Synopsis: The Social Security Administration might make it harder to access benefits in order to reduce operational costs.

Aloha mai nō e nā maka‘āinana o ‘Amelika, a me ka po‘e e noho pio nei ma lalo o ko ‘Amelika ho‘okolonaio wale ‘ana mai. I loko o kēlā mau pule helu wale i ka‘ahope aku nei, ua lawa nō paha nā mo‘olelo nūhou e pili ana i nā hana kohu ‘ole a kahi Trump, a me ka po‘e e huli a‘e nei ka lima palupalu ma lalo a‘e o ko ia ala laho. Āhea ho‘i e pau ai ke kupu ‘ana mai o kā lākou mau hana kohu ‘ole? Eia nō kahi Trump ke kū lā i ka moku. Eia nō ho‘i lākou ke kāko‘o nei iā ia. Kohu mea lā, ‘a‘ohe wahi palena o ka hāpai laho. Aia ka mana iā Trump, a i loko nō o kāna mau hana e pilikia ai lākou, ua mau nō ka huli ‘ana o ko lākou mau lima i luna. A no ke aha lākou e hana ai pēlā? He hilina‘i maoli aku nō paha i ko ia ala alaka‘i ‘ana, a he ho‘opili mea‘ai wale nō paha? He kupanaha o nā kupanaha!

Ma waena mai o kā ia ala mau hana kohu ‘ole, ua puka mai nei kahi nīnau no ka Social Security Administration. ‘O ia ho‘i ka ‘oihana nāna e ‘ohi i kauwahi kenikeni mai loko mai o kēlā me kēia kālā e loa‘a mai ana iā kākou limahana. I kālā ia e kōkua ai i ka po‘e kaniko‘o i ho‘omaha loa, ka po‘e nāwaliwali o ke kino a o ka mana‘o paha, nā keiki ‘ōpio i hala aku kekahi makua, a pēlā aku nō. Ma mua na‘e o ko kākou lu‘u ‘ana i loko o ia kai, maika‘i paha ka haku ‘ana i hua ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i no ia hui. Eia au ke mana‘o nei i ke kapa ‘ana iā ia i ke Ke‘ena Mālama Nohona Lāhui. He mana‘o maika‘i ka mālama ‘ana a ke aupuni i kēia ‘ano hui, no ka mea, aia ka pono ‘o ka nānā ‘ana i ka hoa kanaka o kipa hewa ke aloha i ka ‘īlio. Pehea lā ke ‘ano o ke kanaka nāna e hulikua i kona hoa kanaka? E aho kona ho‘omaopopo ‘ana i kona pōmaika‘i. ‘O ia pa‘a mau nō o kona kino a me ka no‘ono‘o. ‘A‘ole pēlā kona hoa kanaka.

Eia ka mea ‘āpiki. ‘O kekahi pākeneka o ka uku a ka po‘e e hana nei i kēia manawa, ko kākou manawa ho‘i, eia ke ‘ohi ‘ia nei no ka uku ‘ana i nā ‘elemākule a me nā hapauea o ka hanauna i hala. Pēia ho‘i ke kālā a ka po‘e e hana ana ma kēia hope aku. ‘O ke kālā a lākou e uku ai me ka ‘auhau, ‘o ia ana ke kālā e uku ‘ia mai ana iā kākou i ko kākou wā e ho‘omaha loa ai. A pēlā aku nō i kēia hanauna a‘e a me ia hanauna aku. He mea maika‘i nō paha ia inā e mau aku ana nā hanauna kanaka pēlā. ‘A‘ole na‘e kākou ‘ike i ke ‘ano o ka wā e hiki mai ana, a no laila, inā e ho‘opau ‘ia kēia hana a ke Ke‘ena Mālama Nohona Lāhui, e hoka ana ka hanauna hope. ‘A‘ohe wahi kōkua e loa‘a ana iā lākou.

‘O ka pilikia, ‘oi aku ka nui o ke kālā e uku ‘ia nei ma mua o ke kālā e ‘ohi ‘ia nei. Wahi a kekahi po‘e, ua lawa ka waihona kālā i kēia manawa e mālama ai i ka polokalamu no ‘umi koe makahiki. A hala ia mau makahiki ‘umi, ‘a‘ole e lawa ana ke kālā e uku piha ai i ka po‘e e uku ‘ia ai. ‘O ka hapanui ho‘i, ‘o ia nō ka po‘e i hana no nā makahiki he kanahā kūmālima a ‘oi. Eia nō ke mana‘o nei ke aupuni a Trump ē ‘o ka hana ‘āpuka ka mea e emi nei ke kālā a ke Ke‘ena Mālama Nohona Lāhui, a no laila, aia ka pono ‘o ka hō‘alo ‘ana i ke kelepona ma ka lawelawe ‘ana i nā hana a ia ke‘ena. Halahū kā paha ia mana‘o. Eia ke kuhi ‘ia nei he $100 miliona ke lilo nei i ka po‘e ‘āpuka i kēlā me kēia makahiki, a he nui ‘i‘o nō kēlā! Eia na‘e, he $1.6 kiliona ke uku ‘ia nei i kēlā me kēia makahiki. Maika‘i paha ka hopu ‘ana i ka po‘e e ‘aihue nei i ia mau kālā, eia na‘e, he makehewa nō paha ia, no ka mea, e ‘oi aku ana paha ke kālā e uku ‘ia no ka hopu ‘ana ma mua o ke kālā e lilo ana.

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.