Residents also are alarmed at the level of illegal drug use in their neighborhoods, and want more law enforcement and drug treatment initiatives, said Wakayama, owner of Kamuela Liquor Store.

Democratic Rep. Cindy Evans is seeking re-election to a second term, citing her success in securing $6 million in state money for an administration and library building at Kealakehe Intermediate School, along with money for the West Hawai'i Veterans Cemetery, a Junior ROTC program at Kealakehe High School and a health aide position at Waimea Elementary School.

Republican challenger Bill Sanborn contends Evans is out of step with the district because she voted "100 percent" against Republican Gov. Linda Lingle's initiatives. An overwhelming majority of the district's voters backed Lingle in 2002, Sanborn said.

"I think there's a disconnect," he said. "The people voted for change and they're not getting change."

However, she opposed the Lingle administration's effort to make it easier for state and county law enforcement authorities to obtain wiretaps during criminal investigations. "I support people's right to privacy," she said.

Sanborn, a Waimea resident, said rapid growth and traffic tie-ups in the district are affecting the island lifestyle. Residents also see this as a safety issue because there are too few connector roads, and limited ways to get in and out of Waikoloa in an emergency.

"We've got high gas prices over here, and we're sitting in traffic, adding to the emissions, and we are frustrated," he said.

Sanborn said the state needs to float more bonds to borrow money to address the backlog of roadwork. The state also needs to do a better job of banking money for future projects, and there should be a way to ensure new improvements get done as new developments get under way. Part of the money to build those reserves could come from contributions from developers, Sanborn said.

He believes the structure of the educational system is antiquated and said lawmakers should allow the public to decide if the school system should be decentralized with the creation of local school boards.

"I want to see some bold steps done in public school reform because we've been fiddling around with it for so long, and it doesn't get any better," he said. "Money is not the issue. There's plenty of money in the system. It's the way the system is being administered."

Evans said that if she wins a second term, she will seek state money for critical projects such as the second phase of the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway widening project to improve the highway to the Kona airport; for the Waimea bypass road to steer commuter traffic around Waimea; and for improvements to accommodate additional shipping that is expected at Kawaihae harbor.

She also wants a new elementary school built in North Kona to reduce the pressure on Kealakehe Elementary, which now has more than 1,000 pupils. Encouraging expansion of the University of Hawai'i in both Hilo and West Hawai'i is another goal.

Evans said she is planning an initiative to step up water quality testing in coastal waters, in part because of concerns about the impact of cruise ships and shoreline development on ocean resources along the coast.