As the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is telling us, if the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act of 2003, (Akaka Bill) isn’t passed, alleged subsequent loss of federal funding could have a dramatic effect upon not only Native Hawaiians, but also Hawaii's economy. Federal appropriations in fiscal 2002 to cover all 250,000 people who call themselves Native Hawaiian included:
Education: $30.5 million / 250,000 Hawaiians = $122.00 per Hawaiian
How much education can you buy this year with $122.00? If teachers are making say 30,000/year you could hire 1016 teachers. That means there would only have to be 246 Hawaiians per classroom.
Affordable housing: $9.6 million/250,000 Hawaiians= $38.40 per Hawaiian
How much of your yearly rental costs does $38.40 cover?
Health care: $7 million /250,000 Hawaiians= $28.00 per Hawaiian
How much dental and medical insurance can you buy with $28.00? Maybe get only half your teeth cleaned this year and hope you don’t get sick?
Strengthening community colleges (academics): $3.25 million /250,000Hawaiians= $13.00 per Hawaiian
How many units of academic instruction does $13.00 cover at a community college these days?
Vocational education: $2.9 million/250,000 Hawaiians = $11.60 per Hawaiian
What can you learn how to do for $11.60?
Community development: $2 million/250,000 Hawaiians= $8.00 per Hawaiian
How much Community infrastructure does $8.00 buy?
Strengthening community colleges (agriculture): $1.5 million /250,000 Hawaiians= $6.00 per Hawaiian
What does $6.00 buy in the way of agricultural education at community college these days?
Housing loan guarantees: $1 million /250,000 Hawaiians= $4.00 per Hawaiian
How much of your annual mortgage does $4.00 cover?
Culture and arts: $740,000/250,000 Hawaiians= $2.96 per Hawaiian
For $2.96, about all the culture you can afford is a plastic kukui nut lei
Looks like about $233.96 per Hawaiian total ...less administrative costs of course.
