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This article was published in 2005.

During an event last month billed as a gubernatorial forum, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Auditor Betty Montgomery and Attorney General Jim Petro participated in the first formal opportunity for voters to see all three Republican candidates in action side-by-side.

The forum was hosted by the Hancock County Republican Committee’s Century Club and drew about 300 local residents. It also was broadcast live by Findlay radio station WFIN. The format included 20-minute opening remarks from each candidate followed by a series of questions from audience members and a media panel, which included Buckeye Farm News, Ohio News Network (TV) and the Findlay Courier.

The candidates stuck to messages from their respective campaigns.

Blackwell said because of tax and spend policies of state government, Ohio is losing 25- to 39-year olds faster than any other state. He added that over the past two years, during any given 24-hour period, an average of 250 older Ohioans become residents of Florida. "Americans will cut their own taxes (and) protect their financial interest by moving," he said. Blackwell promoted his tax expenditure limitation (TEL) amendment, which he is trying to put on the November ballot, as a way to help solve Ohio’s economic troubles.

Montgomery countered that Ohio’s economy won’t improve unless the young people become better educated. "Today just 17 percent of Ohioans over 25 have a bachelor’s degree, leaving us 39 ^th in the nation. Only 50 percent of our ninth graders are planning to get an education beyond high school. Yet we know that 65 percent of the jobs of tomorrow are going to require at least two years of education beyond high school." She promoted a plan to provide financial aid to college students who major in subjects such as math and chemistry and pledge to remain in Ohio for a set period following graduation.

Petro advocated bringing business principles to state government. "I think that an entrepreneurial government is what we need to be moving toward as we strive to be competitive," he said. "I believe in cutting bureaucracy, building efficiency and really enhancing the productivity of our operations in the same way you would in any private sector enterprise." He detailed portions of his plan to reorganize state government into nine cabinet departments from the current 23.

Questions from Buckeye Farm News editor Joe Cornely centered on business and agricultural issues. When asked about agriculture and rural businesses’ role in Ohio’s future economy, Blackwell said it’s not government’s job to pick winners and losers; rather government should create a climate that is conducive to business development and capital creation. Montgomery was asked about the changing nature of livestock farming in Ohio. She believes most people prefer small farms, but the costs and risks of farming have necessitated a growth in larger operations. For Ohio, she would like to see a mix of small and large. A question to Petro asked whether state regulatory agencies can protect citizens without hampering businesses. Petro believes so and suggested that speeding the regulatory process and removing excess levels of regulation will benefit all Ohioans.

There were no seriously contentious moments during the two-hour affair, although some stark differences in style and personality were evident. The top one-liner of the night was delivered by Blackwell during his opening remarks. Trying to out-Republican his fellow Republicans, Blackwell told the Hancock County faithful, "The last thing that you need is a continuation of Republican leaders who (campaign) like Ronald Reagan and then govern like Dick Celeste."

Caption: Republicans Ken Blackwell, Betty Montgomery and Jim Petro listen as members of the media question them during a recent event in Hancock County.