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Index
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Big Isle History B5
Classified B6
Comics A6
Commentary A5
‘This is
the last
resort’
General excise tax
meetings underway
Issue No. 45
18 Pages in
2 Sections
Today’s
weather
Page A2
Community A8
Crossword B5
Cryptoquote B5
Dear Abby B5
Horoscope B5
Letters A5
Life A10
Nation A4
Obituaries A2
Sports B1
State A3
Surf Report A2
Internet
Trib
Visit us on the Web at:
www.hawaiitribune-herald.com
Find out who our most recent honoree is on PAGE B1
OHA’s spending blasted
State audit questions agency’s free-wheeling discretionary purchases
By AUDREY McAVOY
Associated Press
HONOLULU — The
state agency responsible for
improving the well-being of
Native Hawaiians spent nearly
double the amount on pet
projects than on competitive
grants, the state auditor said
in a report released Tuesday.
Office of
Hawaiian
Affairs discretionary
spending
included $1,900
to send someone
to a rodeo competition
in Las
Vegas and $1,000 for a trustee’s
son’s medical expenses.
The agency’s discretionary
spending totaled $14 million
in fiscal years 2015 and 2016.
That’s compared to $7.7 million
for competitive grants.
During the same period, the
agency withdrew $6 million
from its fiscal reserve.
The agency doesn’t rigorously
vet and monitor this
discretionary spending as its
own formal grant process
requires, the auditor said.
Its administration approves
some discretionary spending
without the Board of Trustees
voting or even knowing
about it, the report said.
Agency Chairwoman
Collette Machado said in
a statement that the agency
is committed to making
changes necessary to best
serve Native Hawaiians.
She said she already proposed
moratoriums on the
use of fiscal reserve funds
and trustee sponsorships.
“OHA acknowledges the
auditor’s findings that we
must endeavor to institute and
enforce disciplined spending
MACHADO
See OHA Page A7
Richard and Masue Uejo have been married 71 years.
HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald
RICHARD + MASUE UEJO Coffee and sugar.
For Richard and
Masue Uejo, those
two simple ingredients
have nurtured a marriage
more than seven decades
strong: The Hilo couple celebrated
their 71st wedding
anniversary in January.
“She’s the coffee, and I’m
the sugar,” Richard said during
an interview a few days
before Valentine’s
Day. “Sugar
and coffee
FAITH,
TRUST,
LOVE
Hilo couples reflect on
their decades of marriage
EDITOR’S
NOTE:
To celebrate
Valentine’s Day,
the Tribune-Herald is
featuring two Hilo couples
who have been married
121 years combined.
Enjoy their sweetheart tales!
See LOVE
Page A9
By NANCY COOK LAUER
West Hawaii Today
With a do-or-die hearing
of a bill raising the general
excise tax scheduled for next
week, the administration and
County Council are hosting
a bevy of community meetings
to get feedback and
explain their budget straits.
The bill puts a
one-half percent
local surcharge
— a half-penny
on the dollar
— on the state
general excise
tax, which is
4 percent. The county has
until March 31 to approve
the tax, under the state law.
OKABE
“When people want to have
more police, more firefighters
and more services, we need to
have revenues for that,” said
Managing Director Wil Okabe.
“This is the last resort. … If
that doesn’t pass, the administration
will have to look at
expenses,” Okabe said. “But,
it’s going to come down to
services. … As long as people
understand, no revenue,
the services are not going
to be same old, same old.
There are going to be cuts.”
Okabe said the county
already cut hours at some
county pools and days when
transfer stations are open,
as cost-saving measures.
Most council members are
See GET Page A9
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