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CENTRE — Republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. Robert Bentley was in Centre earlier this month. On Oct. 6, the retired Tuscaloosa dermatologist was the guest of honor at the Cherokee County Republican Party's 7th annual fall event.

Afterwards, Bentley took a few minutes to sit down with The Post and address a few questions about issues of both local and statewide importance.

Our first question for Dr. Bentley dealt with how he plans to handle the ongoing water war with neighboring states.

“We need to establish a very good water policy in the state,” he said. “One of the things we have to do is strengthen it so when we go to court with Georgia and Florida, we have a good, sound footing.”

Bentley said a new statewide water policy should also lay out plans for green zones, reservoirs, and establish plans for holding the water that falls on the state naturally.

“The policy should say that we forbid the inter-transfer of water without its replacement,” Bentley said, citing the current practice in Georgia of pumping water from one water source then using it without treating it and replacing it back into the same system.

“If they do this, then in times of drought there will still be plenty of water to supply Lake Weiss and Lake Lanier,” Bentley said. “If they get water out, treat it and put it back and we do the same here in Alabama, that should help solve the fight for the water.”

We also asked Bentley if the Oct. 4 indictment of 11 state legislators, lobbyists and casino owners has changed his opinion that the voters of Alabama deserve a chance to decide the gambling issue for themselves.

“It did not change my position, however it does reinforce what I believe,” he said. “You can not let the gamblers write the bill.”

Bentley said any bill must be free from the wants and desires of those who stand to benefit the most from legalized gambling.

“You've got to have a clean-written bill, so that a no vote means no to everything. A yes vote should be defined exactly what is in the yes vote, and it's taxed and regulated.”

Dr. Bentley said he feels the current situation is a black eye on the state of Alabama.

“It shows that there is corruption in the gambling industry, and that it has overflowed and now affects our state Legislature,” he said.

Lastly, we asked the candidate about falling education spending in Alabama.

Bentley said the recent history of annual cuts to the state's education budget can be solved, at least in part, by making sure everyone pays the taxes they owe.

“There are taxes out there that are owed and certain ones are not paying,” he said. “We pay taxes out of our paychecks and everyone else should have to pay their fair share, as well.”

He stressed that he is not for raising taxes in Alabama.

Bentley is for budgeting education and other areas conservatively, he said.

Especially until the economy in Alabama and across the U.S. begins to turn around.

“We need to put conditions in there so if we do have money available and we put people back to work and they are beginning to pay taxes, then those conditionals can be released and you can give the money,” he said. “The worse thing you can do to a local school board is not budget conservatively, because if you go into proration the schools have already hired people, bought buses, other supplies and then they are unable to pay for those things once the state goes into proration.”

Bentley said systems that overextend themselves are forced to borrow money to meet these excessive expenditures.

We also need to budget on a rolling average budget,” he said. “That way, in good times you have a stabilization fund to save money, and in bad times you can draw that money out.”