What's Your Story?
Readers often have more to offer than a quick comment. This is the place to share your thoughts, anecdotes or even column-length submissions. If you prefer, you may also e-mail your story to connections@civilbeat.com.
An analysis by the author indicates existing telescopes are allocating observatory time worth $13 million annually to the University of Hawaii. The Thirty Meter Telescope would raise that to more than $17 million a year.
In Gov. David Ige’s plan, presented on May 26th for improving management of Mauna Kea, he requested that the University of Hawaii, “revisit the issue of payments by the existing telescope now as well as requiring it in the new lease.”
It seems obvious that the intent was to increase observatory financial contributions to the state. He must think these facilities are not paying their fair share for the privilege of locating on Mauna Kea.
The Thirty Meter Telescope protesters have been claiming the telescopes were getting a free ride because the subleases only require paying a dollar a year. It is true, the subleases only specify $1 per year, but the value of observing time specified in the rest of the agreements has been ignored.
The Mauna Kea road approaches the summit, where a coterie of telescopes lease space, typically for $1 a year each. Gov. Ige has called for the observatories to make bigger financial contributions to Hawaii.
Anthony Crider/Flickr
My understanding of these agreements is that the objective was to balance the value of the site provided to the telescope with the value of observing time provided to the University of Hawaii.
In order to quantify that information for myself and anyone else interested, I have estimated the cost of the observing time allocated to UH for each telescope. My estimates are based on public information and my experience in managing many scientific projects including large telescopes.
Ten of the 13 current telescopes are included in my estimate. The other three telescopes are owned by UH or not used by UH.
My results show the total cost of time allocated to UH by the 10 institutions is approximately $13 million per year.
In addition, TMT will allocate observing time valued at $4.35 million per year once it is completed. TMT will also pay an additional $2 million per year for educational and management support.
This is not exactly a dollar a year.
More Stories
Civil Beat
Being Mindful and Respectful in Our Use of Mauna Kea
The sacredness of land shouldn't keep us from using it, but it should heighten our interest in treating it with dignity and care.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
Participating in Nai Aupuni: Legalizing the Illegal
Is electing delegates for a constitutional convention to create a Native Hawaiian government an effort to cover past sins? One writer thinks so.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
The Supreme Court is the Court of Last Resort
An attorney writes in praise of a recent Connections: Mauna Kea commentary that spoke to the role the high court plays in all our lives.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Mauna Kea: Not A Sacred Place, But A Precious Resource
The monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii embraced science and technology. So should we.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Restore McKinley’s Rightful Name: Honolulu High School
The school was renamed nearly 100 years ago in tribute to the late president for bringing about the annexation of Hawaii. A growing number of petition signers say the school's name only deepens the wound of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Justice in the Air: TMT at the Supreme Court
The Hawaii Supreme Court's recent hearing on the Thirty Meter Telescope was as remarkable for its profound substance as for the incredible environment in the courtroom.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Protests Aren’t Only About Religious Practice
"We are tired of being pushed out of our own homeland," argues the author. "We participated in the process that the state asked us to go through, and it didn't work. So we are trying something else."
Civil Beat
Making Mauna Kea Sacred
While the mountain ought to be preserved, the state ought not to confer special privileges based on religious beliefs that Mauna Kea is sacred. The state must remain secular.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Speaking Past Each Other on Mauna Kea
TMT supporters of all stripes seem almost clueless about the basic argument of the protectors of Mauna Kea that render supporters’ points irrelevant.
www.pochoone.com
The Heart of a Hawaiian: We Are Mauna Kea
Humanity needs to heed cautionary tales of unethical business practices. “We Are Mauna Kea” is a plea to the world, and its struggle embodies a systemic global issue that affects many communities.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Giving Back: An Appeal to DLNR
This writer argues that looking out for Mauna Kea's best interests requires taking a moral stand. For some, that stand may come at significant professional sacrifice.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
In Defense of the Protectors of Mauna Kea
We said no to the Superferry. We said no to former Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s 650-foot skyscraper. We should say no to the astronomers’ cyclopsian temple.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Legally Permitted, TMT Construction Should Start Now
The lack of enforcement by Hawaii County and the State of Hawaii isn't helping matters, and it's given Hawaii a black eye on the world stage, the writer argues.
Otto von Guericke via Wikimedia Commons
Hawaii’s Technology Crossroads and the TMT
By its very nature, technology brings change in society and undermines convention. It affects virtually every aspect of human endeavor — including organization of societies and the condition of human lives.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Human Rights, Oppression and Mauna Kea
The Mauna Kea conflict is like other civil rights struggles that have played out on the mainland and elsewhere. This writer asserts that liberation movements are an effect of oppression.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
‘Anti-Science Resistance?’ Let’s Examine the Facts
A trail of broken laws, violated policies and disregarded cultural practices leads from the state capitol to the summit of Mauna Kea.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Hawaii Patriotism vs. U.S. Patriotism: Why is One Valued Over the Other?
The writer supports Americans in embracing their citizenship, but encourages them to support others in their quest for freedom and justice, starting with Native Hawaiians.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
How TMT Has Given Rise to What it Means to be Hawaiian
The conflict over TMT has heightened awareness over what it means to be Hawaiian. The idea that Mauna deserves respect is now the common denominator connecting us all.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Kanaka Maoli Health Does Not Matter, Kanaka Maoli Do Not Matter
Blocking the connection between Native Hawaiians and sacred land has the potential to negatively affect health, the writer argues.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Tutu Mauna and the Meaning of Kapu Aloha
Kapu Aloha stands for unconditional love for everyone and everything, and this writer believes it's a belief everyone can live by.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Kapu Aloha: A Positive Way Forward
Difference of opinion should never be the defining characteristic of a relationship. Kapu Aloha suggests that the bonds that hold us together are shaped by love.
Gary Friedman at http://www.friedmanarchives.com/
Indigenous People: Endangered Species in Face of Western Development
From experiencing the appropriation of their sacred lands, such as Mauna Kea, to witnessing the desecration of their spiritual places and values, native peoples share common threats.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
The Complicated Classification of Earthlings in Hawaii
Members of the host culture, foreigners, people of blended ancestry — sometimes the categories aren't as neat or convenient as they might seem.
NASA via Wikimedia Commons
The Pale Blue Dot and Our Drive to Understand What Lies Beyond
There are very few things for which humanity will put aside our differences in order to work together. Giant telescopes, designed with the sole intent of providing us with the ability to observe, study and understand more about our universe, represent an example of these rare efforts.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Enlightening Hawaii’s Economy
A vibrant Hawaiian culture is worth far more than the astronomy industry ever could be, because it is about so much more than money.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Bring Back the Peace Beneath the Stars
The fight over the placement of the new telescope on Mauna Kea has destabilized an amateur astronomer's visits to the mountain.
Thirty Meter Telescope
Host Culture in Hawaii Is Just a Myth
Amid all of the talk of a "host culture" in the islands, a reader writes that it is worth remembering we are all equal in the eyes of the law.
Ivtorov via Wikimedia Commons
Respecting the Host Culture: Why Are Guests’ Values More Important?
Native Hawaiians shouldn't have to explain their religion or articulate why they view Mauna Kea as sacred. That which is most sacred is often beyond articulation.
University of Hawaii
Advancing Science: Is TMT the Answer?
Does advancement mean gazing into the past to search for knowledge of our beginnings, or focusing our lenses here in the present to find real sustainable solutions?
NASA
Space Telescopes Can’t Do What TMT Would
A new space mission is required every time a space telescope needs repairs or upgrades. Earth telescopes are simply easier to maintain.
NASA
A Simple Alternative to the TMT
Two possible alternatives exist to the Thirty Meter Telescope, both with far better views of space than might be had from Mauna Kea.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Let Honesty, Learning and Decency Guide Mauna Kea Debate
There are strong arguments on both sides of this issue, and there's no easy answer. Facts help, while half-truths, meanness and threats only diminish everyone involved.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Mauna Kea Equals Beauty, Love and Family
The Kapu Aloha governing Protectors on the mountain top has led to a shift in thinking and brought together people of all ages and from different cultures.
Courtesy TMT International Observatory
If Most Kanaka Maoli Oppose TMT, It Should Go Elsewhere
If accepted, the telescope project would be of great benefit to Hawaii, but it shouldn't be forced atop Mauna Kea if it isn't wanted.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
View from Mauna Kea: Looking Forward or Looking Back?
Atop Mauna Kea, people from dozens of countries work together in cooperation for the advancement of knowledge that benefits all humankind.
Civil Beat
Solution to TMT Conflict: Aloha Aina
Aloha aina is a call to live in harmony and balance with everyone and everything, but it's also a call to action.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Why I Declined the TMT THINK Scholarship
A native Hawaiian scientist would have rather seen the Thirty Meter Telescope project commit to mitigating future cultural harm than fund a STEM scholarship.
Cory Lum
Science Is Not White, It’s Color Blind
A'ole TMT portrays Hawaiians as a threatened people being exploited by ruthless haole scientists. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Courtesy of The Hawaiian Journal of History
TMT Misinforms with Assumptions
TMT is using Hawaiian history, social issues and half-truths to create a narrative in which the project is in harmony with Hawaiian culture. Some believe it. Many do not.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015
Westerners Feel at Home, Hawaiians Feel Lost
To understand the cultural disconnect playing out in the TMT controversy, consider first how Western values have supplanted Hawaiian values.
Revoking the TMT Permits Would Be a Huge Mistake
The Thirty Meter Telescope Corp. bent over backwards to address project concerns. But the University of Hawaii's lease renewal on the site needs more discussion.