Democratic candidate for governor D.G. "Andy" Anderson is proposing that the state give the counties control of water use and all parks and roads. Anderson wants counties
to gain power from stateBy Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.comAnderson, a former state legislator and city managing director, said Hawaii's "centralized form of government" is like "living in a mainframe world when everybody has PC computers."
The most far-ranging suggestion made by Anderson would be to take control of the state water supply out of the hands of the state's Commission on Water Resource Management and give it to the individual county water boards.
"Water is a commodity that should be the sole responsibility of each and every county," Anderson said. "For a state made up of individual islands, there is no rational basis for this arrangement except just state control."
He added that the state should still monitor water quality and enforce regulations with the federal clean-water laws.
Saying that he was a strong supporter or real home rule, Anderson called for the state to give the counties control of all state roads and highways. But, he added, the money to pay for the road maintenance would still have to be provided by state supplements.
Both the state and the counties, however, would save money because there would not be a duplication of services as now exists, Anderson said.
If elected governor, Anderson said he will convene a meeting between the four island mayors and the County Councils to reach agreements on transferring state functions to the counties.