroic passenger Todd Beamer when rallying his fellow passengers to attack the cockpit: "Are you guys ready? Okay. Let's roll!" Contact House and Senate Republicans, members of the Democrat "Blue Dog" caucus, and all members of the special super-committee of 12 responsible for making deep budget cuts.
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Extended notes and references
[1]
Rahm Emanuel's statements about using a crisis:
"You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it's an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid" -- Rahm Emanuel, newly appointed Chief of Staff for newly elected President Obama, as quoted in the New York Times of November 6, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/us/politics/07obama.html?hp=&pagewanted=all
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." -- Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff, November 2009. 9-second video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yeA_kHHLow
See also a scholarly analysis: Kenneth R. Conklin, "The Pedagogical Cultivation of Crisis as an Aid to Personal and Cultural Self-Realization," FOCUS ON LEARNING, VII, 2 (1980), pp. 7-18. at
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/conklinpubsbeforehaw/CultivationOfCrisis1980.html
[2]
As of April 1, 2011, a research study by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii had already identified 856 federal and state grants that are racially restricted to ethnic Hawaiians. See the list, with some details about most of the grants, at
https://www.angelfire.com/big11a/ForHawaiiansOnly.html
On March 20, 2000, less than a month after the Rice v. Cayetano Supreme Court decision, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin published an article identifying $440 Million in federal grants made to Native Hawaiian racial entitlement programs during the previous few years, as compiled by the Hawai’i Congressional delegation. “Bringing home the bacon” is an important part of what politicians do, and Hawai’i politicians are outstanding performers. Full text of the Star-Bulletin article, including a list of some of the programs and their dollar amounts, is at
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/listhawnentitlements.html
[3] The House Republican Study Commission started targeting Hawaiian racial entitlements in 2005. See "Akaka Bill Controversy Draws Congressional Attention to Illegal Native Hawaiian Entitlements -- House Republican Study Committee Proposes Killing $40 Million Per Year in 2005; President proposes similar cuts in three following years." at
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles3/HawnProgElimProposedHseRSC092105.html
[4] Grant to benefit Native Hawaiian UH-MC students
$20M award part of plan offered by developers of solar telescope
The Maui News, September 4, 2011
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/553102/Grant-to-benefit--Native-Hawaiian-UH-MC-students.html?nav=10
[5]
In Summer 2002 research was done for plaintiffs in the Arakaki2 lawsuit showing astonishing amounts of state government money spent for OHA and DHHL. OHA and DHHL Cost to State of Hawaii Treasury: $1 Billion to Date. Estimate for Next Ten Years: $2 Billion More at the Current Expenditure Rate. See Spreadsheets On This Webpage for Details:
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles/ohadhhlburdenstatetreasury.html
[6] Kaho'olawe was returned to the state by the U.S. Navy following its use for several decades as a bombing target, and after the expenditure of $400 Million of federal funds for cleanup of bomb debris and unexploded ordnance. A state agency, the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission has for many years had exclusive rights to control what happens on the island and who can visit there. The board of directors of KIRC are appointed on a staggered rotation by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the state Senate. According to statute [§6K-9]: "Transfer. Upon its return to the State, the resources and waters of Kaho`olawe shall be held in trust as part of the public land trust; provided that the State shall transfer management and control of the island and its waters to the sovereign native Hawaiian entity upon its recognition by the United States and the State of Hawaii."
http://kahoolawe.hawaii.gov/rules/CHAPTER_6K.pdf
and
http://kahoolawe.hawaii.gov/commission.shtml
and
http://kahoolawe.hawaii.gov/media/28Feb2011%20%20Comm%20Mtg%20PR.pdf
[7] A webpage is devoted to the racially exclusionary admissions policy of Kamehameha Schools. It includes an analysis of the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a description of some of the school's actual admissions practices over the years; and full text of court decisions, news reports, and commentaries from 2000-2011. See the main webpage, with links to annual subpages, at
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/kamschool.html
[8] A major lawsuit which tried to abolish the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands is informally known as Arakaki#2. Although the lawsuit was eventually dismissed on technical grounds of "standing" and "political question", the merits of the lawsuit were never reached and remain viable for future litigation. All legal documents filed by plaintiffs and all five defendants over a period of years are available on the internet, and provide important legal and historical arguments attacking and defending these racial entitlement programs. A very large webpage with numerous subpages includes all the legal documents plus all the important news reports and commentaries about the case. See
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/arakaki2ohadhhl.html
[9] The Aloha Spirit -- what it is, who possesses it, and why it is important
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/big60/AlohaSpirit.html
[10] S.66, the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement bill in the 112th Congress -- Reauthorizing an ineffective but socially dangerous pork-barrel waste of taxpayer dollars
https://www.angelfire.com/big09/S66NatHawHealthBadBill.html
[11]
The Hawaiian Grievance Industry -- Panhandling for Race-Based Handouts and Political Power
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles3/grievanceindustry.html
Forced assimilation may hurt Hawaiians -- Debunking a typical combination of junk history and junk science fueling the Hawaiian grievance industry, and protesting the use of so-called news reports as vehicles for propaganda
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles3/ForcedAssimHurtsHawnHealth.html
Native Hawaiian Victimhood Claims - Bad Statistics for Bad Purposes (a short summary for easy reading)
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles3/HawnVictimClaimsPopSum.html
Native Hawaiian Victimhood Claims -- What Are They? Why Are They Being Asserted? How Can the Bad Statistics Be Explained? (detailed analysis)
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles3/HawnVictimClaimsDetailAnalysis.html
Native Hawaiian Well-Being Statistics -- Suggestions for Improving How Data Are Gathered and Analyzed to Make Them More Useful for Scientific Study and Remedial Programs
https://www.angelfire.com/hi5/bigfiles3/HawaiianStatsHulili042106.html
[12]
U.S. Federally Non-Recognized Tribes: 226 federally non-recognized tribes are listed here. Updated 06/18/08. "Federally Non-Recognized Tribe" is defined as a formally organized entity that has: A. Applied for federal recognition and is not yet approved; or B. Previously recognized and recognition was rescinded; or C. Applied for federal recognition and was rejected.
http://www.manataka.org/page237.html
"State recognized tribes" are Native American Indian Tribes and Heritage Groups that are recognized by individual states for their various internal government purposes. "State recognition" confers limited benefits under federal law and is not the same as federal recognition, which is the federal government's acknowledgment of a tribe as a sovereign nation. However, in some states, state recognition has offered some protection of autonomy for tribes not recognized by the federal government. For example, in Connecticut, state law protects reservations and limited self-government rights for state-recognized tribes. See a heavily footnoted list of state recognized tribes which includes details of each group's quest for recognition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_recognized_tribes
[13]
The Hawaiian Government Reorganization bill, known informally as the Akaka bill, was introduced in 2000 and has been reintroduced in multiple versions throughout the 11 years up to now (and probably for the foreseeable future).
For Media and the Public: Up-to-Date, Basic, Quick Information About The Hawaiian Government Reorganization Bill (Also known as the Akaka bill) with the most recent major events at the top:
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/medianotes.html
History of the Hawaiian Government Reorganization bill in the 112th Congress (January 2011 through December 2012). Includes links to similar webpages covering the history of the bill from 2000 to 2010. Provides a compilation of the text of each of the numerous versions of the bill, and full text of all significant news reports and commentaries.
https://www.angelfire.com/big09/AkakaHist112thCong.html
WHY ALL AMERICA SHOULD OPPOSE THE HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION BILL, ALSO KNOWN AS THE AKAKA BILL.
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/OpposeAkakaBill.html
Hundreds of articles opposing the Akaka bill have been written by well-known commentators and institutions, including the Wall Street Journal and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (repeatedly), and published in newspapers and magazines of national circulation. An index to all of them in chronological order, with links to the full text of each one, is at
https://www.angelfire.com/hi2/hawaiiansovereignty/AkakaPublishedOpposition.html
[14] Hawaii begins to create a state-recognized tribe. SB1520 passed the legislature on May 3, 2011, and was signed by Governor Abercrombie on July 6, 2011 to become Act 195. Why did they do it? What happens now? Governor Abercrombie named the five members of the Roll Commission on September 8.
https://www.angelfire.com/big09/SB1520StateRecognizedTribe.html
[15] OHA is a state government agency despite its assertions to the contrary. It must disclose its income, budget, and expenditures. OHA, the new Act 195 state recognized tribe, and any future federally recognized Akaka tribe are government-created agencies and therefore must all comply with the 15th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
https://www.angelfire.com/big09/OHAstateagency.html
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Published September 11, 2011 by Kenneth R. Conklin, Ph.D.
