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Another Perspective
 Charles K. Djou |
Give counties authority
over liquor commissionsThe Honolulu Liquor Commission has recently been beset by numerous scandals relating to corruption and ethics that have resulted in several indictments of liquor commissioners. Week before last, yet another lawsuit alleging continuing corruption was brought against the commission. These scandals are simply unacceptable, and it is time we consider reigning in and reforming the way we oversee the Honolulu Liquor Commission.
The four county liquor commissions are an anomaly in Hawaii. The liquor commissions are the only government agencies that derive their authority from the state, but are administered by the county governments. This bizarre dichotomy means neither the state nor the counties have clear control over or responsibility for the commissions.
Because the liquor commissions' authority comes from state law, the counties have no power to reform or force any changes upon the liquor commissions. Conversely, because the counties administer the liquor commissions, the state exercises no oversight over their operations.
This system gives Hawaii a liquor regulatory system overseen by no one and yields liquor commissions that can become powers unto themselves.
Late last year the Honolulu City Council passed a resolution calling for an independent audit of theHonolulu Liquor Commission. This audit, which has not yet started, will help educate the public about the liquor commission's operations. Nevertheless, the audit will do nothing to reform our liquor regulatory system.
It is time that Hawaii reform our liquor commissions. We should vest the authority and responsibility of liquor regulation with just one level of government -- the counties. A single level of government must be held accountable to voters for liquor commission corruption.
By placing full authority and responsibility for overseeing the liquor commissions with the counties, residents will finally know who to hold accountable for the failures of the liquor commissions.
Furthermore, Honolulu and the other counties will finally be free to enact reforms such as allowing the police to conduct liquor investigations, instead of hand-picked investigators selected by the liquor commissioners.
Hawaii must never accept corruption as just a "normal" part of liquor regulation. The Legislature must take action on a bill proposed by the Hawaii State Association of Counties to return accountability to the liquor regulatory system by giving the counties the full power to reform the liquor commissions.
Charles K. Djou is a Honolulu City Council, representing District IV (Waikiki-Hawaii Kai).