HI company to build $450M Samoa resort

SCOPA uso wrote:

<quoted text>
Mufi Crooks, raise your concerns or air your grievances to the Hawaiian people, not Samoans as we don't give a rats a.. to what he's doing with your budget.

You sound like Mufi's cousin...don't give a rat's a about anyone else but your Samoan slimebags!

Crooks wrote:

<quoted text>
You sound like Mufi's cousin...don't give a rat's a about anyone else but your Samoan slimebags!

Slimebags??? Rats Ass??? What's up bradda/sista? Do you have an opinion or comment about the "outlaw" Jesse James, and what he's doing for our Samoa? If not, would you kindly remove your crooked ass out of here....???

Mufi Crooks wrote:

<quoted text>
That sounds like music to my ears...I think I need to get that microphone and start singing!

Uh...hmmmm looks like its going to be a very small microphone....that you'll be needing, for the sound of music to emanate through those tiny ears....
Be careful though, it looks to be that it wont take much to bust those lil eardrums. hahaha.
As for the singing, dont quit your day job. ahem...that's if you have one.

Try and take the Mufi topic to the Hawaii threads.

Crooks wrote:

<quoted text>
You sound like Mufi's cousin...don't give a rat's a about anyone else but your Samoan slimebags!

My take on this is that you're parking under the wrong tree....check the header of this thread. Regardless of what Mufi's doing with your budget, raising your concern on a Samoan forum means he wouldn't even be reading it to start with nor is he going to give a rats ass about your concerns. Therefore, air your concerns on a Hawaiian forum perhaps it would best attract his attention you IDIOT!

With all the corruption there I would not put it there.

Masina wrote:

Does anyone know the latest info on what is going on with this resort project??? Would like to know how this is progressing.
Anyone???
Fa'afetai tele lava!

Talofa Masina: I can only say that, a special event regarding this project will happen this year 2010...plus the 3rd lease payment for Sasina in July...pe a pule alofa le Atua e maua pea laga tausiga & puipuiga alofa mo'i tatou uma lava. If you like to see it for yourself ... plan a vacation to Samoa @ this time. And by the way many people got the wrong Jesse James on this thread... I guess they just google the name Jesse James...lol...lol...and they think there is only one or two Jesse James in the world...Gosh, this poor guy is getting all the bad karma of all the people who has the same name...lmao. Talofa e ia Sasina, when July comes o le a fiafia fo'i aiga, mo le latou payday...plus more blessings to Sasina and also the government. Masina pau lava le mea, o le tou tapu'ai mai i taumafaiga o nisi o tamafanau a Samoa, aua le tautuaina o Sasina ma si tatou atunuu. Guaranteed there is no hidden agenda for the 3 parties involved (SPDG,Samoa Gov. and Sasina Chiefs). Viia le Atua

To the Samoan’s who live on our beautiful Island and are supporting Jesse’s venture!

Life with money is a curse, I live in London and every day I wish I was back in Samoa waking up to the sound of waves, birds singing, without a care in the world, and food not being an issue as its grown in the back yard, with pigs and chickens.

Everyday I spend money or someone wanting money from me, council tax, water rates, rent, travel, fines, bank fees, visa interest, kids activities, nanny to look after the kids, petrol, food, electricity bills, phone bills, late fees, TV licence, Mobile phone bills, birthdays, valentines days, mothers day, fathers day, Xmas, work drinks, drinks with friends, dinner with friends, movies, I think soon they will charge us for breathing air, and this is only half of it.

You go to bed stressed, and you wake up stressed, no time for enjoying life, 9 to 5 working hour 5 times a week to pay for all the above, and your still be in dept adding to your already stressed mind. No time for the kids, but being a good parent you decide to buy them a new TV, play station, toys, adding to the stress as these involve money and it goes on and on until your old and crusty die with no real sense of true life, which is what we have on our beautiful Island currently.

Its humanities natural instant to want things, unfortunately there is a cost, a really BIG COST.

So I put it to you, do you want the above?, which is the life I live in the developed world which is what is going to happen when Jesse accomplishes his own dream of being rich regardless the outcome and who he steps on to get what he wants?, or would you rather have your peaceful way of life where the most important thing is our culture, elders, family an our unique way of stress free life in paradise?

Yes Jesse’s vision may seem out of this world, a dream come true for Local Samoan’s who think they need to make large amounts of money, but you will pay a price for your dreams of wealth, and once Jesse has a hold on our little paradise, he will soon change it into another over developed money orientated society. Our sandy beaches will be polluted with rubbish, drugs will appear it ugly head because unfortunately those with money “the rich and famous”, love drugs which will bring drug dealers, gangs, prostitution, our people will now be dealing drugs as it pays allot more than growing taro or bananas.

There are allot more profitable ways to benefit our people from tourism industry and it’s not by building a fancy resort! We have something unique to offer the world our culture and way of life. The less we do to our Island the more in demand it will become, its like a fine wine, leave it to mature and it will be worth more. With world in a rush to develop, travellers are soon going to be over the flash buildings 5 star resorts, because you can get this anywhere in the world. However we leave our Island untouched and they money will not be an object for them to experience what we have to offer.

My heart aces when I think of our grip on our land which we have held so strong for many generations, loosened by one persons greed, one person, what a waste..

Stay strong Samoa.. Love to my Samoa and my people..

if jesse is smart he'll run off with investors money..if he tries to build this white elephant, he'll limp off a bankrupt broken man..Samoa is a graveyard of broken pockets, broken hearts and broken dreams for ambitious foreign investors and developers..Royal Samoa Hotel, the Taumeasina Project, Pan-Am Hotel, Royal Nauru Hotel, the Casino Hotel, Hilton at Saluafata- the list is long..Samoan politicians and Samoan matai are not as dumb as you think..they've mastered the art of exploiting dreamy foreigners..look around and the only successful hoteliers here are Aggies, Insel and Sinalei because they are owned by Samoans who know how to deal with other Samoans..

Kimo wrote:

Leasi Vainu'upo Nu'usa, high chief of the Village of Sasina is selling out the Samoans the same way that King Kamehameha sold out the Hawaiians and their lands and their birthrights and their futures! To all Pacific Islander's--if you let this happen again, don't blame the Hauoli's--blame yourselves for your complicitness and you collution!
The "High Chief" is selling the people out for his own self greed and you all know it.., don't wait 50 years to chain yourselves to the Palace! Speak and Act now, or forever hold your peace!

Kimo, I understand how you feel about the issue! Drawing parallels from historical events of the past is definitely a wise thing to do. Napoleon Bonaparte said it himself ( and I paraphrase)” Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it”…ironically he failed to learn that hubris has caused the downfall of hundreds of mighty men and women in the past – which he proved to be no exception. However, as the son of High Chief Leasi I will say that you are absolutely incorrect in your assessment of him...My father dedicates every single day of his life even before he was High Chief Leasi towards the betterment of his fellow Samoans…you are talking about the man who worked in the plantations in Samoa and American Samoa to feed his 11 siblings as well as to pay for education. You are talking about the man who labored as a welder so he could send money back to his parents, which he continued to do until they passed away. If you ever gave my father money, which I have multiple times, you would also notice that he would save it and give it to the villagers. His time, energy and money is spent on his people! I have fought him multiple times on the use of his time and finances to help his village because many times I felt that people were taking advantage of his kindness. However, regardless of all my complaints he would simply tell me that until I learned how to love unconditionally I would never understand why he did what did….So yes, maybe this resort is a bad idea and maybe it is a good one….All I can say is that my father worked hard to ensure that concessions were made to give the village and the people of Samoa the most out of this project…As a History Major I absolutely understand where you are coming from - and trust me - my father gets an earful of lectures on similar developments in the past that have turned out for the worst….My fathers part in the Sasina development was not done out of greed and self interest otherwise I would have known. Nevertheless, I can expect that my father will yell at me for posting this because he is not one who believes in defending himself. Kimo, you have a valid concern just call anybody else but my father ”greedy”.

This is not a good idea. Samoa should be more self reliant and build a resort themselves without any foreign inolvement. This means that 100% of the profits are in Samoan hands and for the people of Samoa. You don't need foreign corporations to paint the picture for you, instead, use your own creativeness. If you want to continue to be indepndent, now is the ime to scrap this deal and take charge independntly. Remember, it is for the people of the people of Samoa.

Samoa is da best.

IUTA LE FAALAKA, sold his soul for a few pieces of silver he didnt get spend....e le leaga le kupe, ao mafaufauga e kukupu mai ai.....ole kuigagau o isi ae malaia le koakele, kalofae!

AIKALAFU-LE-KOKOGIA wrote:

IUTA LE FAALAKA, sold his soul for a few pieces of silver he didnt get to spend....e le leaga le kupe, ao mafaufauga e kukupu mai ai.....ole kuigagau o isi ae malaia le koakele, kalofae!

sorry, double posted

hope your project will not affect some parts of our big land that border the Letui village man.
Need to conserve our land four our coming generations.
God has seen what in ones hearts and minds that mean the most to them to earn their own living and become rich for today but forgetting about the future of the new generations. Im so concern and worried about our property because my people are not aware of whats going on and are not very well educated people as our faipule.

Sooo, have any of you been to Samoa lately?..building a resort will not make the people any more corrupt than they already ARE or HAVE been!- sorry to break the bad news to you!..Samoan's are human and are susceptible to same vices as any human being and "greed" is not a new vice - it changes its "face" generation after generation. Home is definitely beautiful..however, if your idea of home is waking up to the sound of crashing waves and living off of the land - you are sorely mistaken. In fact, to accomplish that you would have to live in isolation which is NOT possible. Why?...because as a SAMOAN you belong to an extended family under the Matai system! YOU WILL DO whatever your elders tell you to do and where they tell you to do it...you need to travel to the other side of the Island for a fa'alavelave? So, are you going to do it the old way and walk from village to village OR would you rather take a car!!!...a car you say?.. Even if you had a car - the sad fact of the matter is, is that your entire extended family would be using it...and if your Matai or Faifeau wants to use it..guess what guys?...exactly!...and WHO is going to be working to pay for the gas so every one else can benefit from using your car???..Sad to say, if you have NO money - YOU Sir/Ma'am are INSIGNIFICANT!!!...you WILL donate either time, money, sweat and tears to your Aiga!!!..You want things to remain as they are??...ok, you will wake up every morning toiling in the fields, cleaning your elders/Matai's/Faifeau's house and property. You will cook for them and do their bidding before you can handle the affairs of your own home!SOUNDS LIKE PARADISE YES???!!!...AND!..even if you do manage to cultivate your own plantation - lazy villagers will steal from your crops and out right lie about it!..and what will you do if it ends up being one of your family who has been stealing from you???...have them fa'asala-ed in front of the entire village so they could just plot about how they can exact their revenge on you or your immediate family for being publicly humiliated?...you realize that the Samoa Police have no power in the village right??? What ever you earn or whatever material wealth you acquire all those things are at the total mercy of your hierarchy - did you forget??????...I think a lot of you have been away from home waaay too long to forget that part of our culture...BUILDING A RESORT WILL NOT CHANGE THE CONDITION OF A HUMAN BEINGS HEART and certainly not that of Samoa's!!!..So please wipe away all those delusions of a stress free environment - because you will only set yourself up for a rude awakening!!...In addition, I DO know that whether Jessie manages to build a resort OR not - my village of Sasina WILL receive a yearly stipend per the contract until it expires a couple decades from now. And yes, the money is distributed equally amongst the Aiga and the Aiga definitely make sure that the Matai's do not short change them!!The issue here is not resisting change - it is planning on how to prepare the people for change!...Go back to Samoa and see for yourself please...in fact why don't some of you just stay there for a year - then sign on to this blog again and talk about how unsuccessful you were...Don't get me wrong I love my Samoa! But as a history major I know a little bit about trends and human nature..what's the solution?..history tells us that those who fail to adapt will perish..and that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it...not the answer everyone was looking for..well, truths from history are seldomly palatable to those who fight the inevitable.

HT LUTU wrote:

This is not a good idea. Samoa should be more self reliant and build a resort themselves without any foreign inolvement. This means that 100% of the profits are in Samoan hands and for the people of Samoa. You don't need foreign corporations to paint the picture for you, instead, use your own creativeness. If you want to continue to be indepndent, now is the ime to scrap this deal and take charge independntly. Remember, it is for the people of the people of Samoa.

With all due respect Sir,try moving to Samoa and preach your message of self sufficiency and creativeness to villagers who's only concern is with the here and now!...try stopping them from using their pay checks to buy ice cream and rather to save it because there is more than enough food in the plantation to eat...they will agree with you up front then sneak off to use their pay check for immediate wants and not immediate needs then wait for the next pay check so they could repeat the exact same cycle...unfortunately a template IS needed! And, until Samoans have been exposed to that template long enough to see the benefits of saving money and investing it - a large scale resort where Samoans reap 100% of the money will NEVER be realized. The Sasina resort gives the villagers first dibs on employment..after the lease expires a couple of decades from now according to the contract the resort will either fall into the hands of the villagers form management or if they agree - it will remain under foreign management. Samoans need to see this template and the pattern of success before they can fully understand how to run this large scale business themselves. Unfortunately, this generation will not fully grasp the concept...and the goal to have Samoan's reap 100% of the profits will be solely up to the future generations of villagers who are employed in this resort.

As the next in line under Leasi Vainuupo Nuusa I cannot speak for him; however, relay what my father has done for years. Servitude. He has worked for the betterment for his aiga, for his village, and those surrounding it. For those who read the tabloits, please, there is more to the story that what you read. For a man who accepts nothing of the payment, yet distributes the wealth to every family in the village he represents, is a matai. For a man who represents a village who struggles to accept him, yet he does what he can for the village, is a matai. This man, my father, has not only supported this village Sasina, but Falealupo, Saleapaga, Manono, and so forth. These are some of the villages he is the matai matua. I tell you, he could have given this opportunity to any village; however, he asked Sasina first, if they had said no, he would have moved on. For a man to monitor several villages and still maintain peace and humility...is a good man. The project of the resort was intentionally to elevate not only the village but Samoa in general. Samoa is one of the few POLYNESIAN sovereigns that is untouched by industrialism, however, our government was gracious to share our rich culture to the world. Samoa has so much to give but if we continue to be divided, we will always be in turmoil.

Kimo wrote:

This is one of the biggest travesties to have hit the South Pacific, since the devastation of Hawaii... This development is completely unwarranted and unneeded and unwanted by the citizens of Western Samoa! Every effort by every world ecological group should be put forth to stop this irresponsible development.
"Jesse James" was an outlaw and was subsequently killed--then, Roshomon! Maki! Pilau! God save the Western Samoans and Fa Samoa!

Hahaha you make me laugh. Everyones input here has been very educational. Yours is a waste of space. Please come back when you actually have something believable to say. Get an education, read a book or something before you make an argument. You know less than nothing worth contributing to this forum. And stop resorting to assuming who people are or what the RESt of us feel. You make us all look bad who are actually trying to voice vALId concerns.

Kimo wrote:

Leasi Vainu'upo Nu'usa, high chief of the Village of Sasina is selling out the Samoans the same way that King Kamehameha sold out the Hawaiians and their lands and their birthrights and their futures! To all Pacific Islander's--if you let this happen again, don't blame the Hauoli's--blame yourselves for your complicitness and you collution!
The "High Chief" is selling the people out for his own self greed and you all know it.., don't wait 50 years to chain yourselves to the Palace! Speak and Act now, or forever hold your peace!

Excuse my language ... Kimo kago i lou ufa. The Project for Sasina is for the development of Sasina itself and if you dont understand the Faasinomaga of that land then save it. Talk to someone that ws born, grew up and live in Samoa and understands the culture like ME. You have a freedom to talk then lets talk about yourself.: Why did you leave Samoa? What did you give your village and your extended family in your whole life since you have a life or job? Did you feed the whole village? I am going to throw up with your answers for sure

Think a Minute

I can see that most of the Samoans complaining about the Project in Sasina are not from Sasina and dont even live in Sasina or Samoa. Let me tell you something in Samoan...

Aua le aia fua leisi i le pisinisi a leisi ma le tupu o le vevesi ma tele ai le mesi.

O le tuutuuga o le galueaina o fanua i Sasina, e le aiaina e seisi. O Leasi Vainuupo Nuusa lea e mention mai e ni isi o outou, o le pule lena o le fanua lea e faaaoga, e le aiaina foi e seisi se faaiuga a Leasi i lona fanua. Afai e te le malamalama i le faasinomaga o eleele nei, ona fesili muamua faato'a faitio ai lea mulimuli.

What do you know about Sasina? If you don't understand what I'm saying, ask your parents or anyone that understands the Culture and LIVE in the same district in Samoa to tell you who Leasi is and the Faasinomaga of the Land.

The question is what is your business? Leasi is working on his land... obviosly not yours. But thank God everyone and the whole village benefits from it with :
- mothly payment
- jobs
- a big market for : taro, bananas, kumara, ufi, taamu, ulu, pua'a, povi, etc - different samoan food like - palusami, piasua, taufolo, faausi, vaisalo, etc also sea food - fagu sea, fugafuga, matalelei, kuikui, faisua, vaisu, sua i'a and lots more...

If you live in Samoa, YES you have the freedom BUT you dont have the money. Look again at the list above and tell me if thats a good chance for your family in Rural Area to get some money to pay for electricity or to help out with family faalavelave? For those who dont have the chance to get a job, they can earn money now.... a good motivation for families and the youth groups in the Area.

So stop being a hater and support this things for families and friends in Sasina

The Village Boy