Thanks for the opportunity to testify at this open public meeting. Truly, openness and transparency are essential for Akaku to honestly govern local media resources that this organization is charged to manage in the public interest.

It's a particular privilege to offer public testimony here in this building that Akaku acquired to support the mission: "empowering our community's voice through access to media."

Maui Nui is well served by the accomplishments of Akaku over the past decade. Akaku has become known around the world as an ethical, competent and visionary organization - always true to the mission and fully accountable to the people you empower. Congratulations to the amazing staff and the dedicated volunteers who make the vision real and give all of our communities a voice.

Akaku provides five local cable TV channels (Calabash, Visions, Experimental, MCC and DOE), a radio station (KAKU 88.5FM) and online media outlets (akaku.org, etc.) along with digital media production and post-production facilities and training - available and accessible to everyone without discrimination.

But clearly Akaku is greater than the sum of its parts. By empowering the community's voice, Akaku engages people and builds community involvement - with free speech and expression, lifelong teaching and learning, and direct citizen participation in local self-governance.
Akaku provides a civic network connecting neighbors with neighbors, effectively building diverse communities of common and uncommon interests.

If Akaku is allowed to be run in a closed, private and exclusive manner - like the chamber of commerce or a country club - then the potential for favoritism and corruption will be unchecked. The powerful temptation to use the community's media to support special friends, to benefit political supporters, and to trade favors for personal gain is just too great.
From personal experience I know that Akaku is often asked to do special favors for powerful people, including covering a friend's retirement, commercial business activity, family event or other occasion. While it's hard to say "no" and some individuals may remain bitter that their requests are denied, it is essential that no favoritism is granted for Akaku Board members, staff, donors, or other private and political interests.

The allocation of community media resources by Akaku must be made in the light of day for all the community to see - thus ensuring honesty, diversity and non-discrimination. Remember, Akaku is managing public money and priceless assets that rightfully belong to the entire community.

Of even greater concern - and this is the root of the present crisis here - Akaku is often called upon to silence voices that challenge or disagree with special interests. Like many community media operations around the country, Akaku has been repeatedly threatened with unethical legal attacks. And this year Akaku was assaulted with stealth legislative maneuvers at least in part because the organization refuses to censor community voices, holding true to the free speech mission of empowering our community's voice without discrimination.

You all must remember that it is not your place as the governing Board of Akaku to curry favor or personal benefits by offering privilege to special interests - least of all when you are asked to censor or silence the voices of our community.

Do not be afraid of free speech and do not be intimidated by powerful interests that seek to control and direct our community's voice.

Please be ever vigilant and always remain aware that there are special private interests who profit from controlling media and building imbalance. Building im-balance in darkness and out of public view these interests can fatally corrupt the oversight of this organization, divert community resources to State control, undermine your guiding principles, and taint the basic open access operations of Akaku.

You must increase the public accountability of Akaku. You have a fiduciary responsibility to provide fully transparent accounting for all the channels, facilities, network connections, operating policies and funding derived from State cable operator franchises and related activities, directly to the people of Maui Nui.

Although it may not be sufficient to ensure balance and ethics, operating in the Sunshine with open meetings and records is clearly necessary to ensure that Akaku serves the highest vision for Maui Nui, with non-discriminatory open access to local media for all the people.

Just as I accepted, personally, when I served as chief executive officer here, you all have a solemn duty to uphold the basic American principles of liberty and justice for all. This is true not only when your personal interests are served, but even more so when you are called upon to sacrifice your personal interests for the founding principles of a free society and the greater good of Maui Nui.

That kind of selfless sacrifice is the real privilege that has been granted to you.

Thank you for accepting responsibility and for being here in the sunshine to consider these thoughts.

Peace,
Sean McLaughlin
e: sean808@earthlink.net
tel: (808) 283-3174
P.O. Box 1146
Puunene, HI 96784